November 2017

In recent years, higher education in the United States has been called to confront and respond to issues of diversity to ensure that all students have a real place—and a real chance for success—in college. While diversity can be considered in many contexts, this symposium focuses on one: the classroom. How can faculty members engage productively with diversity in our classrooms, in ways that enable and enrich student learning?

The college classroom today looks and sounds very different than it did even a decade ago, and it will look even more different a decade hence. Students from previously underrepresented minorities, transgender students, international students, first-generation students, transfer students, commuters, veterans, students with disabilities, and other students with varied backgrounds and degrees of preparation are all contributing to classroom diversity. What are the implications of this new educational landscape, and how are faculty members implementing pedagogies, curricula, and other classroom practices that support students’ educational success?

The 2017 Faculty Resource Network National Symposium, which took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, addressed these challenging questions by drawing on the collective experience and expertise of scholars, educators, and administrators. The sessions were held at FRN institution Dillard University.