The course assumes that higher education is a gateway to the resources of society and that there is a need for institutions to become more socially just for all groups, with emphasis on low-income and minority populations that are traditionally underrepresented.
Community Awareness: What is a Socially Just University
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
No prior experience required
5 hours to complete
3 weeks at 1 hour a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Understand strategies for strengthening socially-just teaching and learning.
Explore strategies and structures needed for institutional change based on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
Taught in English
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There are 8 modules in this course
What is a socially-just university? is a question arising at a time when American society is changing, and challenging many institutions to reconsider some of their most fundamental purposes and practices.
What's included
2 readings1 discussion prompt
American society is changing and, in so doing, challenging higher education to adapt to these changes. As society increases in its people of African, Asian, and Latin American descent, and people of color become the majority, for example, unanswered questions are arising about what universities are for, and who are they for?
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
What is, or should be, the purpose of higher education?
What's included
1 video3 readings1 discussion prompt
Learning and teaching are central to the core educational mission of universities, but what happens to these activities when the institutions are changing in their population?
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
Research and scholarship produce “knowledge for society,” but knowledge development has various approaches.
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
Faculty members are central to higher education, and nothing lasting happens without them. But, what are some ways to engage faculty members, especially at a time when universities are changing in their composition?
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
The University of Michigan is involved in a comprehensive effort to transform the institution for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and this effort requires institutional changes at all levels.
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
This module will give you an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learned throughout this experience and to contemplate what pieces of the conversation are missing.
What's included
2 readings
Offered by
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Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
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