Case 5. Students in Small Group
Students in a class are required to do some of the course work in small groups. The professor divides students
into groups based upon their interest areas. One of the groups consists of two white women, a white male, and a fourth woman who is an international exchange
student. As the semester continues, the international student is having difficulties speaking-up in class as the small group. She eventually comes to
the professor saying that things are not going well in the group because, "I am so slow with language and the topic." She blames herself for the difficulties.
The professor suggests they meet with the entire group and talk out the problems, but the student says she does not want the professor to talk with the
other students either together or separately. What issues does this present for international students, US students, and the faculty member? How could faculty
handle a situation like this?
Responses
- Faculty member needed to perhaps talk with the whole class, and each group make an assessment of the report, issue isn't just the international student.
- Faculty needs support from his/her own department, mentoring, and gender issues may be interacting as well.
- University needs to be providing support for faculty departments and that we look at the scores, and find out more about the TOEFL scores, and we might need to look to see if we need other services.
- Make everyone aware that we will all be working in a diverse environment.
- Resolution everyone works together and can communicate.
A professor in a course occasionally uses an active learning exercise that requires students to read aloud around the room or small group. The professor randomizes the student
names so the students (or the professor) can not predict who will read which parts. A student who has difficulty reading aloud happens to get a particularly
long and complex sentence with words she has trouble pronouncing. The professor can tell that this is uncomfortable for the student, but does not know how to
acknowledge or affirm the student appropriately in the classroom situation, in front the other students, some of whom have confused looks on their faces or
roll their eyes as the student tries to read the passage aloud. What are the issues in this case? How does the professor address the issues at hand? Would
these issues be addressed differently if the student were a second-language learner or a student with a disability?
Case 7. ESL Class
A student whose first language is not English is taking a class. He seems to understand the material for the course fairly well when he talks with the professor. But, when
it comes to taking in-class tests he does very poorly and is nearly failing the class. He goes to talk with the professor and asks if she will consider alternative assignments for this student. The professor does not know if this
might give the student an unfair advantage and wonders if she should give this other option to all the students in the course. What are the issues in this course? How could faculty handle a situation like this?
Responses
- Individual response: whether or not we should consider "fair" as the best way to approach these issues. We need to develop communication between the teacher and the
student. Instructor should give more support to that student. Had to focus on what is the real issue; it may be language, may be a learning disability, maybe difficulties understanding complex materials, etc.
- Dept. response: Departments need to spend time really talking about these issues in their
dept.; Do we really spend time in our faculty meetings, for example, hashing out how to deal with these among our colleagues.
- More resources should be brought to bear to give faculty more time, e.g., development grants so people can spend time to come up with solutions.
- This may have something not to do with language, but maybe test phobia; need to get more information. Suggestions for how faculty can handle this might include: simply offer more time for student; note taker; make various accommodations.
- Dept. could seek consensus in department about handling these situations, and the University may need to find out if it's an isolated situation or look a pattern.
- Admin. Deeper problem perhaps. What kind of resources are needed for people who have problems with English, but don't have disabilities per se. Give faculty more time for
working with these students.
Case 1. Immigrants and Refugees.
A new white female professor is teaching a class session immigration and refugee issues. She shows some public service posters developed by a foundation that is trying to
address residents' cold, unwelcoming demeanor toward newcomers (immigrants and refugees). One poster depicts a large blue eye dripping with icicles and the
caption "Some recent immigrants to Minnesota think it's a rather cold place… And they don't mean the weather." She encourages students to offer opinions about
the messages in the posters. One white female responds, "Well, I didn't realize we were that cold or unwelcoming?" A Caucasian male, who has rarely said
anything during class before, asks, "Who made those things?" The professor says, "A non-profit foundation. What do you think of the message?" The young man
gruffly responds, "Well, if they don't like it here they can just go back to wherever they came from!" She looks around the room noting that no
one else in the class is willing to share more opinions after this comment. She feels intimidated by the student's forceful comment. What are the issues in this
case? How could faculty handle a situation like this?
Response
- Issues presented in this case include xenophobia, ethnocentrism, and ignorance. It is an opportunity for the professor to take advantage of a "teaching moment." Might assign
something new to address the issue and have students respond anonymously in writing and turn it into an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
- Use teachable moment that shouldn't be passed over. Put it back to a question as the class. And direct a question to a specific student who may have a different response. At later
class add the information or article to bring out the issues. Maybe instructor didn't want to shame the student, perhaps, but should learn how do you deal
with these things; thinking on your feet.
