SUNY Center for Professional Development Header

Inclusive Teaching and Learning Certificate Program

The purpose of the Inclusive Teaching and Learning Certificate Program is to help faculty and others involved in teaching and learning in higher education develop new mindsets and strategies for more inclusive and equitable practices in classrooms and other learning environments. The Certificate provides evidence that the participants have attained a basic set of essential skills and knowledge needed for teaching a diverse student population.

An advisory board of SUNY faculty and staff involved in professional development and diversity initiatives developed the framework for the program. This framework includes twenty competencies that are mapped to the four program learning objectives. Participants can enroll in the certificate program or take only one or two courses. Participants can also register for the other “elective” courses after they complete the certificate program. All courses are six-weeks, asynchronous online and take 2-4 hours each week to complete. The courses are interactive with instructor feedback to participants and capped at 20 registrants.

See this short video which explains more about the Applying Universal Design for Learning for Your Courses section: Applying Universal Design

Intended Audience

• Faculty

• Adjuncts / Part-time Faculty

• Librarians

• Graduate & Teaching Assistants

• Staff with Instructional Responsibilities (Instructional Designers, Student Affairs, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Office)

Prerequisites

Participants should have taught in a formal learning/training environment or plan to do so in the near future.

Sponsored by the SUNY Center for Professional Development (CPD)

Learning Objectives

Those who complete the program should be able to:

• Critically reflect about how their own identity and background shapes their teaching practice and take this into account when designing and teaching courses;

• Communicate effectively and participate in conversations with students and colleagues about how race, class, ethnicity, gender, and other identity constructs impact learning environments;

• Create accessible and welcoming learning environments that are supportive and inclusive of all students, taking into account the diverse and intersecting identities and backgrounds that many of those students may hold or claim;

• Implement teaching and learning practices that are known to create more equitable achievement and engagement among diverse populations of students (especially those who are underrepresented in particular fields or disciplines).

Program Completion Requirements:

Complete Course 1: Critically Reflecting on Diversity and Teaching in SUNY course
Complete two other courses from among a list of five “electives”
Complete an e-portfolio summarizing what you learn, reflecting on how it has caused you to think differently and how you will apply it to your teaching practice.

Please see the Completion Requirements tab for more detailed information.

Course Descriptions

Critically Reflecting on Diversity and Teaching in SUNY

The purpose of this course is for participants to focus on intentional self-examination/reflection in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion as a higher education practitioner. In recognizing the importance of intersectionality, social justice, and other markers of difference, scholarly works about various aspects of diversity and identity will be explored to encourage learning about ones understanding of diversity, the importance of diversity in higher education, how diversity impacts the organization, and how to effectively engage as change agents to incorporate DEI at the respective institution.

This course is required to receive the program completion certificate.

Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

Articulate ones intersectionality and positionality, while demonstrating knowledge of power, privilege, and opportunity, while recognizing the oppression of others (self-reflection)
Distinguish among the concepts of racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, and/or other discriminatory challenges with the United States (isms/phobias within the U.S.)
Demonstrate an understanding of effective strategies for working with and advocating for diverse populations, and opportunities for addressing biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and unintentional oppression, and discrimination at the organizational level(organization/culture)
Exhibit knowledge and understanding of human diversity and how to apply this knowledge to ensure comprehensive development and responsiveness to all students, faculty, and staff (change agency).

Design and Deliver Inclusive Courses

With each new course and new semester, there is the hope that all students will successfully meet course learning outcomes and the reality of the challenges many students face. This course will utilize critical self-reflection, collaboration, social constructivism, and backward course design to consider how faculty can meet the learning needs of a diverse student body with a variety of educational backgrounds and experiences. Participants will examine a variety of inclusive pedagogical practices, and implement discipline-specific classroom methods that help meet course learning objectives, and identify best practices in their own and others’ reflections on teaching practice.

Course Objectives:
Make connections between inclusion in course design and teaching practice
Analyze and make sense of the cultural context of your institution (campus, department, discipline, etc.) and the populations within it
Establish a community where students are known, acknowledged, accepted, and feel able and comfortable contributing
Assess equity and inclusion at the course level
Conduct proactive interventions
Create or adopt inclusive strategies that are discipline-specific
Know how to facilitate hot moments in the classroom

Helping Non-Traditional Students Succeed

In this course, participants will learn about early intervention strategies, instructional flexibility, differentiated instruction, and instructor support while at the same time coming to a better understanding about how to meet the needs of non-traditional students in order to implement better systems and pedagogical techniques to help them succeed and graduate in college. Participants will explore intervention strategies such as providing early remediation to reduce students anxieties, fears, and chances of dropping out. The course will also cover how instructors can deliver the necessary skills that can get non-traditional students into the workforce faster. Participants will also learn how to move away from traditional didactic instruction and instead facilitate student empowerment within the classroom. A key component of the course will focus on how instructors can create a strong personal connection with non-traditional students and be flexible to meet learners where they are.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Those who complete the course should be able to:

