Diverse Stories
Dance Students Work with Rising Stars
Several of the nation’s most exciting choreographers came to Shenandoah’s main campus to work directly with Shenandoah Conservatory’s Dance Ensemble to craft the performances in the Jan. 31-Feb. 2 concert, “Reflections: Invited Choreographers Showcase.” This year’s guest artists included Ashanté Greene ’14 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance), Stephen Shynes and Eric Parra.
Dance Project Awarded NPN Grant
A new dance project co-commissioned by Shenandoah Conservatory was awarded a grant by the National Performance Network (NPN). NPN’s 2024 Creation Fund will support the development of “Roots of Loving Us,” a collaborative, evening-length choreographic work by CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater, cultivated by Ana María Álvarez and holly johnston.
Singing A Song of Unity and Healing
Shana Oshiro ’13 MT-BC, (graduate certificate in music therapy), and her quartet, HALO (short for Harmony’s African-American Legacy Organization) are using barbershop music to bring people together through not only performance, but also a new program they’ve established, called Race and #Real Talk.
Recommended Resources
Stamped From The Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
by Ibram X. Kendi
In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. He uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to drive this history: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis.
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
by Peggy McIntosh
In *White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack*, Peggy McIntosh explores how white individuals benefit from unearned societal advantages that often go unnoticed. She uses the metaphor of an “invisible knapsack” to illustrate these privileges, listing everyday examples that highlight systemic racial inequities.
The Danger of a Single Story | TED Talk
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Resources
- “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh
- “Walking While Black” by Garnette Cadogan
- “Summer TD&T: Racism in the Theatre” | USITT
- “How to Overcome Our Biases? Walk Boldly Toward Them” by Vernā Myers
- “Implicit Bias and Microaggressions; Macro Impact of Small Acts” by Derald Wing Sue
- “The Excavation of Identity as a Political Act,” Helena Maria Viramontes
- “Whatever You Do Don’t Call Me Differently Abled” by Elizabeth Wright | The Startup | Medium
- “How “Differently Abled” Marginalizes Disabled People” by Lydia Brown | Autistic Hoya
- Disability Language Style Guide by the National Center on Disability and Journalism
- What Is the Spoon Theory? | PainScale
- 22 Things To Know About Queer People For Pride Month by Jess Clawson | Listicle (June 6, 2022)
- 23 Great Books to Read for Pride (or any) Month by Aimee Gee (Listicle (June 6, 2023)
- Women Have Been Woefully Neglected
- The Invisible Majority
- LGBTQ+ Glossary
- I’m a Spoonie: What I Wish People Knew About Chronic
- Brief History of the Disability Rights Movement
- APA Language Guide
- “How ‘Good Intent’ Undermines Diversity and Inclusion” | The Bias
- “Why ‘Assume Good Intent’ Is Not Always Good Advice” by Ken Kao | Medium
- ‘Racial Biology,’ a chapter from “How to Be An Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi
- “Colorblind Racism” by Meghan Burke
- “Stamped from the Beginning” by Ibram X. Kendi
- “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin Diangelo
- “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla Saad
- “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- “How to Be Less Stupid About Race” by Crystal Fleming
- “White Rage” by Carol Anderson
- “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson
- “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” by Beverly Danel Tatum
- “Cultural Appropriation and the Arts” by James O. Young
- “The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times Magazine
- “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “The Danger of a Single Story” | TED
- “I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much” by Stella Young | TED Talk
- Disclosure (Documentary) | Available on Netflix
Inclusive Pedagogy Resources
Inclusive Pedagogy is a student-centered approach to teaching that engages the wealth of intersecting social identities and positionalities that all students bring to the classroom. It must not be an afterthought, rather, it should permeate every aspect of curriculum and course design, classroom management, and assessment of teaching and learning (Iturbe-LaGrave, 2018).
