Diversity and Inclusivity in the Classroom

Taylor Barnes, PharmD

PGY1 Pharmacy Resident

Children’s National Medical Center

How diverse are our classrooms? How inclusive are we?

Diversity is a quantifiable measure – it tells you how many left-handed people are in the room or the number of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Inclusivity is not quantifiable. Rather, it is the belief that one’s experiences and background are valued by those around them. (Martinez-Acostad et al. Sept 2018)

In the 2014 - 2015 academic year, classrooms across the US were breaking down barriers. For the first time in US history, white students were the minority in classrooms across the country. And this shift is expected to continue in future years. The Department of Education predicts that classrooms will be 45% Caucasian with 30% Hispanic students by 2022. While previous efforts to integrate classrooms have focused solely on race, in recent years, there has been a push for continued integration of schools based on socioeconomic class. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision in the 2007 Meredith v. Jefferson County School Board Case, schools have begun to reserve places in high demand schools across the country for low-income students. The goal of these efforts has been to continue to provide diverse students across the country opportunities to pursue higher education. Despite these efforts, many states in the US continue to lag behind in terms of integrating their classrooms. While states like Maryland boast a diversity index of 68, the District of Columbia and Vermont lag behind with diversity indexes of 39 and 15, respectively. (Toppo et al. November 2014)

As a result of these efforts, institutions of higher education have begun to see more underrepresented minority students in the classroom. While these efforts have greatly impacted the number of minority students graduating with a STEM degree, a smaller proportion of these students continue on to pursue graduate level studies when compared with white students. This statistic, among others, has led systems of higher education to begin to question how they are failing these students and how they can continue to promote diversity in STEM fields up to the doctoral level. Furthermore, of the students that begin a graduate education in a STEM field, a larger proportion of black students and male students never complete their degree. (Martinez-Acostad et al. Sept 2018)

While it is evident that classrooms throughout the US have become more diverse, there is overwhelming evidence that these classrooms have not become more inclusive. We will only begin to see the effects of inclusivity in the classroom when the diverse students sitting within our walls begin to thrive equally. (Martinez-Acostad et al. Sept 2018)

How can we as educators due to ensure that diversity is enhancing our students’ education?

As educators, one major way we can use diversity to enhance education within our classrooms is to create a culture where students learn from one another regardless of differences, rather than creating a culture where students pass judgment on those who look different or have different experiences. Providing opportunities for students to share experiences that highlight their differences can offer students the chance to gain a glimpse of what life is like for those that are different from them. It is also important to ensure that students do not feel the need to discard their background, and educators should encourage them to learn the unique facets of their community and embrace how those qualities can help them excel in their career. (Lynch, Jan 2012)

In a pharmacy school setting, this can take on many forms. Having students describe their previous experiences as patients in the healthcare system can highlight the disparities that occur. By using patients from a variety of backgrounds during counseling and patient case simulations, students can learn how to best help patients with unique concerns. Furthermore, having guest lecturers from diverse backgrounds come to speak with students about advancements they have made in pharmacy can serve to breakdown preexisting prejudices students may have about others.

How can we promote inclusivity?

Inclusivity requires buy in at all levels of your institution, including professors, administrators, and university leaders. Unfortunately, promoting inclusivity at a university campus is not a one size fits all equation, and each program will need to take different steps to promote inclusivity within their classrooms. However, investigations by researchers including Veronica G. Martinez-Acosta and Carlita B. Favero suggest first steps that institutions can make in order to promote inclusivity.

The first step for many universities to promote inclusivity is to ensure that each student understands that their professors and administrators fully support them and are invested in their success. This idea of support should be integrated into the university’s mission and vision statement so as to serve as a constant reminder to all that the program wishes to see students from a diverse array of backgrounds succeed.

In order to fully achieve both diversity and inclusivity within their classrooms, universities should constantly assess the status quo and develop plans to improve on the integration and success of all students within their classrooms. This assessment should not only be internal, but should also include outside parties who can view the system through a different lens. In order to make this analysis more manageable, universities like Wake Forrest have broken their assessment down by department in order to identify opportunities, challenges, and the manner by which they measure success. (Martinez-Acostad et al. Sept 2018)

References

Veronica G. Martinez-Acostad, Carlita B. Favero.  Discussion of Diversity and Inclusivity at the Institutional Level: The Need for a Strategic Plan. J Undergrad Neurosci Educ. [Internet] 2018 Sept 15. [cited 2018 Oct 01] 16(3): A252–A260. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6153014/.

Greg Toppo, Paul Overberg. Diversity in the Classroom. USA Today. [Internet] 2014 Nov 25. [cited 2018 Oct 01] Available at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/

news/nation/2014/11/25/minnesota-school-race-diversity/18919391/.

Matthew Lynch. Promoting Respect for Cultural Diversity in the Classroom. Huff Post. [Internet] 2012 Jan 06. [cited 2018 Oct 01]. Available at: https://www.huffington

post.com/matthew-lynch-edd/promoting-respect-for-cul_b_1187683.html.