Inclusive pedagogy to be focus of upcoming conference

The Division of Diversity and Inclusion will host the 2021 Maximizing Student Potential Conference from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on March 17.

Presented entirely virtually, this year’s conference will focus on "Infusing Inclusive Pedagogy Throughout the Curriculum," exploring how all faculty and instructors can contribute to an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Maximizing student potential involves a shared responsibility between students and institutions to both understand and act on student achievement data that show some groups of students have not had the same experiences and outcomes at Purdue, including first-generation students, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, underrepresented minority students, rural students, and students with disabilities, among others.

“Every student entering Purdue has demonstrated the capacity to thrive in their education, building on the perspectives and lived experiences that they already possess to further their own aspirations,” says John Gates, vice provost for diversity and inclusion. “The work of Maximizing Student Potential (MSP) is to support and provide resources to all students to reach their goals.”

The keynote speaker for the conference is Isis Artze-Vega, vice president for academic affairs at Valencia College in central Florida. Valencia College has long been regarded one of the nation’s most innovative community colleges, serving more than 70,000 students each year, and recently was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Artze-Vega provides strategic leadership for the areas of curriculum, assessment, faculty development, distance learning, career and workforce education, and partnerships for educational equity.

Throughout the afternoon, attendees will have the option to attend concurrent sessions led by Purdue faculty presenters. These sessions will provide opportunities for attendees to apply information from the keynote to a specific context, to share evidence-based practices and resources supporting inclusion, and to engage in discussion about implementing principles of inclusive pedagogy.

Registration is open to faculty, staff and students affiliated with Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue Northwest, Purdue Fort Wayne, Purdue University Global, Purdue Polytechnic High Schools and Purdue Polytechnic Institute Statewide Programs.

Register for the conference online. For more information, contact Christopher Munt, director of inclusive excellence for Purdue's Division of Diversity and Inclusion, at munt@purdue.edu or Dan Guberman, senior instructional developer for the Center for Instructional Excellence, at dguberma@purdue.edu.