York Street Poorvu Entrance

Seminar on Equity-Minded Teaching

A yearlong, funded opportunity to help instructors meet their teaching goals. 

Apply to Participate in Seminar

IMPORTANT NOTE: Currently, not accepting applicationS. Seminar will return for AY ‘26 - ‘27. 

The Poorvu Center regularly hosts a funded seminar on equity-minded teaching that meets once a month throughout an academic year. Equity-minded teaching refers to the dispositions, beliefs, and accompanying teaching practices and policies designed to support the academic success of historically-marginalized students. Additionally, equity-minded teaching involves all students gaining an awareness of how (in)equity manifests within their academic disciplines and/or professional fields. The seminar’s curriculum is grounded by the literature on educational equity, inclusive teaching, accessibility, social justice education, and critical pedagogies.   

The primary goal of the seminar is for participating instructors to identify and map out teaching changes that can help meet equity-based teaching goals. As such, we will engage in critical self-reflection and action planning throughout the seminar. This faculty development opportunity is open to a maximum of 15 full-time Yale instructional or ladder faculty and includes $800 that can be used for professional development and/or research purposes. 

If you are interested in taking part in the seminar, please apply by clicking on the “apply” button on top of page. NOTE: Currently, not accepting applications. Seminar will return for AY ‘26 - ‘27. 

For the selection process, we will strive for a group that is diverse in discipline, faculty ranking, and level of experience with similar topics (e.g., equity, social justice, inclusivity).  

For more information on the seminar’s curriculum, please refer to the annotated syllabus below and/or contact Joshua Abreu (joshua.abreu@yale.edu). 

Sample Syllabus of Seminar

This seminar will include a series of workshops and sessions designed to help you gain a more comprehensive understanding of educational equity within the context of higher education and your academic discipline. We will review concepts aligning with the goals of inclusive and equity-based teaching as well as facilitate several hands-on reflective activities that will position you to make tangible changes in your course(s).  

This is a moderately-structured program that entails monthly readings and discussions on equity-based teaching; open-ended reflections on our current and past teaching and learning experiences; and an action plan for making changes in our teaching practices.  Seminar includes eight (8), 2-hour sessions throughout the academic year. Five (5) are virtual sessions, while three (3) are in-person sessions with lunch included. 

By the end of this series, you will be able to…

  • Define systemic discrimination and explain how it can manifest in some social institutions (i.e., education, medicine, criminal justice, housing, etc.)
  • Identify how the three (3) foundational components of teaching intersects with equity: 1) curriculum; 2) instruction; and 3) assessment
  • Understand lesson constructs that enable students to learn how equity and injustices manifest within their field of study (i.e., “quadrants of social justice education”).
  • Develop instructional strategies that enable Yale students from marginalized backgrounds to learn and persist throughout their college education. 
  • Critically self reflect on how your teaching practices may and may not support learning for historically-marginalized students.

Session 1: Envisioning a Better Classroom for My Students

Session 2: Exploring Our Educational Journey & Its Impact on Our Teaching

Session 3: Integrating the Cycles of Socialization & Liberation

Session 4: Contextualizing Equity Within Your Academic Discipline/Professional Field 

Session 5: Turning Students’ Awareness of Equity into Action

Session 6: Building Off Students’ Knowledge & Lived Experiences

Session 7: Assessing Ourselves & Our Course(s)

Session 8: Mapping Our Pedagogical Values

About the Seminar’s Facilitator: Joshua Abreu

  • Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut with a specialization in faculty development, equity, & social justice education
  • Served as Assistant Professor of Sociology and Director of Faculty Development at Albertus Magnus College
  • Experiences working at different types of colleges and universities with diverse students