We often hear complaints from students about being visible in the classroom physically, but invisible intellectually. Students of color, in particular, sometimes have a sense of alienation and lack of acceptance in the classroom as a result of subtle communication from faculty and fellow students. This sense of alienation can be triggered by faculty not making eye contact with students of color, confusing their names while knowing the names of other students in the course, constantly interrupting students of color who are responding to questions but giving other students sufficient time to develop their thoughts, not acknowledging the contributions of students of color to discussion or making verbal comments that suggest that their knowledge was based more on chance than on competence.
These are more subtle examples of the dynamic that students of color confront in the classroom and that cause them unease. There are also the more-blatant examples of discomfort in which students sense that they are being judged more on the basis of their race or ethnicity than their academic performance. Sometimes faculty with good intentions call on a student of color to give the African-American, Asian, Latina/o or Native American view on a topic as if that individual is an expert on issues related to his or her race or ethnicity or that the student can speak for all. There is often-times an assumption that African-American, Latina/o and Native American students have been admitted to the university only because of affirmative action and that they are not capable of the academic work required of them at Cornell.
These assumptions can create a poisonous atmosphere for students of color, either in assuming, for instance, that all Asian students are gifted in mathematics and the sciences but less capable in the arts and humanities or that African-American, Latina/o and Native American students only want to take courses related to their ethnic and cultural identities. According to the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, "inclusive classrooms are classrooms in which instructors and students work together to create and sustain an environment in which everyone feels safe, supported and encouraged to express her or his views and concerns."
There is much heterogeneity among students of color that often is not appreciated in the classroom. Students of color come from diverse ethnic, class, religious, geographic, racial and sexual-orientation backgrounds. They cannot all be lumped into the same homogeneous categories. Asian American students, in particular, face the assumption that they were not born in this country, when in many instances their families have been in the United States for generations. Some Asian-American students report being told that they speak good English for an Asian.
To foster a more inclusive environment, faculty should be aware of the dynamics in their classrooms. They should examine stereotypes as they emerge in class and engage all students in discussion. If the class involves work groups, the faculty member should organize the groups with diversity in mind so that students have an opportunity to stretch their interactions with others, rather than remain in their comfort zones. The development of a more-inclusive classroom benefits all students.
At Cornell, the Center for Learning and Teaching works with faculty and teaching assistants on diversity in the classroom. Both of us also are available to discuss with faculty and students approaches to more-inclusive classrooms.
This column was written by Robert L. Harris Jr., vice provost for diversity and faculty development, and Ednita Wright, assistant dean of students for diversity and outreach.
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