Culturally Responsive & Inclusive Curriculum Resources: Home

This guide is meant to help faculty at PSU find information and resources that will help them begin to create courses and curriculum that are more culturally responsive to and inclusive of our students. This guide is a response to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and Graduate Council's requirements in regards to culturally responsive courses and programs. The OAA course and program forms will ask you to address the following questions: 

How is the course content inclusive and relevant to a diverse and evolving student body?

Demonstrate how the content of your curriculum reflects diverse perspectives. Perspectives to consider include, but are not limited to, race, gender, sexual orientation, class, national origin and disability.  Examples of ways in which diversity and inclusion may be reflected include topics covered, examples used in illustrating concepts or models, data categories, course objectives, learning outcomes, and the diversity of perspectives or inclusion of underrepresented voices in the course readings, etc.  In some cases, attention to topics covered might include planned discussion of missing perspectives and/or voids within the field. If you think such considerations do not apply to the content of your course, explain why not.

What pedagogical methods and/or approaches will be used when teaching this course to facilitate an inclusive learning environment?

The answer to this question should demonstrate how pedagogical methods reflect intentional efforts to engage all students. Factors to consider include, but are not limited to, race, gender, sexual orientation, class, national origin and disability, as well as implementing universal design in course development. Discuss the conscious choices that you make in order to facilitate inclusion. For example, a commitment to using students’ chosen pronouns to reflect a consideration of various gender identities within the learning environment; or discussion of the process for group formation and assessment when utilizing group work to accommodate varied learning styles.

Click on the tabs above to find:

•  Learn about Culturally Responsive Curriculum;
•  Ways to Create Culturally Responsive Classes;
•  Resources & Examples for: 
  • STEM
  • Social Sciences
  • Humanities
  • Research Strategies for Finding more CRC Resources;
  • Universal Design for Learning
  • Support at PSU for Culturally Responsive Curriculum

This guide was created by Bob Schroeder and Kimberly Pendell. The guide is now authored by Michelle Desilets.  

Please contact Michelle at desilets@pdx.edu if you have any comments or ideas for additions for this guide.

Thanks to Steve Harmon and Scott Marshall from the Office of Academic Affairs who came up with the idea for this guide, and to Kerth O'Brien who gave feedback and suggested additional resources.