Implement teaching and learning practices that are known to meet the needs, deficits, and challenges of non-traditional students and by providing them with proper tools and strategies resulting in students staying in school, graduating, and becoming productive, skilled members of the workforce.
Create accessible and welcoming learning environments that provide early remediation to reduce non-traditional students anxieties, fears, and chances of dropping out.
Implement teaching and learning practices that are known to facilitate student empowerment within the classroom through differentiated instruction.
Critically reflect on how their time management behaviors, stress factors, and coping strategies shape their teaching practice and take these into account when designing and teaching non-traditional students.

Innovative Strategies to Engage All Students

While many students live in a technologically-rich environment, not all have equal access. This may be due to a variety of reasons; accessibility issues, socio-economic status, and/or cultural background. Global learning, collaborative problem solving, and critical thinking are just a few of the demands that are expected from today’s students. Being an educator having innovative strategies to reach and teach all students. The needs and expectations of students will be explored as well as ways to reach them both in and out of the classroom.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Identify innovative strategies that can be used to reach today’s students.
Practice intercultural competence and cultural safety (spaces where people can be free to express their culture and freedom from epistemic and cultural violence).
Design an interdisciplinary activity that supports global and experiential learning.
Facilitate student learning about how to hold multiple perspectives.

Teaching for Racial Equity

Using a transdisciplinary approach that draws on the fields of sociology and anthropology and integrated with educational and sociocultural philosophies of critical pedagogy, this professional development offering will provide participants with an understanding of the educational experiences of racially minoritized students as these inform student success outcomes. They will be introduced to pedagogical theories that support the success of racially minoritized students in college classrooms. Participants will learn about critical pedagogical approaches and work to redevelop or enhance existing curriculum and assignments to meet the learning needs of an increasingly racially diverse student body.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Understand how educational policy reinforces exclusionary educational experiences and outcomes for racially minoritized students in the U.S.
Understand the most predominant concepts, theories and ideas about teaching for racial equity in higher education in the U.S.
Identify and integrate principles of culturally relevant and responsive pedagogies in curriculum and assignments

Applying Universal Design for Learning Principles to Your Course

The 6 week course will first introduce learners to the overall theory of UDL and will reflect on how each has different experiences and learning strategies that they bring to the course. They will then be introduced to the benefits of accessible content and how it promotes student success. Learners will see how UDL offers insight for more effective teaching and learning and is much more than issues of accessibility. The introduction will be followed by three in-depth modules that will each review one of the three principles of UDL and their corresponding guidelines. Within each module, learners will focus on improving their courses by providing multiple means of representations, action and expression, and engagement through guidelines focusing on taking advantage of recognition, strategic, and affective networks to improve student success across a diverse set of students from various backgrounds and experiences. The course will culminate in learners reflecting on their experience and sharing their success with the strategies while developing a presentation demonstrating how they effectively implemented UDL strategies to improve their teaching to be shared within their colleagues, both in their course and at the institution.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to apply principles of the theory of UDL to their courses, including designing learning programs that demonstrate that accommodate how individual variability plays out in different educational environments.
Participants will assess the unique needs faced by all of their students, including at-risk and non-traditional students, and propose strategies to maximally meet their students needs.
Participants will be able to develop accessible content that is in alignment with UDL principles that increase student success by accommodating various learning styles while recognizing that accessibility is only part of these principles.
Participants will acquire teaching strategies for evaluating and improving teaching techniques so as to reach more varied set of learners and support high levels of engagement.
Participants will assess and adopt strategies for using new technology to make learning environments more accessible, inclusive, and effective.
Participants will evaluate their learning environments using UDL principles and design inclusive learning environments that are aligned to educational goals and best practices.

Certificate Completion Requirements

The final requirement, in addition to completing at least three courses, is the submission of a link to an e-portfolio summarizing and reflecting on your work in the program in the courses you took. You are welcome to use the e-portfolio software tool of your choice. While the CPD will not share your e-portfolio publicly without your permission, we should be able to access the link to your portfolio without having to log in.

A concise summary of e-portfolios can be found HERE. Most program completers use Google Sites. After creating your site, add your course artifacts (listed below) to the site with the permission set so that anyone with the link can view them. The following explains how to add Google files to a Google site: Adding files to a Google site

Completed e-portfolios should be forwarded to Chris Price at chris.price@suny.edu. Once submitted, please allow up to 5 business days for your completion digital badge to be issued.

Here is what we suggest you put in the portfolio for each course:

Home Page: include a short biography, a list of the courses you teach, and a summary of what you learned from the program.

Critically Reflecting on Diversity and Teaching in SUNY
• The final project for the course (Week 6 PowerPoint).

