A Faculty Development Program Supporting Course Redesign and Inclusive Pedagogy
The Doyle Faculty Fellows Program, which supported full-time faculty in redesigning courses to engage with difference, equity, and inclusion, has now evolved into our partnership with the Learning, Equity, Access, and Pedagogy (LEAP) initiative, which began during the 2022-2023 academic year. While Doyle Faculty Fellows focused on transforming individual classrooms through inclusive pedagogies and diverse content, LEAP now extends this work to a department-wide level. By fostering collaboration across academic units, LEAP continues the Doyle Program's mission of advancing deeper dialogue on diversity and difference, helping faculty collectively create more inclusive learning environments.
The Doyle Faculty Fellows Program supported full-time faculty in designing or redesigning an undergraduate-level course in order to engage aspects of difference, equity, and inclusion. Fellows in the program developed inclusive pedagogies and created diversified course content to foster productive classroom dialogue on critical issues such as culture, gender, race, and religion. The program enabled transformations of the classroom experience for both faculty and students, allowing for deeper dialogue on diversity and difference, as faculty employed cutting-edge techniques in teaching and learning.
Doyle Faculty Fellows benefitted from collaborations across campus, as part of a faculty cohort supported by the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS). The program brought together faculty from different disciplines for in-depth discussions on diversity in higher education during monthly meetings over the course of the year. Fellows were also empowered to co-create a teaching community and act as resources for one another on questions of inclusive pedagogy.
Faculty Reflections Cohort Slider
Environmental Studies Program
“The Doyle cohort experience was an invaluable resource for developing my pedagogy, expanding the substantive offerings in my courses, and building collegial bridges with colleagues from around the university. By focusing on both process and content, the Doyle cohort provided a critical dimension that is often lacking in our relatively isolated faculty work lives.”
Program in Education, Inquiry and Justice
“One of the richest components of the Doyle fellowship is the diversity of the fellows. Talking about teaching across disciplines had a tremendous impact on me. Engaging in monthly case studies helped stretch my thinking about pedagogy and learning, and illuminated opportunities in my teaching.”
Department of Philosophy
“Working with the Doyle cohort was an extremely valuable and enlightening experience. Promoting diversity is both urgent and challenging in the current political environment. The fellows came to the program with a whole range of personal and professional experiences on this matter. My interactions with them deepened my commitment to the project of promoting diversity through teaching.”
Film and Media Studies Program
“A new sense of connection has been one of the most significant and cherished outcomes of my time in the fellowship. It was enriching and delightful to work with such a generous and eclectic group of colleagues, representing such varied disciplines and roles at Georgetown. Many became friends, all became trusted colleagues.”
Department of French and Francophone Studies
“I can only describe this year as transformative. You all have helped me to expand my views on education and shown me how important our roles are here at Georgetown. I am deeply sad that this experience is coming to an end, but I am excited to see how it will continue to positively impact my future classes.”
Department of Biology
“I learned so much, expanded my horizons, and came away with renewed energy and deeper understanding of my role in making the university an inclusive and diverse place. The program really excels at community building, and having a vibrant interdisciplinary group where it felt ‘safe’ to talk openly about our successes and failures was incredibly supportive.”
April 9, 2019
Doyle Graduate Assistant Ijeoma Njaka (G’19) uses art to build awareness about the experiences of traditionally underserved students on campus through her research. She curated a 2019 exhibit on (In)Visibility at Georgetown: Past, Present, and Future.
January 18, 2019
Doyle Faculty Fellow Nolan Bennett reflects on redesigning his Ethics of Incarceration course to include class sessions at the DC Central Treatment Facility, allowing the class to learn about the justice system alongside incarcerated students.
May 1, 2018
The Doyle Engaging Difference Program promotes student and faculty growth, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration on questions of diversity and inclusion, according to two Doyle faculty fellows.
May 22, 2014
Recognizing the growing need for conversations in higher education around diversity, Georgetown launched the Doyle Engaging Difference Program in October 2011 with a $10 million gift from alumnus and Board of Directors member William J. Doyle (C’72).
January 1, 2013
This article, published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, highlights the early success of the Doyle Faculty Fellows Program, reflecting on the faculty cohort model and course redesign process.