- Dept. should be informed and the professor allowed to work through the opportunity with support from colleagues.
- Structural response: Provide funding and resources for faculty to deal with these issues.
- Need more resources for ongoing diversity training/workshops; can't be a band aid or trend response, must be woven into the fabric of the University. If we are going to stay on
the cutting edge of these issues, we have to force ourselves to keep learning.
- Encourage selves and students to attend the many events on campus; coercing/encouraging students and colleagues to attend and interact at intercultural/multicultural events.
- Resolution: Positive if it's turned into a learning event the students learn from and gets them to own their position.
Case 5. African Student
- Faculty may need to take a more assertiveness role in terms of groups in the classroom. Purposely put students in diverse groups and make groups up yourself. Have group guidelines
or ground rules in print and spend time on these issues. Faculty could refer students to formal services, eg. International student office, counseling,
other support services. If this was in the dorms look to help from Residential Life folks. Also need to help develop informal systems, through mentoring and addressing it as a whole.
- Structural level: trainings for faculty and students, and staff and admin.
- Cultural definition of space and how others may be reacting and students lack of experience with
people of different cultures, or racial issues. Seems like a good thing to bring up in class, if the student is okay with it. Respect must be there a
little for student to go to faculty for help. Careful not to place the burden for change on the student.
- General departmental message to students that it needs to be a welcoming place.
- More activities to increase cross-cultural contact and awareness.
Case 12. Textbook
The professor of a course is teaching a unit about couples and families. The text book for the course focuses almost exclusively on heterosexual relationships and the
institution of marriage. She recognizes the skew of the text only after it is brought to her attention by a colleague, who says a student in the class came to
talk with her about his discomfort with the class. She points out that the images of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people are either missing from
the text or are not very positive. The presentation seems to be associated with HIV/AIDS, prejudice and oppression, or "deviant" social behavior. What are the
issues in this situation? How could she handle this situation knowing that students in the course are impacted by the treatment of gays and lesbians in the
text, which most of them have already purchased?
Responses
- Some general disbelief that the faculty member would do this. Prof. of course didn't do a good job looking at the textbook ahead of time. Should have included alternative and
additional material to offset the biases. Since already into the term, perhaps the faculty member could own it and use it as an example of some of the problems in society regarding homophobia and heterosexist biases.
- Dept. review of texts being used or have more input across different faculty.
- Some departmental discussion of syllabus and text choices.
- Would this then raise academic freedom questions?
Case 7. Speaking for all?
A young Hmong man in a class is feeling that he is always being asked to speak for all "people of color," who in this case comprise 6/75 of the students in the class. The
professor continuously calls on him to comment on issues regarding "people of color." While he wants to speak his mind and provide an opinion, he's concerned
that other students in the course will think she speaks for "all people of Asian, Asian-American, Pacific, South Asian, and Southeast Asian descent." He's
tired of it and feels stuck. What issues are involved here? What could the professor of the course do to change the dynamic? What can the student do?
Responses
- Individual level: There was a lot of discussion about intervening with students; need to be inclusive rather than calling on particular students. Avoid putting people on the spot.
Appearance doesn't say all or even anything about a person's culture experience. Maybe look minority and actually raised white. Set tone from the beginning, a tone of interaction in the class. Suggestions about using
different kinds of round robin assignments that don't single out individuals. Using a Socratic approach. Allow students to put themselves in "expert roles"
if they wish, encourage it but don't expect that from students of color or diverse backgrounds in the class. Putting students in that consultant role can put students in a dangerous spot.
- Department and U level: Create more opportunities for interaction outside of the classroom. If something doesn't happen they can become invisible in class. This problem
presents an opportunity for the faculty and student to have them clarify the intention and ask the student for help. But, ask ahead of time or talk with
the student. Ask the student before so they can opt out of contributing. Sometimes the student really wants to speak.
- Chair should have the student and faculty meet and hopefully solve the situation informally rather than a grievance file formally.
- Diversity training for both the faculty and the students.
- We may fail to recognize the differences in how people from similar cultural group interact; we group them (people of similar groups) all together, but need to address it
individually.
- May use multicultural office and international office.
- This is an issue for minority people and the whole university. Opportunity for open communication for all students, need more two way communication.
