Regis University, as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, prioritizes diversity and inclusion in its academic environment, welcoming students from various educational and cultural backgrounds. With a significant percentage of first-generation students, the institution integrates foundational philosophical inquiry into its curriculum, requiring students to engage with essential questions that help anchor their understanding of philosophy. The courses revolve around questions that students can relate to personally, fostering an environment where unfamiliar concepts become accessible. This tailored approach aims to ease the transition into college by integrating personal histories and social contexts into philosophical discussions.
On the first day of the semester, I initiate a timed "flash reflection," which asks students to consider their own answers to questions like: What does it mean to think? What does it mean to pay attention? What makes an action courageous? What makes something true? What does it mean to love?
To address this shock of novelty, I build a course based entirely around questions philosophers ask; I also insist that these questions are ones my students both ask and are capable of answering.
Given the diverse backgrounds our students bring to the classroom, it is rare that they've heard of philosophy. It's important they find some stability in the unfamiliar.
#hispanic-serving-institution #philosophy-education #diversity-and-inclusion #first-generation-students #jesuit-education
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