Major Workshop

Saturday, June 2—9:00–11:00 a.m.

Practical Ways to Reduce Stereotype Threat for Vulnerable Students and Faculty

Thanks to Psychology Professor Claude Steele and numerous researchers in several countries, we now understand how stereotype threat can be triggered and how the threat can easily undermine the academic, athletic, or cognitive performance of members of certain groups.  The most frequent example:  students from stigmatized minority groups who sense (or who are told) that their intellectual abilities are viewed as inferior by authority figures and many others. In this charged situation, vulnerable students and faculty often worry that they will confirm the negative stereotype associated with their group membership. Their worry and preoccupation can cause them to choke, clutch, and experience a rush of stress hormones and anxiety—all of which undermine their performance and achievement. How can the threat be reduced or eliminated? This highly interactive workshop will provide a dozen action steps that can be taken by department chairs, mentors, instructors, peers, and vulnerable students (and faculty) themselves. In preparation for this session, participants may wish to review two websites: reducingstereotypethreat.org and implicit.harvard.edu.

JoAnn Moody, JD, PhD | Website
Faculty Development & Diversity Specialist
San Diego, California