The Faculty Development Center announces the establishment this spring of a learning community to help further cultural competence among faculty members.
The new community, “Honest Conversations About Race, Stereotypes and Bias, and What We Can Do About It” will be led by Sapna Chopra, lecturer in counseling.
The goal of the community is to examine social identities, stereotypes and bias in higher education, with a specific focus on how this is experienced at Cal State Fullerton, said Matt Englar-Carlson, professor of counseling and FDC faculty coordinator for diversity and inclusion.
“The goals of the learning community are to become more aware of our own unconscious biases and stereotypes that impact our work with students; to explore our beliefs and experiences about race; to gain knowledge about the impact of stereotypes on student performance; and to learn new skills for the classroom and workplace that can counter the impact of stereotype threats and foster a greater sense of belonging and inclusion,” Englar-Carlson explained.
This semester the community will read and discuss the book “Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do.” Copies of the book will be provided, as is lunch, on meeting days.
The learning community will meet Wednesdays, Feb. 17, March 2 and 16, April 6 and 20 and May 4 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Room 290 of the Pollak Library.
Spaces are limited. Registration for the talks are through the calendar at the Faculty Development Center website. For more information, contact Matt Englar-Carlson.