Weber State enhances inclusive teaching practices

Rachel Badali BA ’22, Marketing & Communications

Last year, Brenda Marsteller Kowalewski, associate provost, and Nicola Corbin, Teaching & Learning Forum director, launched two courses to enhance inclusive teaching practices at Weber State University.

Faculty feedback so far shows that their efforts are paying off. WSU offers the courses, Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning (ITEL) and Effective Teaching Practices (ETP), in partnership with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).

The courses use evidence- based teaching practices to help faculty promote student success within their classrooms. By the end of the 2022–23 academic year, about 160 faculty members will have completed at least one of the ACUE courses.

Of the faculty who completed the ITEL course in summer 2022, 58% reported increased confidence in using evidence-based inclusive teaching practices, and 85% reported improved expertise in inclusivity, equity and diversity as educators.

“I think our faculty are interested in becoming inclusive teachers, but they need more confidence to do that,” Corbin said. “It’s a fraught world, so doing this work can be scary. But I think we have great teachers, so hopefully this provides them with more confidence to bring this important work into the classroom.”