Guest speakers can support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives while promoting students’ academic and professional growth across disciplines. When designing courses, identify ways to integrate speakers into the curriculum, tap established networks, and ensure that any readings and assignments align with these efforts.
Overview
When it comes to retaining diverse college students, belonging matters. Marginalized students, who include Black, Indigenous, first-generation, LGTBQ2S+, and Latino learners, have chosen to pursue a degree at a specific institution. However, when these students begin their studies, they often struggle with “belonging uncertainty,” or not feeling accepted, cared for, and valued by their chosen academic community (Arif et al., 2021; Brown, 2021). As they navigate their new academic environment, they face negative pressures beyond the stress of grades and exams. These pressures include imposter syndrome, stereotype threat, and lack of diversity reflected in leaders and mentors at their institutions—these factors can significantly contribute to their feeling unwelcome, poor academic outcomes, and even their mental health (Arif et al., 2021).
Integrating diverse guest speakers into the curriculum is one way to foster students’ sense of belonging. Arif et al. (2021) write that diverse guests in the classroom give underrepresented students “tangible evidence of what success can look like for them,” thereby increasing their motivation to learn (p. 2). Alumni from underrepresented backgrounds can discuss their own career trajectories, including overcoming barriers and challenges they have faced. However, to ensure speaker engagements are as meaningful as possible for students, instructors should carefully consider how “required texts, assignments, and the facilitation of discussions and lectures” can best support speakers and students (Brown & Del Rosso, 2022, p. 63). Beyond traditional lectures, guests can engage with students in an online discussion or serve on a panel, providing their own take on current controversies, trends, and disruptions impacting their field (Farruggio, 2009; Zou et al., 2019).
During a crisis, it’s especially important to thoughtfully engage speakers of color. In one study of Black public relations practitioners, Brown and Del Rosso (2022) found these experts felt a responsibility to serve as guest speakers at a time when they were still processing the trauma of racism and racial violence following police shootings and murders of Black Americans. When guest speakers are empowered to bring their authentic selves into the classroom, they can contribute diverse stories and perspectives that connect “the politics of the classroom with what’s happening in society” (pp. 62–63).
In fields like nursing and teaching, “knowledgeable others”—those with similar lived experiences as the students in the course—can help learners negotiate positive professional identities (Farruggio, 2009, p. 36). For example, a teacher preparation program for bilingual Latino students featured an online forum with scholar Lily Wong Fillmore, who has researched the academic language demands of high-stakes tests on English language learners, among other topics. During the engagement, Fillmore shared her experiences as a child of immigrants and responded to students’ comments and questions. Through these interactions, students said they gained an awareness of “the sociopolitical effects of language policies in schools and within their own families” that was not addressed by their coursework (Farruggio, 2009, p. 36).
Inclusive Education Practices
The following are some recommendations for designing guest speaker experiences to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in your classroom:
Determine the purpose.
A guest speaker could be a one-time engagement or develop a long-term relationship with your institution. Consider how the speaker's expertise can complement the curriculum and support course learning objectives. For example, in an engineering course, an industry expert could introduce a problem at the beginning of the term and have students work in teams to solve it. Maybe you are teaching a capstone course where you can tap hiring managers to conduct mock interviews, provide feedback, and support career preparation throughout the term.
Promote student choice.
Allowing for greater student choice includes many benefits, such as higher student engagement with course materials and improved teaching outcomes (Zou et al., 2019). While you might be tempted to choose the speaker, encourage students to participate in the selection process. Also, engage students by having them research the speakers’ backgrounds and prepare thoughtful questions in advance (Dalakas, 2016).
Showcase diverse perspectives.
It’s important to find out the speaker's views on trends or controversies related to the course, especially if they are not covered in the syllabus (Brown & Del Rosso, 2022). If you’re teaching a course on the environment, consider having a panel that includes the local Indigenous community’s unique take on climate change and mental and spiritual health (Arif & Massey, 2022). If texts in a math or science course don’t include the contributions of women, consider bringing in a scholar to discuss the achievements of important figures, such as NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson and chemist Rosalind Franklin. When underrepresented students see themselves reflected in the curriculum, this can lead to increased belonging and academic success (Arif & Massey, 2022).
Support inclusion.
To foster an inclusive guest speaker experience, it’s important for instructors to gather information about their students’ interests, career goals, and lived experiences. When possible, share that information with the speaker so that they can choose relevant stories and examples tailored to your students’ backgrounds (Brown & Del Rosso, 2022). Also, provide speakers with course materials and work collaboratively to identify topics that students are most likely to find engaging.
Establish collective responsibility.
To create supportive spaces for guest speakers of color, academic institutions should prioritize shared responsibility for, investment in, and compensation of equity work (Arif et al., 2021; Brown & Del Rosso, 2022). Intentionally recruit individuals who reflect diverse perspectives and experiences to engage in this work (Vigil et. al., 2021). Such measures can go a long way toward ensuring that diverse voices are heard, and their contributions are fully recognized within the academic community.
References
Arif, S., & Massey, M. D. (2022). Perspectives on teaching from early-career scientists. Journal of College Science Teaching, 51(4), 1–9.
Arif, S., Massey, M. D., Klinard, N., Charbonneau, J., Jabre, L., Martins, A. B., Gaitor, D., Kirton, R., Albury, C., & Nanglu, K. (2021). Ten simple rules for supporting historically underrepresented students in science. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(9), Article e1009313.
Brown, D. (2021, October 18). Keys to the survival of predominantly White institutions: Recruitment and retention of Black and Brown students. New England Board of Higher Education.
Brown, D., & Del Rosso, T. (2022). Called, committed, and inspiring activism: How Black PR guest speakers experienced the PR classroom during the COVID-19 and racial reckoning academic year of 2020/2021. Journal of Public Relations Education, 8(2), 42–77.
Dalakas, V. (2016). Turning guest speakers’ visits into active learning opportunities. Atlantic Marketing Journal, 5(2), 93–100.
Farruggio, P. (2009). Bilingual education: Using a virtual guest speaker and online discussion to expand Latino preservice teachers’ consciousness. Multicultural Education, 17(1), 33–37.
Vigil, D., Holcombe, E., & Kezar, A. (2021, May 24). Shared equity leadership: Transforming campus communities Is a collective responsibility. Higher Education Today, American Council of Education.
Zou, P., Sun, W., Hallowell, S. G., Luo, Y., Lee, C., & Ge, L. (2019). Use of guest speakers in nursing education: An integrative review of multidisciplinary literature. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 10, 175–189.