Dear Colleagues,
Georgetown University is committed to making learning accessible and meaningful for all our students; this commitment is at the heart of who we are as a community. We know that implementing inclusive pedagogical approaches can not only increase our students’ sense of belonging, but it can have a direct impact on our students’ ability to do their best work in the classroom and to be fully successful in their time at Georgetown.
In order to achieve the goals of making Georgetown’s classrooms more inclusive, we are launching the Initiative on Learning, Equity, and Pedagogy or LEAP, a University-wide initiative on Inclusive & Responsive Pedagogy.
Each campus will pursue the work of LEAP in a manner appropriate to their structure. The Law Center is implementing a new curricular requirement and engaging in faculty educational opportunities. The School of Medicine is exploring anti-bias and anti-racism curricular innovations. The School of Nursing and the School of Health are both examining their curricular options with the faculty. For the Main Campus, a reform of the diversity requirement for undergraduates is in process and curricular reviews are occurring in several units. Shortly after this email, department chairs, program directors, and Deans will receive a Call for Participation from CNDLS asking for expressions of interest for any academic unit that would like to start the work of reflecting on the curriculum, climate, and pedagogy of their units.
In all cases, LEAP will provide academic units with resources and support to begin the process of creating a more inclusive learning environment for our students, giving them the greatest chance of doing their best work. These resources are designed to offer expertise, guidance, and collaboration as we begin and sustain this important work across our university community. To effect meaningful and lasting change in our classroom culture, we need the full participation of each academic unit.
We encourage our entire community to engage in this necessary and critical work that is fundamental to providing our students with a supportive environment in which they can pursue a Georgetown education.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Groves
Provost
Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences
William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center
Rosemary E. Kilkenny
Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
Edward J. Maloney, Ph.D.
Executive Director, The Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship