Abstract
Social work educators bring their lived experience to the classroom, including aspects of intersectionality. Consequently, faculty are faced with the challenge of facilitating classroom learning amidst the complex dynamic of student intersectionality and their own. When factors such as diversity, inclusion, and matters of social justice enter the classroom, discourse requires a skilled faculty member who can facilitate these topics simultaneously with course curriculum. This Banded Dissertation addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion in social work curriculum through its three scholarly Products. The first Product, a conceptual paper offers a framework that asserts elements of Community of Inquiry (CoI) can be implemented in face-to-face classrooms where learning is purposive, shared, and personal meaning is developed. Additionally, intersectionality, an element of Critical Race Theory (CRT) combined with CoI illustrates the complex nature of diversity found in learning environments. Product two, a qualitative study of thirteen undergraduate social work faculty, explored perspectives on teaching diversity content in their programs. Data reveal faculty have an ardent desire to connect with and do their best for students’ learning, acknowledge intersectionality in the classroom, and facilitate discussions centered on diversity. The third and final Product of this banded dissertation is a presentation of the conceptual paper at the International Lilly Conference.