Faculty Development supports faculty committed to reaching the goal of closing racial equity gaps by 2025. Our programming is founded on principles of equity and culturally responsive teaching, which support faculty in cultivating an equity-minded practice that aims to disrupt patterns of inequities. Our aim is to provide an environment that supports student success and honors their multiple identities. We have compiled resources from our repository of research and evidence-based practices to guide faculty toward ensuring a more equitable student experience.
A Data-Informed Approach to Closing Racial Equity Gaps
Exploring the what, why and how around closing racial equity gaps involves knowing some key data points. Gaining familiarity with CSUN's and your department’s graduation and retention rates overall and disaggregated by race is an important first step toward closing gaps. Another step involves learning which groups of students are passing (or not passing) courses offered by your department, as well as the sections of the courses that you teach. As a CSUN faculty member, you have access to institutional data that will help you gain an understanding of the racial inequities that we have the opportunity to eliminate by visiting our Office of Institutional Research’s resource, CSUN Counts.
How can I access my data?
For an orientation to the data you will see, we encourage you to self-enroll in a self-guided Canvas course entitled Orientation to Equity Data for CSUN Instructors: https://canvas.csun.edu/enroll/PXPJ9D In that course, you will find
A 30-minute self-guided Canvas module (Faculty Equity Gap Dashboard Part 1) from the Office of Institutional Research provides context about why this work is important, what GI 2025 is, and what equity gaps may exist in your department. It also provides a sneak peek at the data dashboard that allows you to view section-level equity gap data on your undergraduate classes.
After completing Part 1 of the Canvas course, you might be eager to see your own data! Work through the second self-guided Canvas module (Faculty Equity Gap Dashboard Part 2) so once you view your data all your questions can be addressed on how to interpret and reflect on your own data.
If you have taught an undergraduate course at least two times in the past three years, you will be able to access your individual section-level data via the Faculty Course Report.
- If you have not taught at least one undergraduate course at least two times in the past three years, you can view a demo version of the dashboard.
Faculty Development and Institutional Research have partnered in presenting section-level data to hundreds of CSUN faculty over the years. We've witnessed a wide range of faculty reactions including: curiosity, motivation, not surprised, shame, or defensiveness/disbelief. The video below features faculty who joined a positive faculty-friendly community called the Institute for Transformative Teaching & Learning (see below) who share their reaction to accessing their section level data. If you believe this information may elicit a strong or disruptive emotional reaction, we encourage you to explore these data in community with others who will guide you through the equity-minded journey.
Faculty Development Programming
We offer a range of programs that vary in their duration and format. Our on-demand workshops and series typically range from 1 hour to 5 hours total and can be delivered online or in-person. We also offer self-paced learning opportunities delivered in an online asynchronous format, while others are in a hybrid format to meet a wide range of faculty preferences. Some of our programs are semester-long gatherings with cohorts of faculty from across our campus. Listed below is a menu of offerings designated by their delivery formats.
Institutes & Courses
Faculty Development institutes and courses provide in-depth experiences for faculty whether you are a novice or advanced learner. Each program focuses on various pedagogical skills to help you build confidence in your teaching practices.
Institute for Transformative Teaching & Learning (ITTL): Faculty collaborate in a multidisciplinary group to learn about and apply evidence-based practices in becoming culturally responsive teachers. The aim of this program is to empower faculty to transform their teaching so that it is even more fulfilling while leading to more equitable outcomes for our students of color. Recent analyses of ITTL found that Latinx, Black, and White students in courses taught by ITTL-trained faculty have better course outcomes than students in courses taught by non ITTL-trained faculty. This program focuses on strategies to close race equity gaps in the teaching and learning experience.
eLearning Institute: This program focuses on quality online and technology-enhanced course design and pedagogy, using the CSU Quality Learning and Teaching (QLT) framework along with CSUN faculty examples and mentors. With a recent QLT update, there is now a higher emphasis on equity-minded teaching and accessibility.
ACUE's Effective Online Teaching Course: The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) is an organization that offers faculty asynchronous courses on how to teach effectively in both face-to-face and online course environments. These programs are designed based on current research demonstrating that effective teaching improves learning for all students particularly those who are underserved.
Transforming STEM Teaching: This program is specifically designed for STEM faculty interested in exploring evidence-based teaching practices in the context of STEM education. This program focuses intensely on active learning principles and strategies to facilitate greater inclusivity.
Self-Paced and Micro Learning Programs
Faculty Development hosts a suite of self-paced Canvas courses for faculty to level up their skills in the classroom and for teaching online. These programs are ideal for faculty who don't want to commit to specific meeting times and enjoy learning independently & asynchronously through accessing readings, videos and navigating technical instructional steps online.
- Get Up to Speed with Unconscious Bias: A self-paced, asynchronous program to develop foundational knowledge about unconscious bias around race and ethnicity and the ways it appears in the teaching and learning process.
- Get Up to Speed with Online Teaching: The self-paced materials cover a plethora of topics to support faculty to develop and deliver online courses using best practices for online teaching including delivering course curriculum in an equitable and fair manner that does not inadvertently advantage some and disadvantage others.
- Promoting Active Learning Microcredential by ACUE: In this asynchronous course, faculty learn practices proven to engage students more actively in learning and thinking critically. (ACUE=Association of College and University Educators)
Workshops and Series
Our workshops and series can be delivered in person or online. These interdisciplinary environments are designed for faculty to learn together and share strategies and experiences. Visit the Faculty Development Programs webpage for current offerings. You can also request workshop topics by emailing us at facdev@csun.edu. Sample workshops and series can include:
- Equity-Minded Syllabus Series: A two-part workshop series offering foundational information about becoming an equity-minded college instructor using the Center for Urban Education’s Equity-Minded Syllabus Review.
- Equity-Minded Grading Series: This workshop explores how to implement equitable grading strategies and identify opportunities to reduce bias in grading, cultivate effective feedback, and promote authentic assessments.
- Growth-Mindset Messages & Early Alerts: Evidence shows reaching out to students early in the semester with a well-crafted growth mindset message of support, encouragement and guidance can (1) build trust between the student and professor and (2) result with student persistence and engagement.
- Transparent Assignments: Faculty who adopt this evidence-based Transparent Assignment template has been shown to reduce gaps in retention rates among first generation students.
- Active Learning: Using active learning teaching strategies benefits all students and studies demonstrate that it offers even greater benefits for students from historically marginalized communities.
Stand-Alone Resources
There are numerous website listings and descriptions of teaching strategies faculty can adopt in pursuit of advancing teaching that is culturally responsive, inclusive, race-conscious, and/or equity-minded. In fact, we've gathered resources in Faculty Development with our Equity-Minded Teaching Toolkit so that faculty, when ready to take action in their individual courses, can explore strategies. However, we know learning in community is more impactful, such as joining one of the programs listed above. If you find a topic or strategy in one of the toolkit resources below and would like to request an “on-demand workshop” please contact Faculty Development.
- FacDev's Teaching Toolkit
- FacDev's Equity Minded Teaching Toolkit
- CSUN's Office of Student Success website features a resource reading list and past student success event videos
- Equity Accelerator Tools- Classroom Practices Library