October 24, 2023

Dear Faculty Colleagues*,

Each year presents new global and national challenges that impact our students as well as ourselves. As educators of inclusive classrooms, we may need to acknowledge the stressors occurring in the world outside the classroom that affect our students’ sense of belonging and well-being. Depending on the subject we teach, we may have to address these often difficult topics directly. Even if these subjects aren’t on the day’s lesson plan, they may come up, unexpectedly, during classroom interactions and discussions.

On Thursday, October 26, 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET, Planning for Unexpected, Sensitive Conversations in the Classroom will be held over Zoom as part of the Office of the Provost’s ongoing TeachTalks series, in partnership with the Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation (OGI). Emy Cardoza (director, global diversity education and faculty engagement, OGI) and Michael Funk (clinical associate professor, Steinhardt) will be presenting and leading the conversation. More information and register to attend. (Please note: This TeachTalk will not be recorded.)

Sensitive issues are, by definition, highly nuanced. OGI has compiled guides for navigating difficult conversations that can be adapted to a range of contemporary crises:

To consult on individual classroom needs or to request or recommend other resources, please contact the Learning Experience Design team at the Office of Provost (teaching@nyu.edu).

— Office of the Provost and Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation

*Original communication was sent via email (provost@nyu.edu) to NYU faculty on October 24, 2023