As scholars argue, simply having a diverse campus population or a unit dedicated to equity and inclusion, or just agreeing with the importance of social justice does not automatically make the university an equitable and inclusive place (Ahmed, 2012; Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2009). While institutional leadership in changing its systemic inequality continues to be crucial, educators and scholars have begun discussing social justice literacy as an essential skill for students and faculty to have (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2009; Tharp, 2012). The premise of this session is that having social justice illteracy blocks us from seeing, let alone critically reflecting upon and interrupting, injustice deeply entrenched in historically stratified institutional and social structures, which many of us are socialized and (mis)educated to see as “normal” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2009; 2012). Without this literacy, educational developer can neither join nor effectively support students, faculty, and other colleagues working toward social justice across campus. This roundtable session will present a few case study scenarios that illustrate social justice work being misunderstood and hampered by educational developers. Instead of providing fixed answers or prescriptive tips, the objective of the session is to begin strategizing how as educational developers in various specialized roles can begin to develop social justice literacy individually and collectively in our own institutional contexts.
Keywords: social justice, educational developers, teaching and learning, reflective practice
References:
Ahmed, S. (2007). The language of diversity. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 30(2), 235–256.
Sensoy, Ö., & DiAngelo, R. (2009). Developing social justice literacy: An open letter to our faculty colleagues. The Phi Delta Kappan, 90(5), 345–352.
Sensoy, Ö., & DiAngelo, R. J. (2012). Is everyone really equal?: An introduction to key concepts in social justice education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Tharp, D. S. (2012). Perspectives: A language for social justice. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 44(3), 21–23.
