Shavonne Coleman
“Shavonne is a scholar and a performer, and she understands how to use every ounce of her expertise to share her ideas and inspire everyone around her.”
Q: What are you up to in your new position at the Faculty Innovation Center?
Shavonne: A few different things so far: I just got done working the Inclusive Teaching and Learning Symposium, I jumped on updating the Embracing Discomfort Workshop with Laura Struve and Kayla Shearer, which has been executed previously through the FIC. I also did one of the meetups with Anne Braseby.
Honestly, I’m spending a lot of time talking to folks to figure out where we’re at. Adria Battaglia set a wonderful groundwork for this position, thinking about inclusivity and taking the temperature on campus, and now I’m coming in, learning what she’s done, talking to folks, and determining what folks need.
Q: Has inclusivity always been an area of focus for you?
Shavonne: Absolutely. My prior experience consists of utilizing drama methodologies to cultivate space for students to engage in nuanced topics like positive culture shifts around campus and in the classroom. I did a lot of my work in public schools and with theater groups and school groups in Michigan. I currently teach a course called Theater for Dialogue: Exploring Interpersonal Violence Prevention, and I work as the Theater for Dialogue Coordinator for Voices Against Violence.
I think of it like this: there are oppressions that have to be minimized if we’re going to get to a place where we’ve eradicated interpersonal violence. This means anytime you’re talking about doing anti-oppression work, you’re talking about and you need inclusivity.
Honestly, when I was doing this work in 2007 or 2008 I didn’t even have a name for it, but I already knew that inclusivity and being trauma-informed came first. I was always thinking about how pedagogy impacts students so I could create equitable learning spaces. At the time I didn’t know what it was leading to, but now it all makes sense. You can’t talk about pedagogy without talking about inclusivity.
Q: What are you learning in talking to faculty members and exploring this new position?
Shavonne: I’m finding that the faculty are still digging in, they’re still showing up and showing out for their students, they’re still making a way. It’s surprising to what length faculty are shifting their thinking. They’re really digging into learning themselves, they’re exploring new things, and they’re showing up for each other. When we have a FIC event, sometimes we are nervous that folks will be completely Zoom-exhausted, but instead they’re engaged, they’re trying things, and they’re coming back for more.
I’m also finding that 2020 and all that it’s been has got faculty really wanting to dig into nuanced conversations. Folks really want to grasp difficult concepts, they really want to have actionable steps. People really want to know how to integrate or weave inclusivity into their pedagogy.
Something I’m looking forward to is bringing the theater and bringing the arts into the work. I applied for this job because I love the FIC; every time I went to one of their events I came away inspired.
I work with a team of amazing people. It’s a good place to be because it allows me to say “they’re doing all these great things already, how can I expand that, how I can add to the culture?” And I’m hoping to bring theater and the arts into these events.
Q: What’s giving you hope right now?
Shavonne: For sure, interactions with my students when I’m teaching. The level of passion they still have for the work and the level of authenticity that students are bringing, I mean they always do, but still right now, is very inspiring to me.
In these workshops, spaces, and places where I’m connecting to faculty, it’s the same thing. There’s this really authentic drive, people aren’t showing up because they’re going through the motions, they really want to be there. That drive and that want to show up is inspiring.
The work we’re putting in now, the planning that we’re doing now, is going to create this newer hopefully better UT that is more welcoming and has more authentic spaces where people can learn.
For You
Upcoming holidays and impending exams can drive emotional struggles for some students. As instructors, we are in a unique position to show compassion and recommend resources like CARE counselors.
It can be hard for faculty to start a conversation with a student reporting challenges. An empathic statement such as, “Thank you for trusting me with this” can help the conversation move forward.
Join Us
Orange Santa and the HFSA John Treviño Jr. Holiday Assistance Program provide resources for UT employees and students in need, but they also serve as opportunities for the larger university community to contribute to those needs and participate in a special season of caring. Share the link with your colleagues and, if you can, consider making a contribution.
Take Care
If one thing is true, it is that 2020 has been a disruptive year! Whether you feel anxious about the pandemic, uncertain about politics, or anger about long-standing racial inequities, it’s always a good time to reflect on what you value. Use these six tips to focus your attention on what is most important to you.
