PEP JEDI Pre-Questions by Aris Winger

Scenario 1

ariswinger — 2024-01-03 22:12:35 UTC

Your advisee, Jamyll, is an African American biostatistics major with a 3.6 GPA. He is at risk of failing one of his required courses and tells you, “I’m having a really hard time with this professor. He never calls on me. When I go to office hours for help, he answers everyone else's questions except mine, as if I’m not even there.” This professor is a well respected member of your department. What would you do?

Scenario 2

2024-01-03 22:25:45 UTC

In response to data demonstrating high DFW rates in calculus and differences in grades and course completion by race, the dean has signaled that the Math department has to address this disparity. You are the calculus course coordinator and have been charged with developing a strategy to improve student outcomes and address disparities. What would you do?

Facilitate some intervention

2024-01-05 00:12:56 UTC

Find someone who can talk to the professor, gracefully and with some sway.

That person could intervene in a general way... "Are all of your students engaging with you in class and during office hours? How do you make sure that every student is engaged?"

Or that person could be more specific... get the professor's view of the engagement with this student.

"It's a University!!"

2024-01-05 00:19:05 UTC

The options for resolution change due to

the short time-frame on which courses run. Is there time to intervene effectively?
the personality of the professor. How approachable are they? How teachable are they?
the dominion of the classroom. Especially for well-established professors, they have a lot of autonomy and independence in running their classes.
Human-human interactions are rarely clear cut. Finding the common ground in the student's view and professor's view could be difficult. Reconciling the views with reality could be hard -- and very hard to work through.

Explore options

2024-01-05 02:58:25 UTC

First I'd ask Jamyll if he is just wanting to vent or if if wants me to help brainstorm solutions. Assuming he wants to explore solutions, I'd suggest:

--I could talk to the professor without bringing up Jamyll's name, just pass on that at least one student is not getting their questions answered; the purpose here would be to alert the other professor to this situation, and if the situation seems warranted, help that person brainstorm ways to make sure student questions are being addressed (such as exit tickets in class or via LMS).

--I would suggest Jamyll reach out to some classmates to form a study group; this both has the students help each other, and also the group can go to office hours together, where larger numbers can translate to a louder voice in getting heard.

--I would also help connect Jamyll to other dept resources such as peer tutors

--I might suggest Jamyll seek out one ally in the class whose questions do typically get answered, and have that person repeat Jamyll's questions, to amplify their voices.

Discomfort/risk

2024-01-05 03:00:14 UTC

When people get called out for unconscious bias (much less conscious bias), they often get defensive. This can lead to uncomfortable situations (which need to be leaned into sometimes, not always avoided). Depending on the power dynamics in the dept, the professor's status might make it hard to directly confront the person, so instead maybe need to recruit an ally to help

Use what is known

2024-01-05 03:04:09 UTC

I would use the ASCN dashboard and CSPCC, Hagman et al, SEMINAL, and Moore-Russo et al publications about effective calculus and departmental change to focus efforts. I would work to recruit a team to tackle the issues (and amplify our power/voices). For my university in particular, a top priority would be to change the placement policy to a guided self-placement system rather than a 40 year old in-house unproctored test. For a different department in general I'd start with course coordination and active learning strategies, collecting and using additional data on students and instructors, and go from there

Overly simplistic changes don't work

2024-01-05 03:06:08 UTC

Too often in these situations the expectation is that the coordinator will do a thing or 5 things and that will "fix" the situation. But our inequitable system is rooted in systemic racism and what is truly needed is cultural change. We need to get to where the norms are actively engaging students in learning, and where instructors intentionally foster student belonging in mathematics. The true "fix" is to engage in continuous transformation efforts around our culture and structures

First, I'd give practical advice... try to get help 1-1 instead of in a group.

2024-01-05 05:14:31 UTC

Second, I'd probably ask about Jamyll's performance directly with the faculty member in my capacity as advisor. Just a "Hey, Jamyll is struggling in your class -- what is up?" kind of conversation. I'd try to feel out the situation much more to see if I can ascertain what is going on.

Depends on how much room I have to work.

2024-01-05 05:18:12 UTC

Depends ... Do I have money and resources? Can I change the course content? Am I in charge of calculus for a long time or am I in the role for a year or two? Can I create new courses? I think that the answer is probably a combination of alternate pathways into the calculus sequence, and a rethink of the current material in the calculus sequence.

Care & Inclusion

2024-01-05 08:35:13 UTC

Move thoughtfully and inclusively. This will add a little more time to the overall process, but it is essential.

Get input from multiple groups. A faculty committee including representatives from other departments that have made more progress on inclusion (does not have to be from the sciences). Student engagement - e.g. a small planning committee and multiple surveys. Ask students in the sciences that required calculus, and also ask students who avoided math. Benchmark against programs at other schools; invite a few contacts to serve on an external advisory committee.
Solicit feedback at several points in the development. Get initial input, then ask for feedback on "what we're hearing" and on drafts. Get a reality check from the external advisors.
Stay nimble. We may not get it right on the first go. Solicit feedback from students, including those who drop the course.

Lack of support & commitment

2024-01-05 08:45:34 UTC

lack of inclusion. Wanting to do this with a small group. For efficiency, or from ego, or not really wanting this to turn out well.
Impatience with good process. Removing resources, shortening the timelines after the process has started.
Undermining the commitment. Naysayers, hallway criticism.

