Curricular and Pedagogical Decolonization

The Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE)

More than a push for political sovereignty, decolonization implies a deep, complex, and multi-faceted process by which the discourses, knowledges, and worldviews at the core of imperialism(s) and its mechanisms of oppression are challenged and dismantled. In this regard, decolonization within higher education necessitates work across disciplines and at various institutional levels (curriculum, research, pedagogy) in order to identify and undo colonial hierarchies of personhood based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and other markers historically reproduced in the realms of higher education. Decolonization, furthermore, situates collective justice and equity as the goal of education instead of personal advancement. Toward these ends, the CCSRE in conjunction with the Office of Faculty Development and Research, would like to call your attention to a new faculty development initiative – CCSRE Pedagogy and Course Development Grants.

Through the grants program, the CCSRE can offer 5 faculty members grants through which they can assess and reformulate their syllabi, course design, and the classroom environment they foster. To this end, the CCSRE will provide each faculty member research assistantship, access to a library of materials concerning inclusive pedagogy, and a stipend. The ultimate goal is for us, as faculty, to think about how our teaching impacts experiences of marginalization and inclusion for our students, while also considering how our individual courses contribute to broader departmental and institutional curricula – curricula in which some students may seem themselves represented, while others see themselves erased and excluded.



Each grant will span a semester (Fall or Spring) and will provide, in addition to a $1,000 stipend, up to 75 hours of paid research assistantship, and access to a library of resources on inclusive pedagogy and related expertise. Participants must submit retooled syllabi to the CCSRE faculty advisory board at the end of their grant semester, and are expected to attend CCSRE and other institutional programming related to inclusive pedagogy (remotely or in-person, if these take place). These include CCSRE’s Inclusive Pedagogy Workshop Series in which internal and external speakers/facilitators offer insights on inclusive pedagogical practices and integrating inclusivity in the broader curricular and cultural life of Middlebury College.