Design and Deliver Inclusive Courses
• Final assignment with redesign of something from your course (syllabus, lesson, anything of your choice).

Helping Non-Traditional Students Succeed
• Summary of your course reflection papers about you can help non-traditional students learn (the main things you learned, how you learned it, what questions linger on your mind, and how you can apply the knowledge in a new context).

Innovative Strategies to Engage All Students
• Choose either the gamification assignment submission OR the project where you had to modify existing course materials to be more inclusive.

Teaching for Racial Equity
• Final Paper Assignment synthesizing the course material and your own reflections and understandings of the racial demographics of your classrooms, student learning outcomes, and campus climates into an action plan for your next semester.

Applying Universal Design for Learning Principles to Your Course
Your final presentation that includes:

An overview of the theory of UDL
A detailed explanation of each of the three Principles
A demonstration of how the to meet the guidelines of each
A review and reflection on how UDL promotes inclusion

Course Pricing

CPD Member

$275 Per Course

Discounted course pricing when registering for three or more courses at one time

$235 per course

Non-CPD Member

$325 Per Course

Discounted course pricing when registering for three or more courses at one time

$285 per course

Non-SUNY

$375 Per Course

Discounted course pricing when registering for three or more courses at one time

$335 per course

How to Pay

Available payment methods are:

Credit Card (Mastercard or Visa)
Campus Check
Journal Transfer
CPD Points

FULL payment is required 30 days from the date of registration.

CPD Points: Check if your campus is a member . Prior approval is required. If points are denied, the registrant is responsible for the payment.

Journal Transfer (State Operated campuses only): An account number with authorizing signature for Journal Transfers is required within 48 hours. You must print and return the invoice that is included with the registration confirmation email.

Registration

2023 - 2024 Course Dates

Fall 2023

Applying Universal Design for Learning Principles to Your Course May 16 - June 26, 2023
Innovative Strategies to Engage All Students June 27 - August 7, 2023
Critically Reflecting on Diversity and Teaching in SUNY August 29 - October 9, 2023
Design and Deliver Inclusive Courses October 10 - November 20, 2023

REGISTER for Fall 2023 Courses

Spring 2024

Helping Non-Traditional Students Succeed January 2 - February 12, 2024
Critically Reflecting on Diversity and Teaching in SUNY February 13 - March 25, 2024
Teaching for Racial Equity March 26 - May 6, 2024
Applying Universal Design for Learning Principles to Your Course May 14 - June 24, 2024
Innovative Strategies to Engage All Students June 25 - August 5, 2024

REGISTER for Spring 2024 Courses

Meet the Instructors

Headshot of Rebecca Lawson

Sim Covington, Jr.

Sim Covington, Jr. joined Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) in January 2018 as their inaugural Chief Diversity Officer. A member of NADOOHE, Sim completed his Advanced Specialized Certificate in Intercultural Management from the University of Notre Dame, and keeps himself abreast of current trends relevant to diversity within the world of higher education. Finally, Sim serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Social Sciences where he promotes inter-disciplinary scholarship, intellectual curiosity, and service that emphasizes issues of diversity, equity and social justice.

A lifelong student, in 1998 Sim moved to New York's Capital District to begin his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University at Albany, State University of New York. While at the University at Albany Sim went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a double minor concentration in Business and Sociology, a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling, a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Counseling, and a Master of Science in Educational Administration & Policy Studies - Higher Education Leadership. Sim also completed his MBA at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, as well as his Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He obtained an Executive Leadership Certificate from Cornell University as well as a Business Management Professional Certificate from Rutgers University.

Headshot of Rebecca Lawson

Renee Dimino

Renee was the SUNY Guided Pathways Project Director and served as an alumni college coach as well as a lead coach supporting other pathways coaches. She currently serves as a lead coach for SUNY Pathways and coaches a community college in SUNY Pathways and SUNY REACH. She was a participant in the NYS Student Success Center Coaching Academy Cohort 1 and Achieving the Dream’s national coach training. She completed the SUNY SAIL Mindful Leadership and the Career Readiness Champion certificate programs, both with distinction. In her faculty role, she coordinates College Success (COS) courses and adjunct faculty, and she uses her coaching skills in teaching College Success, co-requisite English, and Career Development courses. Renee is a trained reflective practice facilitator who has a passion for student success and faculty development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Education from SUNY Geneseo and a master’s degree in Education from SUNY Brockport. She is currently pursuing her health and wellness coaching certificate and enjoys spreading mindfulness through her business Mindful Life Connections.

Gena Merliss

Gena Merliss is Coordinator of Monroe Community College’s Teaching and Creativity Center. Gena works with faculty to develop critical reflection in order to improve instruction and student learning. Prior to her current role, Gena taught developmental math and integrated reading and writing to students who tested below college level. In that position, Gena experimented with many different strategies to help students develop non-cognitive skills and self-awareness.

