Abstract:

Higher education institutions are increasingly called to address persistent equity gaps through intentional faculty development and curriculum redesign. This poster shares a case study from a suburban, midwestern university's First Year Experience program that sought to operationalize Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) in alignment with two system-wide initiatives: Equity 2030 and Equity by Design. The process began with faculty book clubs and professional learning sessions designed to build shared understanding of CRP principles and their connection to systemic equity goals. Guided by advisory board input, student survey data, and faculty reflections, the program moved through a multi-phase redesign process: advisory creation, needs analysis, collaborative design, and early implementation.

Faculty engaged in structured reflection prompts throughout each phase, which encouraged them to critically examine course syllabi, assignments, and assessment practices for alignment with equity principles. Examples include revisions to course assignments that foreground cultural and linguistic diversity, redesigned advising practices that center candidate voice, and curriculum maps that address equity competencies across the program. Data suggest that faculty experienced both challenges and breakthroughs in translating CRP theory into practice, with advisory board and student feedback providing essential grounding.

This phased process will be presented as a replicable model, while highlighting practical strategies for engaging faculty and sustaining change. By centering faculty development as a driver of equity-focused curriculum innovation, this case study demonstrates how first year programs designed to welcome students and acclimate them to campus can move beyond policy rhetoric toward actionable transformation in higher education teaching and learning.

Keywords:

Higher education, equity initiatives, culturally responsive, faculty development, curriculum redesign.