Using a Design Justice Approach to Inclusive Syllabi

The University of Utah College of Nursing recognized the need to focus more intensely on anti-racism and improving student competencies in addressing health inequities. Through a series of dialogues, our students of color identified the lack of attention paid to addressing systemic racism and other forms of discrimination within our curriculum and our college. To speak to the needs of the students and our profession, we are embarking on a project centered on creating inclusive syllabi to improve how we incorporate these concepts within our teaching.

The aims of this project are to 1) create inclusive syllabi that reflect course design that increases diversity content and addresses systemic racism and discrimination in health care and education, 2) increase student’s experience related to the application of diversity, inclusion, and equity, including health equity, and 3) increase faculty self-efficacy in educating for diversity, inclusion, and equity including health equity. Our primary intervention will be adopting inclusive syllabi through students, staff, and faculty in the process while attending to the AACN essentials.

We plan to identify methods for meaningful student engagement in co-design, create and disseminate a syllabus template and toolkit through engaging faculty through a series of workshops. Finally, we want to embed this within our current course and curriculum review processes. We will evaluate this project's process and products through student satisfaction, knowledge, and competency; the quality and faculty satisfaction with resources provided, faculty confidence and capability; and syllabi that reflect positive changes in inclusiveness.

Rebecca Wilson
PhD, RN
Associate Professor
University of Utah

Biography

Rebecca Wilson is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Utah and the Frederick Q. Lawson Chair for Excellence in Teaching Chair. Dr. Wilson received her MS in Nursing from Columbia University (NY) and her PhD in Education Technology from Arizona State University (AZ). She is currently the specialty director for the MS and Certificate in Nursing Education. Dr. Wilson also serves as key personnel on the HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity grant. Her research interests lie in learner-centered education and creating inclusive learning environments.

Phone: 801-585-3099
Email: rebecca.d.wilson@utah.edu

Co-Author(s):
Nancy Allen, PhD, ANP-BC
Ana Sanchez-Birkhead, PhD, WHNP-BC, APRN