Learning and Teaching Forum Lunchtime Workshop Programme – Workshop 9, 22 April 2021

Zaynab Seedat, PhD Student and Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of English and Related Literature and Kate Walker (Music, Sheffield) who are both on the White Rose College of Arts and Humanities (WRoCAH) Doctoral Training Partnerships.

Report from workshop chair: Joanna de Groot, Department of History.

The presenters set out key points about the issues and context for current concerns about decolonising the curriculum and the activities involved in that process. They provided both scholarly and intellectual underpinning and social and political insights. They set up two very successful periods of breakout conversation in which small groups of participants brainstormed ideas about the problems with taught programmes and how to tackle them. Points which came back to the main session ranged from thoughts on curriculum content and critique to issues of inclusion and need to recognise and provide support for the personal and psychological demands placed on those challenging current practices and norms. Participants wanted further opportunities to have this type of conversation. Action points for change included the need for leadership and mentoring to support individuals and for mandatory unconscious bias training to form part of staff and student induction.

Forum Chair’s note: We were delighted to welcome colleagues from Maastricht to the workshop.