Office of Inclusive Excellence

My study, in the fall of 2023, was focused on increasing the high context features of an undergraduate early childhood education methods course. We learned in ESCALA training that Latinx students are likely to have high context characteristics. These include a communication style that is story-like, an emphasis on process and human relations, and a greater sensitivity to nonverbals and the feelings of others. Folks from my cultural background are more likely to be direct communicators who focus on specific, precise outcomes and do not pay much attention to body language and unspoken messages.

On the first day of class I took several measures to increase the warmth of my welcome to the course. I added the explicit statement on the opening page in canvas of “I am so glad that YOU are enrolled.” I also put a note on the first page of the syllabus: “You will be successful in this course.” I brought homemade treats and a roll of paper towels and passed them around the room. It was clear from student reactions that they did not expect this. I provided direct links to support opportunities on campus and through SXU in the syllabus. Many of those things were embedded in the fall of 2024 in the CIDAT-authored modules.

I also asked students to complete a questionnaire which asked them for information about themselves. Questions in little clusters sought to find out: how they identify, what is the best way to reach them, is there anything about their jobs that might interfere with class attendance, how important is doing well in this course, and how do they think, learn, and study.

Seven (7) of nine (9) Latinx students reported that they “sometimes” speak up in a small group (most common responses from other students was “most of the time”). Five (5 )of nine (9) Latinx students reported that they “never” or “once or twice” have worked or talked with people during class that they don’t know. Open-ended responses included: “I consider myself a shy person.” “I don’t like talking in front of groups or being put on the spot.” “I’ve always felt I’ve struggled with math, but I don’t know if it’s always been me or the way it’s been taught.” “I’m not a math person, honestly.”

Based on their responses, I used low stakes assessment early and often, reinforced productive student behaviors with positive alerts and shout-outs in class, gave students multiple opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence, created graphic organizers to summarize content, providing students with in-class opportunities to practice using vocabulary, and distributed practice throughout several class meetings rather than concentrating on a single review day.

Finally, we did a lot of small group work in class. I almost never asked anyone to answer a question without having the opportunity to vet their answers in their small groups first. Confidence grew as they began to trust one another and be more certain that what they would contribute to the whole group was accurate and productive.

Attendance was excellent all semester. Students enthusiastically participated in the exploration and learning activities in their groups. One Latinx student volunteered to the class that she had not spoken in front of a class in school since the second grade. She said a teacher mocked her answer and her accent as she answered in English. She would shake her head or look down when called on and never volunteered to speak in class after that. As she revealed this to us, the class broke into spontaneous applause. I found it to be easy and rewarding to add high context features to the target course and have added them to other courses since then.

This study investigated the impact of conducting periodic "check-in" surveys with students in two sections of COMM-101: Fundamentals of Public Speaking. These check-ins were designed to learn more about students' perceptions of their communication apprehension, provide an opportunity to ask questions, and assess student motivation, particularly as it relates to three elements of intrinsic motivation -- autonomy, competency, and relatedness, which have shown to increase student satisfaction and retention (Fortune et al., 2005; Lopez & Horn, 2020; Simons et al., 2004). These check-in surveys were administered to students online in order to provide a low-stakes opportunity to provide feedback that considered characteristics of high-context cultures, such as conflict avoidance and unwillingness to interrupt or question authority.

This study first looked at the average student equity scores from COMM-101 courses taught by the instructor from the previous five years which revealed that first-generation Latine students were more likely to earn a C or D and were less likely than all Latine students to earn an A in the course, with Latino students accounting for most of the variance in grades, particularly As, Ds, and Fs. Further analysis revealed that Latino students' demotivation and disengagement correlated with major speech assignments and manifested by them not attending class and not completing assignments.

Results of using the check-in surveys revealed that the equity scores for Latino students in the two studied course sections significantly improved in terms of final grades -- As, Ds, and Fs. Qualitative feedback from Latino students indicated positive perceptions of the course and positive perceptions of their own learning, with student saying, "Overall I learned a lot more in this class than I expected before school started" and "Probably the only class this semester that I can actually say I developed new skills ... Speaking is very hard for me, but it got a little bit easier towards the end."

When have you felt the sting of exclusion?

I have felt the sting of exclusion throughout my college experience but also throughout my career. I have seen few people who look like me in faculty or leadership roles. I’ve also been in spaces where my experiences have been undermined or where I’ve been met with defensiveness in conversations about racial inequities, which have left me feeling unsupported.  

Most of the time I have been met with folks who are not aware of their privileges or position in those spaces. It is difficult at times when you are pouring out into communities who do not value you, your work and do not take the time to pour back into you. If we think about the DEIB Party analogy, this sting often feels like being invited to the party but being told you cannot share your preference for music or food, no one asks if you have food allergens and are blocked from the dance floor and never being asked to dance.

What are some of the obstacles you have faced?

The biggest obstacle that I’ve experienced as a first generation student is imposter syndrome. I have a fear of failure because failing equates to being incompetent and I tend to overwork to compensate that feeling. Additionally, throughout my career I have felt that I was oftentimes tokenized, being included only to fulfill diversity quotas without genuine inclusion – I was often asked to represent and speak on behalf of all Latines, which was not only frustrating but also unfair.

What has helped you get where you are today?

Mentors & familial encouragement have helped me to get where I am today. They’ve both encouraged and believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. My parents taught me the value of good work ethic and relationship building, whilst my mentors provided guidance and helped me to develop and improve my skillsets.

What advice would you give to current students, students entering the workforce soon or other professionals?

I have a sign in my office that says, “The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel”, and this is so real. We need to stop measuring our progress with that of others. Everyone has a distinct path to walk. You might not be where you’d hoped to be, at any given point in your life, but that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be - keep going - I’m cheering you on!

When have you felt the sting of exclusion?

Having worked in Higher Education for almost two decades, I unfortunately have felt the "sting of exclusion" the most in my career. Working with the majority of people who do not look like me in spaces and being a Black Woman with goals and aspirations it has been difficult to have folks who understand Allyship and truly share their allyship in their work.

Most of the time I have been met with folks who are not aware of their privileges or position in those spaces. It is difficult at times when you are pouring out into communities who do not value you, your work and do not take the time to pour back into you. If we think about the DEIB Party analogy, this sting often feels like being invited to the party but being told you cannot share your preference for music or food, no one asks if you have food allergens and are blocked from the dance floor and never being asked to dance.

What are some of the obstacles you have faced?

Some of the obstacles I have faced entailed being in spaces with non-people of color who do not understand what it means to be the only marginalized person in a space. Then always feeling like I have to make those folks be comfortable with me instead of the other way around.

What has helped you get where you are today?

What has helped me to get where I am today is for sure my family who reminds me of the challenges that I have overcome. My students remind me on a day to day basis that I matter to them and their journey and this continues to motivate me to fulfill my purpose. My mentors who I have known since I was a high school and undergrad student who take the time to still pour into me and my development. Also having folks who understand their privileges and Allyship in the terms of making space for marginalized people to join them in the spaces they have been privileged to be in.

What advice would you give to current students, students entering the workforce soon or other professionals?

Advice I would give to current students, students entering the workforce soon or professionals would be to find your vibe tribe, the people who are going to hold you accountable, actively listen to you and give you advice to help you move forward. Do not be afraid to fail as long as you get the lesson to not return to that same failure.