Defining Inclusive Teaching for the Purposes of Tenure and Promotion at a Small Liberal Arts College

In Spring 2016, Pomona College faculty adopted inclusive teaching as a criterion for tenure and promotion. They did not, however, define the term "inclusive". Toward developing a definition for inclusive teaching, and further catalyzed through the work of a multi-institutional inclusive excellence grant, we engaged 55 faculty (~25% of the faculty at our institution) in two iterations of a reflection process in which we asked them to reflect on how they foster inclusive learning spaces and to write their own individual reflection which speaks to their process, both in and out of the classroom, and any perceived or measured impact they have observed.

An overall goal of this work was to create a more inclusive climate on Pomona's campus. Specific aims of the project were to (1) compile a range of examples to identify the varied ways individuals define or understand inclusion and equity in their teaching, and (2), provide an exercise by which instructors can develop a useful set of reflections to show growth over time. We expected that the individual reflections would be helpful for instructors as they prepare annual reports, tenure and promotion dossiers, grant proposals, etc.

Qualitative analysis of the reflections revealed a definition of inclusive teaching: "Inclusive teaching builds community, teaches critical content, connects to students' lives and interests, is accessible to all students, and cares for the whole student."

Since 2021, this definition has been used by Pomona's Institute for Inclusive Excellence to center their programming, which includes pedagogy workshops, faculty cohorts, and social events. Another reflection exercise focusing on the definition will be conducted Summer 2025, with the aim of introducing the definition of inclusive teaching, as relevant to tenure and promotion, into the Faculty Handbook in AY 2025-2026.