Faculty often resist calls for change in classroom practice or pedagogy. When faculty are asked to consider the needs of certain student populations, e.g. veterans, students with physical disabilities, those who are part of LGBTQ+, racial, or ethnic communities, or those who have specific mental health needs, faculty developers see two common roadblocks. First, faculty may feel that consideration of the student’s affiliation with one or more of these groups is irrelevant within the context of the class. Second, faculty often resist self-reflection on their own teaching practices and mistakenly assume they will address needs “as they come up.”

In our roles in faculty development at the Faculty Development Center and the Office of Instructional Technology, we feel a strong commitment to humanize and personalize the learning environment through techniques we share through workshops and outreach. In this presentation, we will offer strategies that faculty developers can use to motivate their faculty to adopt inclusive practices that will empower students to own the material and create new knowledge on their own terms. Our audience will learn new methods for building community in their classrooms where diverse ideas and perspectives will be embraced.