Marywood and Scranton Hold Workshop on ‘Discussing Race in the Classroom’

As colleges across the nation are striving to address issues of race and discrimination on campus, Marywood University and The University of Scranton are taking a proactive approach to increasing diversity awareness and making their campuses feel safe and inclusive for all students.

Faculty and staff of Marywood and Scranton joined together to offer an innovative workshop training entitled “Talking About Race in the Classroom and Campus.” The workshop was held in August on Scranton’s campus.  

The workshop is part of a cooperative grant program of The University of Scranton and Marywood University.  The cooperative grant fosters communication and collaboration between/among faculty members of both institutions.

The workshop was the result of a joint proposal by faculty members Jessica Nolan, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Scranton; Samantha Christiansen, Ph.D., assistant professor of Asian history and director of women’s studies at Marywood; Justine Johnson, director of theCross Cultural Centers at Scranton, and Lia Richards-Palmiter, Ph.D., director of the Office of Diversity Efforts at Marywood.

Faculty from Marywood, Scranton, and Lackawanna College volunteered to participate in the workshop.

“I was delighted by the enthusiastic response from faculty and staff willing to come in, basically unpaid, over summer break to learn skills to make our campuses more inclusive. I think this is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff to proactively build a climate that respects and values diversity,” said Dr. Christiansen, workshop co-organizer.

The workshop was facilitated by Border Crossers. According to their website, Border Crossers’ mission is “to train and empower educators to dismantle patterns of racism and injustice in our schools and communities. At Border Crossers, we envision a world where all young people learn and thrive in racially equitable, liberating, and empowering educational spaces.”

Faculty and staff of Marywood University and The University of Scranton participated in an August workshop entitled “Talking About Race in the Classroom and Campus.” The workshop was supported through a cooperative grant program of Scranton and Marywood. From left are Jessica Nolan, Ph.D., workshop co-organizer and associate professor of psychology at Scranton; workshop facilitators from Border Crossers Nayantara Sen and Lyudmila (“Luda”) Bryzzheva; and Samantha Christiansen, Ph.D., workshop co-organizer, assistant professor of Asian history and director of women’s studies at Marywood.