Equity in education is important. This means giving students all the tools, resources, and opportunities to accomplish their self-directed goals. A syllabus is a start to equity within one’s classroom as it outlines what resources, tools, and opportunities students have at their disposal–whether within the classroom and beyond it. Similarly, a syllabus acts as a first impression that impacts how students approach one’s course and you as an educator and resource for future development.
The Equitable Syllabus Honor is meant to honor the work graduate or post-doctoral scholars have done to advance equity within their classrooms. Any graduate student or post-doctoral instructor is eligible to submit a syllabus that centers equity-minded approaches.
Centering equity-minded practices could look like:
Creates an inclusive and welcoming first impression for students to learn
Validates students’ capacity to learn and do well in one’s course
Creates partnerships with students
Deconstructs norms and hidden curriculum of higher education
2025 Equitable Syllabus Honor Recipients (click on their names to see their syllabus):
Honorable Mentions:
Mingrui Wen
Sydney Wood
Nicole Keough, Christofer Brothers, Jessica Schaefer, and Sofía Meléndez Cartagena.
For more on equity minded syllabus components, please follow this resource titled, "Equitable Syllabus Design Series".