1. MANAGING DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS IN THE CLASSROOM
Sara Villanueva, Ph.D.
CTE Faculty Fellow on Diversity
Introduce myself. My role as fellow, primary objective.
INTRODUCTIONS: Name, Dept/School, Why you’re here.
The word DIVERSITY = various images/meanings, but focus for today is…providing faculty with tools for managing issues that may come up in the classroom. I’ll start by preaching to the choir a bit…

2. The Challenge Managing discussions ongoing challenge
Faculty face tentative situations with their students
Students feel left out, anxious, or even threatened
Experts in our respective fields, but very little training in effectively dealing with controversy.
Controversial topics around race, religion, sexual orientation, political leanings, or immigration status can be brought up in spontaneous discussion by students, or deliberate dialogue by instructors.
Given the current socio-political climate, faculty are now facing particularly tentative situations with their students that must be handled with great diplomacy and finesse, as such conversations can become heated very quickly, often leaving faculty feeling inept, unprepared, and frustrated.
Outbursts or heated discussions that are not managed effectively can result in students feeling left out, anxious, or even threatened.
Despite being experts in our respective fields, most faculty have very little training in effectively dealing with controversy.
IN SUM: Whether they occur in the classroom or another campus setting, it is important to help faculty structure such discussions in a way that sets boundaries, clarifies the process, and provides some degree of healthy resolution for students, thereby providing a model for civil discourse that students can use in their own lives.

3. How would you handle…
a conservative student complaining about other people’s “leftist liberal ways” in the classroom
a group of students arguing over the immigration issue
an insensitive student who murmurs an offensive, derogatory terms when discussing LGBTQ issues?
Open discussion on how people would handle these various situations. One by one.
Then break into groups and ask participants to jot down any situation that they may have experienced in the classroom that presents a challenge in the area of Diversity. This does not necessarily have to be a personal experience…it may be one that a friend or colleague has experienced.
Once they’ve done this (3-5 minutes) have them discuss the following (allow about 8-10 mins for discussion):
What did you do? How did you handle it?
What do you wish you would have done?
How would others in the group have handled the situation?
Then, come back to the big group and each table share their any recurring themes or observations that they noticed.

4. Rising to the Challenge
Be Prepared: BEFORE the semester begins
Set the TONE and MODEL expected behaviors from the very beginning
Manage Spontaneous/Unexpected Discussions
Initiate and Manage Planned Discussions on Controversial Topics
This workshop seeks to address this problem by offering specific guidelines that can help instructors facilitate classroom discussions around controversial issues.

5. Be Prepared Consider ”hot topics”
Can discussions achievement of SLO’s?
Be mindful!
Preparation: BEFORE the semester begins
Consider any “hot topics” that may come up in your class and anticipate all possible viewpoints. – What are some “hot topics”
How can discussions involving these controversial topics help you to achieve the learning objectives set forth in your course? Example: Do your SLO’s include something similar to “After thus course, students will understand xyz in the context of varying cultural backgrounds and appreciate possible group differences.”
Be honest with yourself. Through careful self-reflection, identify any biases (we all have them!) you may have that may come up in your class, when interacting with students with strong viewpoints. Be mindful.

6. Set the TONE
Be purposeful in your own behavior (again with the mindfulness!)
Build a community in your classroom
Be specific about the class climate
Encourage curiosity
Question source
Respect for one another
Embrace, not simply tolerate, different opinions to reach optimal intellectual growth
Convey common grounds - “we’re all in this together” message
Set the TONE and MODEL expected behaviors from the very beginning
Build a community in your classroom or lab through introductions, getting to know them, and finding common grounds and goals.
Specifically outline general expectations of conduct/mutual treatment of one another
Encourage curiosity
Question source
Respect for one another
Embrace, not simply tolerate, different opinions to reach optimal intellectual growth
Convey common grounds/“we’re all in this together” message

7. Manage Unexpected Discussions
Reminder of the ground rules set forth at the beginning
Acknowledge all students’ viewpoints
Manage the interaction to ensure fairness and safety
YOU decide on when and how to end interaction – take charge!
Quickly assess whether any other students would like to share views
Consider debriefing…now, or next class.
How to manage Spontaneous/Unexpected Discussions
Refer back to ground rules established at beginning
Acknowledge all students’ viewpoints involved in discussion
Manage the interaction to ensure fairness and safety
Decide on how long you, as the instructor of this class, want to allow this dialogue to go on, and the various ways to end.
Quickly assess whether any other students would like to share views

8. Plan Discussions Info on common base for knowledge
Ground rules – remember, we’re in this together!
Common goals & objectives
Monitor/Facilitate fairness, equity (time), focus, and flow
Summarize points by each side
Give resources for more info
How to Initiate and Manage Planned Discussions on Controversial Topics
Provide students with information needed to establish common base for knowledge and understanding
Establish ground rules and convey the “we’re in this together” message
Identify common goals and objectives for this discussion
Continually monitor for fairness, equity (time), focus, and flow – actively facilitate discussion
Summarize points made by each side, and entire discussion at the completion of task
Give resources for students to refer to for more information after class

9. http://sites. stedwards. edu/diversity/ https://www. facebook. com/seu