Introduction

Dear Professor,

At first, we had difficulty conceptualizing what we wanted this pressbook to be. We all had our own ideas about format, style, and what to include, but early on, we reached a consensus that we wanted to make this thing (as coined by a previous Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies student in our course) “GWSS-y.” Of course, after that, we had to unpack what “GWSS-y” really meant in the context of our project. We wanted to make something that immediately and continuously recognizes our position as students, as well as both the privileged and marginalized positions that you, as faculty, contend with. We sought to focus on solutions while acknowledging the challenges you face. To expect higher education to be totally impersonal is antithetical to our mission, and we didn’t want to drift into that voice. Hence, the idea grew: our open letter to faculty as students at the University of Iowa.

“Enhancing equitable learning and wellbeing” is a big phrase, with a lot of ground to cover in a brief time. By no means is our pressbook an exhaustive resource on what you can do to enhance student learning; however, we intend for this pressbook to simply serve as a starting point or point of reference for your interest in inclusive, equitable learning as you continue your teaching journey.

We have included five main sections with information and guidance on what we feel to be important steps toward equitable learning and wellbeing in the classroom space. Much of this focuses on building compassion and connection amongst students and faculty; some focuses on concrete strategies like grading practices and creating inclusive classroom environments. All is supported by extensive research, with each section including further resources and strategies to explore. Each section is also accompanied by a brief podcast segment to hear real voices of students, faculty, and community members discuss issues and strategies in supporting an equitable classroom experience.