2019 Diversity Grants

In Announcements, by , on February 13th, 2019

The Niagara University Diversity Committee is pleased to announce that applications for the 2019-Focus on Diversity Grants and Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) Grants are now available. 

The main objective of the Focus on Diversity Grants is to support the inclusion of new diversity content in or enhance the diversity content of a class (across the curriculum); or the initiation and promotion of any diversity-focused activities/dialog outside of the classroom through various types of programming (presentations, guest speakers, faculty/student panels, etc.) that fosters intellectual development, expanded cultural awareness, and understanding. The main objective of the Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) Grants is to provide faculty with resources to enable them to design their instruction using the principles of UDI to enhance the teaching and learning of students with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities. 

Attached please find the application. Submission deadline: March 1, 2019, at 5:00 p.m.  For additional information on either grant, please contact, Ms. Averl Harbin at aharbin@niagara.edu, or Ms. Diane Stoelting at ds@niagara.edu.

To give you a sense of the variety of proposals that have been supported in the recent past, please see the list of grant recipients below.

New or Enhanced Course Content:

–  Dr. Maritza Branker revised MAT 451, History of Mathematics, to include more contemporary history (approximately the last 75 years…the recorded history of mathematics spans over 2000 years) with the emphasis on the contributions of female mathematicians.

–  Dr. Stefanie Wichhart enhanced coverage of civil rights and diversity issues in her HIS 199 course:  The US since 1945.

–  Dr. Melanie MacNeil enhanced the diversity content in NURS 470:  Leadership in Nursing and Health.

New Course Development:

–   Dr. Michael Durfee developed a new course entitled “Black Power and the Global Color Line.”  This course will trace a variety of ideologies that inform Black Power, as well as the international dimensions of Black Power activism against colonialism and the color line.

–  Tara Jabbaar-Gyambrah created a new course entitled “Hip-Hop in Society” in the Sociology Department.

–  Dr. John Sauter created a course entitled “Sociology of Higher Education” that has a social science and cultural diversity designation for the Sociology Department.

–  Dr. R. Michael Smith created a credit-bearing study abroad experience to Thailand that provided an opportunity for NU students to teach English to students in Thailand full-time for three months.

Diversity-focused activities:

Conference:  Dr. Carol Doyle-Jones used her grant to support the Indigenous Education Conference for Bachelor of Professional Studies Teacher Candidates held at Niagara University in Ontario. 

Play:  Doug Zschiegner adapted the play Pygmalion for a Spring 2019 production to further today’s discussions of gender inequality, poverty and race.  See Prof. Zschiegner’s play beginning March 28, 2019 at NU’s Theatre!

Speakers:  Nanette Harmon used funding to bring a speaker to campus as part of her Deaf Speakers series.  Hope Russell used grant to promote diversity and social justice through poetry readings and dialogue. 

Training:  David Whalen, Project Director, First Responder Disability Awareness Training, developed disability awareness training focusing on an introduction to various disabilities and how Universal Design implementation enhances the learner experience.

Club:  Sharon Green established the NU Readers Club for students and staff that read book on various aspects of diversity.  Another portion of her grant was used to take students to Kleinhans Music Hall for a Babel author talk.

Universal Design of Instruction Grant

Dr. Michael Durfee incorporated universal design strategies into the HIS 199 course that he taught during Summer 2018 for incoming freshmen admitted to the university through the NUOP Program.    The Universal Design principles that he implemented included an emphasis upon equitable use, flexibility in use and the ready communication of perceptible information to students from varying backgrounds and socioeconomic status.

Diversity Grant 2019