Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)

Foundations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (4-week course, part 1)

This course is an overview of theoretical and methodological issues in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Topics include consideration of the individual categories - highlighting where they overlap and diverge, analyzing their utility, opportunities and challenges - as well as an introduction to the broader conceptual framework, including social justice and the theory of intersectionality. Additionally, students will begin to engage the tools of effective dialogue around difficult issues, including but not limited to practical strategies for effective communication and conflict resolution. 

Diversity and the Organization (4-week course, part 2)

Linking theory to practice, this course examines the ways in which organizations (whether public, private, corporate or non-profit) reflect values of equity and inequity in the workplace and subsequently impact employee growth, development, and performance. Emphasis will be placed on both organizational policy and organizational culture. Finally, through simulation exercises, case studies, and projects, students will learn how effective leadership fosters a sense of belonging, helps employees reach their highest potential, and advances the organization's mission, goals, and values. Though human resources considerations do not define this course, this aspect of organizational culture and the legal expectations of employers and employees will also be addressed.

Disabilities/Difference in America (4-week course, part 1)

Note: Disabilities in America may be replaced with Literature, Social Justice and Current Events depending on faculty availability.

This course will investigate how disabilities and differences have been defined and regarded, shaping and being shaped by the interrelationships of culture, law, politics, policy and education. Through the lenses of education and disability studies, students will compare and analyze representations of disability and differences across time and populations. The inherent tensions and debates between the various proposed models defining disability will also be analyzed. Topics include Deaf culture, intellectual disabilities, chronic illness, mental health, Tourette’s, autism, giftedness, and gender identity. The complexities of what we know, how we know it and the ways in which disability has been represented and, in some instances, misrepresented in American society, thereby perpetuating stigma and stereotypes, will be examined. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to compare and analyze these representations with a critical eye for accuracy, common stereotypes and themes that may be problematic in shaping beliefs about disability and perceptions of difference or may, in fact have the power to propel and enable individuals and communities to move toward further integration, participation and empowerment.

Communicating Across Difference (4-week course, part 2)

This course will engage students in a structured dialogue format to explore intergroup and intragroup differences and similarities within historical and contemporary contexts. This unique experiential learning opportunity offers practical tools for effective communication across domains of difference - careful listening, offering and receiving feedback, and nonverbal messaging - using social justice and equity-centered dialogic methodologies.

Structural Inequalities in Social Systems (4-week course, part 1)

This course examines both systems of inequalities of conditions and opportunities within American society through the complex intersections of race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality. The course presents theoretical frameworks that explain distributions of power and privilege and seeks to identify sources of inequality, its manifestations and varying impact on individuals, families and communities, and its persistence over time and across generations. 

The Psychology of Discrimination and Inclusion (4-week course, part 2)

This course will introduce students to the social psychological research that explores racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination in our world. Students will explore empirical answers to several critical questions, including: How and why are stereotypes and biases formed and maintained? How do our own social identities influence perceptions of others? How do targets of prejudice experience discrimination in their daily lives, and how are they affected? How can we reduce the influence of biases and promote intergroup harmony and inclusion?

Ethics of Inclusion and Belonging (4-week course, part 1)

This course will introduce and evaluate various models of ethical reasoning and argument that mandate and further develop inclusion and belonging in any given organization, institution, or society. Together we will explore how a just and equitable society, organization, or institution precludes racism and other forms of discrimination and marginalization, furthermore explaining why such an endeavor is an ethical and moral imperative at the individual and group levels. 

Inclusive Leadership: Outcomes, Assessment, and Impact (4-week course, part 2)

This course will prepare students for their culminating project to be completed during the next session by challenging them to consider their own professional context. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring students begin developing a comprehensive assessment strategy and gain experience analyzing existing quantitative and qualitative data to conduct a holistic workplace assessment and recommend the next steps in developing a culture of equity and belonging. 

Culminating Project Seminar (8-week course)

Building off of the work throughout the program, this seminar will support students in completing their culminating project. This project will examine the students’ present workplace context and describe its culture, challenges and opportunities. Students will, as part of the project, draft a list of recommendations that comport with legal requirements, that make improvements to the climate of the workplace and foster a sense of belonging. 

DEIB Foundations Certificate

Participants complete the DEIB Foundations Certificate by completing 3 units:

• Foundations of DEIB and the Organization
• Understanding and Communicating Across Differences 
• Individual & Structural Roots of Inequality

DEIB Graduate Certificate 

Participants earn the DEIB Graduate Certificate by completing 5 units:

• Three essential course units plus:
• Ethical and Inclusive Leadership
• Culminating Project Seminar

Master’s in Organizational Leadership

Participants earn a Master’s in Organizational Leadership (MOL) with a concentration in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging by completing 10 courses:

• 5 DEIB Graduate Certificate courses plus:
• 3 courses of the MOL Leadership Disciplines 
• One course of the MOL Organizational Competencies 
• One course, the final Culminating Leadership Experience (expanding on their culminating project seminar from the certificate)

* Courses from Muhlenberg’s Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership may be considered substitute electives in consultation with your advisor.