Gena earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a Bachelor’s in Biological Anthropology from Swarthmore College.

Headshot of Rebecca Lawson

Ernest Nkansah-Dwamena

Ernest Nkansah-Dwamena is an Assistant professor of environmental studies at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He received a Ph.D. from Arizona State University in Biology and Society. Ernest studies nature-society relationships, political ecology, critical development studies, sustainability, human rights, and social and environmental justice with a regional focus in Sub-Saharan Africa. His research focuses on understanding the consequences of transnational agriculture investments, also known as ‘land grabbing,’ on local livelihoods (food and water security), natural resources exploitation, poverty alleviation, and social networks and relationships. His is informed not only by my background and training in the natural and social sciences but also by having worked in several African countries, being a systems thinker, and having a lifelong commitment to critical praxis and social justice.” Ernest focuses on sustainability and development issues because I believe we can work collaboratively to create equal and diverse opportunities for everyone—particularly marginalized and vulnerable groups—to improve their well-being and quality of life and contribute to the betterment of society.

Headshot of Rebecca Lawson

Eileen MacAvery Kane

Eileen has over 30 years experience as an artist, graphic designer, and art educator. She received her MFA in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. She is currently serving as Art Dept. Chair and Coordinator of the Graphic Design program at Rockland Community College where she teaches courses in Graphic Design, Typography, Digital Imaging and Digital Art. Her classes include COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) projects and she and her students have collaborated with universities across the globe. She is a big proponent of Service Learning and projects in her classes often serve the local community. She has taught online for Berkeley College and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She is author and designer of the books East End Stories, Teacup Secrets, and Ethics: A Graphic Designer’s Field Guide, and the blogs ethicsingraphicdesign.org and chakraspirit.com. She is NYSCA grant recipient and Fulbright Scholar.

Headshot of Rebecca Lawson

Talia Lipton

Talia Lipton began at Rockland Community College as an adjunct in the Communication/Speech department in 2011 and is currently an Associate Professor in the department. With over 25 years of experience in the field of Speech and Language Pathology, Talia has helped hundreds of children and adults gain back communication independence lost to a wide variety of disorders and brings this knowledge and experience to her classes in the Speech Therapy track at RCC. In addition to teaching the classes in the Speech therapy track, Talia teaches several other course for the department including Fundamentals of Communication, Intercultural Communication, Communication Disabilities in Film, and mentors student interns. Talia is committed to exploring initiatives to enhance her students' classroom experience. She has developed and integrated Open Educational Resources, COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), Service learning, Virtual Reality, invited a variety of expert guest speakers into the classroom, as well as, using experiential learning and gaming techniques when possible and appropriate. Talia maintains an active line of communication with RCC Communication/Speech student alumni in order to connect them to current students. Talia was awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in May 2019. Talia has recently been appointed to the role of Program Director for the Healthcare Science degree program.

Headshot of Rebecca Lawson

Stephanie Malmberg

Stephanie Malmberg is a Staff Associate and faculty member at SUNY Broome. As part of her current role as a professional development facilitator, she is collaborating on professional development opportunities for faculty and staff that are rooted in critical and culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies. She is an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Human Development at Binghamton University and teaches courses that explore human rights issues in American and global education systems and human development across the lifespan, challenging historical, normative, and essentialized theories in favor of a more culturally informed and contextualized understanding. She is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton University, and her research agenda is informed by issues of access and equity in higher education; her research seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the creation of culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogical practices within community college classrooms.

Headshot of Rebecca Lawson

David Wolf

David Wolf is currently the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Schenectady County Community College. In three years at the college he has developed faculty training courses in many modes of presentation, in instructional design, pedagogy, accessibility, and Universal Design for Learning. He has developed and oversees a voice-over internship for students that offers applied learning assignments that produce professional quality voice-over for instructional video that is available to the public. With over twenty years of higher education experience, and three years in the private sector, David has overseen the development of over 150 online courses with 53 of these offered in at least 11 different languages. His background in graphic art, animation, cognitive science, and education gives him a unique perspective on teaching and learning. An active researcher, David has several publications and presents locally and internationally, on topics such as Using Interactive Tools to Enhance Language Learning in an Online Environment; Engaging students in online courses through the use of mobile technology; and Assessing the Pedagogical Effectiveness and Student Preference of Publisher Digital Content Presentation in Online Literature and Writing Instruction.

Contact Us

For questions, please contact:

Chris Price, Academic Program Manager at chris.price@suny.edu or Jennifer Snyder, Program Coordinator at jennifer.snyder@suny.edu.

SUNY Center for Professional Development

6333 State Route 298 Box #2
East Syracuse, NY 13057

P: (315) 214 2440
Email: cpdinfo@suny.edu