- “Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Price of Freedom” by bell hooks
- “Teaching Community” by bell hooks
- “Teaching Practical Thinking: Practical Wisdom” by bell hooks
- “Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto” by Kevin M. Gannon
- “Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms” by Joe Feldman
- “Creating Significant Learning Experiences” by L. Dee Fink (Fink’s Taxonomy)
- “What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching” by Tracie Marcella Addy, Derek Dube, Khadijah A. Mitchell, Mallory E. SoRelle
- “Picture a Professor: Interrupting Biases about Faculty and Increasing Student Learning,” ed. Jessamyn Neuhaus
- “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” by Paolo Freire
- “From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education” by Tia Brown McKair, Estela Mara Bensimon, Lindsey Malcom-Piquieux
- “Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real About Race in School,” ed. Mica Pollock
- “Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education” by Paul C. Gorski and Seema G. Pothini
- STARS Files – Shenandoah University – Academics
- Flipped Learning Global Initiative
- An Introduction to Flipped Learning | Lesley University
- Designing an Accessibility Survey
- Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), Pedagogy
- “Ungrading: An Introduction” by Jesse Stommel
- ACUE Toolkits
- University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Teaching & Learning | Inclusive Pedagogy
- Inclusive Teaching Practices | Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Handout | 2023 Workshop by Dr. Becca (Ciancanelli) Edwards
- 23 Things to Know about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) | TTL Listicle (April 4, 2023)
- “Against Cop Shit” by Jeffrey Moro
- TILT Higher Ed Examples and Resources
- “6 Scaffolding Strategies to Use with Your Students” by Rebecca Alber | Edutopia
- “It’s Time to Redefine Student Success” by Dr. Henry G. Brzycki, Elaine J. Brzycki | eCampus News
- Shining an Equitable Lens on Every Student | PBS Education
- Transforming the Classroom at Traditionally White Institutions to Make Black Lives Matter
- “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity*” | University of Denver
- Teaching the Invisible Disabled Students in the Classroom Disclosure Inclusion and the Social Model of Disability
- Teaching LBGTQI Issues in Higher Education: An Interdependent Framework
- Equitable Learning Design
- Diversity in Content
- ASCN Inclusive Pedagogy Framework
Campus Partners
Mosaic Center for Diversity
In order to respect diverse cultures, experiences, and perspectives, we must provide an inclusive space for all cultures and people. In the Mosaic Center for Diversity, we embrace all races, sexes, gender identities, gender expressions, religions, ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, personal appearances, political affiliations, military affiliations and immigration statuses. We focus on valuing and fostering the diversity reflected in our lives at Shenandoah and in the world beyond our campus.
Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning
The mission of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL) is to inspire the Shenandoah University community in its pursuit of excellence and innovation and to support student learning and success by fostering pedagogical best practices, encouraging effective use of instructional technologies, promoting professional development and facilitating scholarship. We are guided in our work by members of the TTL Advisory Board, which represents faculty across all schools and colleges of the university.
[Not Just] Women’s Center
The mission of the [Not Just] Women’s Center (NJWC) is to provide an overall safe, inviting and inclusive environment for all students. Any person, no matter their sex, gender, orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, immigration status, or religious beliefs can be a victim of sexual assault. We are committed to a campus free of sexual violence and from the fear of violence, as well as spreading awareness, speaking out against injustice, educating on prevention, and offering tools for intervention.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are an integral part of the Shenandoah University community. Undergraduate and graduate students participate in more than 70 student organizations, including the Black Student Union (BSU), Disability Advocacy Committee (DAC), Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), Estudiantes Unidos (EU), Harambee Gospel Choir, Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) and more.
Celebrating Heritage Months
Shenandoah University (SU) is committed to living our values of diversity, inclusion and belonging. Our community and institutional success is dependent on how well we engage and embrace the rich diversity of our faculty, staff, administrators, students and alumni. With that shared value in mind and in partnership with the Mosaic Center for Diversity, the [Not Just] Women’s Center, and the student organizations, we celebrate the identities and histories of members of the SU and world communities. Each month we will feature events and stories to honor one another and learn about our unique differences. The Heritage Months Initiative (including Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Women’s History Month) contributes to the creation of a campus climate and culture that strives for excellence in inclusion in all aspects of SU’s operations.
Get Involved
Propose a Program or Highlight an SU Community Member
We welcome your program and event ideas in support of the mission of Shenandoah University to support diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
About Belonging Together
The Belonging Together committee was established in 2021 as part of Shenandoah Conservatory’s strategic efforts to support an inclusive campus community. The committee comprises students, faculty and staff from throughout the conservatory who work together to identify, create and evaluate learning opportunities that develop and sustain a welcoming, caring and equitable community. Shenandoah Conservatory’s Belonging Together initiative supports Shenandoah University’s ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse community supported by an equitable, inclusive campus climate. Visit g9so.sxtcyb.com/diversity to learn more.