Talk to the Advisee Directly and the Faculty member directly as well.

2024-01-05 16:02:50 UTC

Gather more information from the student about the situation and find collegial ways to talk to the faculty member about this situation.

Depends on the resources available and the leeway within the course content.

2024-01-05 16:05:38 UTC

Talk to both persons separately

2024-01-05 16:22:31 UTC

Communication with both sides are important.

Analysis the data and provide extra help

2024-01-05 16:24:44 UTC

Analysis the data deeply. Provide extra help, such as pre-lecture videos, extra office hours and review sections before and after each exams

Limit time and involvement from students

2024-01-05 16:28:09 UTC

Even though an instructor provide extra help, some students still unwilling to devote their time and energy to study some materials.

Rapport/calm

2024-01-05 18:20:30 UTC

I would express empathy first. Then, I would ask about clues based on which he concluded. Then, try to reframe it in a positive way. 'No matter what happens in the professor's head, let us spend energy and time for your growth. Let's make this a practice of dealing with someone who does not pay much attention to me. And try to be explicit about asking for help. And see what happens.'

One mandatory growth mindset session and then on optional ones.

2024-01-05 18:23:39 UTC

I would mandate everyone to attend growth mindset session, where truly motivating talk is provided. And then offer them to get personal or small group consultation optionally (to make the program self-motivated).

talk to prof

2024-01-05 20:48:11 UTC

I will let Jamyll know that I will talk with the professor, without mentioning Jamyll's name specifically to them. I will email the prof saying "a student in your class has expressed some concerns about their treatment in class, I would like to discuss this with you." Once the prof has made a plan of action to stop doing this, I will inform the student of our exchange and to keep me posted if the problem persists. I will encourage the student to continue going to office hours and reaching out to the prof.

student discomfort

2024-01-05 20:49:27 UTC

I hope that the student does not get singled out by the prof, or viewed as being "difficult" if the prof figures out they were the ones who came to me. I would do my best to anonymize the student and ensure they are validated to counteract the possibility of this.

Provide resources and establish communication

2024-01-05 21:13:54 UTC

I will inform Jamyll about resources available for African-American within the department/school/institutions. Some of this resources also provide academic support to students facing challenges at classes. In regards with the professor, I will reach out to discuss the situation without mentioning names. At the department level, I would recommend providing training on DEI topics (for instance, unconscious bias).

Switch to Hughes-Hallett, coordinate more across calc sections

2024-01-05 21:35:49 UTC

I really like Hughes-Hallett calculus book because it is very motivated - I would structure the class so there is never a moment in lectures where one has to say "trust me this is important" without motivating why. I would help all the instructors and TAs get up to date with Poll Everywhere so all students can participate in lectures and the instructor can gauge understanding. I would help TAs start discussions with an activity or something similar to help students study the course subject or work with technology like GeoGebra, or do an application problem with calculus as in Hughes-Hallett. Active learning techniques are known to benefit students of color in particular. I would make exams more diagnostic, like HW unlimited tries, quizzes 3 tries, and exams one try, all online they can do on their own time, if possible. I would help guide students on how to study math and take charge of their learning, by setting expectations and encouragement in the syllabus. I would include more about mathematicians of color in previews at the start of lectures.

uniformity

2024-01-05 21:36:22 UTC

How to get all instructors and TAs to attend weekly meetings so we can coordinate sections? Could be only half attendance for large classes.

2024-01-05 21:41:49 UTC

Giving Jamyll steps to take without making him feel like he's done anything wrong and without making more work for him

Try to talk to the student to understand better the issue and then offer help myself

2024-01-05 21:42:08 UTC

Hear other sude if the story

2024-01-05 21:42:34 UTC

Faculty dynamics

2024-01-05 21:43:06 UTC

Departmental Meeting to discuss general class policies without going into specifics.

Jamyll-driven

2024-01-05 21:43:12 UTC

I hope that Jamyll can drive the process, since for example I wouldn't want to tell them I am talking to the professor on their behalf. I'd want their permission.

2024-01-05 21:43:29 UTC

I would empathize and agree that this is a horrible way to feel about a class/professor. I’d ask questions to find out how comfortable the student would be in speaking directly with the professor about these things. If he’s okay, I would coach him on how to engage … .

2024-01-05 21:43:35 UTC

Survey faculty to see why they think it is happening.

Have an outsider survey students to see why they think this is happening

Build trust with the student and Faculty

2024-01-05 21:44:52 UTC

These are difficult conversations with the faculty. I would first considering building trust with the faculty to have a difficult conversation.

At the same time, the student needs to be assured that there will be a solution.

This needs to happen simultaneously. Since this is an immediate situation, the difficult conversation with the faculty needs to happen with urgency. While dealing with this with sensitivity. Understanding what intended or unintended biases are coming to hurt the students experience.

What does Jamyll want?

2024-01-05 21:49:44 UTC

Does he want to be Heard? a Hug (validation)? or Help?

we need to check in about why he's telling us

The first step i would recommend will be to have a workshop with the instructors who teach calculus to emphasize on active learning(collaborative and cooperative learning)

2024-01-05 21:55:41 UTC