Welcome to podcast episode 12: Diversity and inclusion at the heart of curriculum review.
The Teaching Matters podcast accompanies and complements the Teaching Matters blog, adding another space for students and staff to have conversations and debates around learning and teaching at the University of Edinburgh. Students and staff are invited to engage in topical conversations, which are recorded and edited as podcast episodes. Episodes 12 to 14 align with the Inclusivity in the Curriculum mini-series, which was co-edited by members of a task group established by the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee to promote inclusion, equality and diversity in the curriculum.
Episodes 12 and 13 are hosted by Diva Mukherji, Vice President Education at Edinburgh University Students’ Association in academic year 2018/19. In both episodes, Diva is joined by Diljeet Bhachu, (PhD student at Reid School of Music, Edinburgh College of Art), Rosie Taylor (BSc Biological Sciences student), and Dr Katie Nicoll Baines (Project Manager, Evidence Base, School of Chemistry).
In today’s episode, episode 12, Diva invites a discussion around the idealistic question: If we placed diversity and inclusion at the heart of a curriculum review, what would this look like?
Diva, Diljeet, Rosie and Katie chat about their understanding of the terms ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’, what these terms mean within HE, and The University of Edinburgh more specifically, the possible limitations of this terminology, and what a curriculum review can do to actually embed ideas of diversity and inclusion in a meaningful way.
In episode 13, Diva, Katie, Rosie and Diljeet continue their conversation about embedding inclusivity and diversity in the curriculum. They debate about who is responsible for ensuring the curriculum is genuinely diverse and inclusive, and the emotional labour this generates for both staff and students.
Happy listening…!
Teaching Matters podcast credits:
Guest host: Diva Mukherji (Edinburgh University Students’ Association)
Director and Editor: Jenny Scoles and Sarah Thomas (IAD)
Advisors: Brian Connolly (Academic Services), Anne-Marie Scott (Learning, Teaching and Web, IS), and Dr Katherine Inglis (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures)
Diljeet Bhachu recently submitted her PhD thesis following her doctoral studies in the Reid School of Music, Edinburgh College of Art. During her studies, she served as a PGR Rep, as well as engaging in teaching work. She has also recently taught at the University of Glasgow and University of the West of Scotland. Diljeet is committed to decolonising teaching and learning in higher education, and is delivering talks and workshops on this in Summer 2019.
Diva Mukherji was the Vice President Education at Edinburgh University Students’ Association in 2018/19. She studied Sociology and Social Anthropology at the University, and held the position of Black and Minority Ethnic Officer in 2017/18.
Dr Katie Nicoll Baines is Project Manager of Evidence Base (eBase), School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring the research fellows are resourced and supported by the wider eBase team, maintaining and growing the network of external partners with interest and involvement in the research, and ensuring that the PI and Co-Investigators provide input to the project while also being able to sustain their research careers outside of eBase. Katie completed her PhD in Human Genetics at the University of Leeds in 2016. She is a strident feminist and activist alongside being a staunch advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). She believes that decisive and disruptive system change is the only route to ensuring real EDI.
Rosie is studying BSc Biological Sciences at the School of Biological Sciences, where she is currently doing her summer studentship looking into EDI strategy and Athena Swan. Rosie is the Student’s Association LGBT+ Officer, Lead Coordinator of WellComm King’s (a Peer Support group for STEM students) and, within that capacity, also a Wellbeing Officer. Rosie moved to Edinburgh from the Midlands two years ago to study Biology after her year out. During that year, and her time at university, she has been able to explore and embrace her identity as a queer disabled woman. While passionate about her degree, she is more passionate about activism (perhaps to the detriment of the former!) and community. Learning to look for representation within STEM, where there is often none, has made her understand the importance of EDI in teaching and learning.