The University of Tampa Department of Education stands in solidarity with those who seek justice and equality. As educators, we acknowledge our responsibility to take an active stance against systemic racism and injustice. We believe that just and equitable education requires culturally and racially responsive school leadership, teacher learning and instructional design. We will use our voice and our resources to foster communities of inclusion and equity. We will continue to refine our role in equipping future leaders, educators and instructional designers to individually and collectively support healing and success for our students, our society and each other. We will also educate ourselves and commit to finding ways that we can contribute to real progress and change to result in inclusion, equality and justice for all. We commit to prioritizing ethnic, racial, gender, sexual orientation, and economic diversity and inclusion within our department and through our collective efforts in preparing our students. We will continue to sponsor opportunities for dialogue and reflection with you, and we are reaching out to our partners so that we can move forward with collective action.

As a department, our commitment is reflected in our philosophy, which is the driving force of our professional work at The University of Tampa, which states:

“We believe school is a place where learners develop personal as well as social values. In the words of Maxine Greene, “We have to know about our lives, clarify our situations if we are to understand the world from our shared standpoints.” Schooling needs to prepare learners with a broad understanding of the democratic process and the role of the individual in that process. Such an understanding includes how governance structures operate in a democratic society. Schools should not only transmit knowledge about the existing social order, they also should seek to reconstruct it. Learners must be enabled to understand how individuals can take advantage of the democratic process and to act as change agents as they pursue efforts to restructure the society in positive ways.”

It is in our collective work and commitment as a department that we will continue to uphold our core belief in promoting an equitable society for all.

— University of Tampa Education Department

Anti-racism Resources

This faculty-created resource collects a number of books, podcasts, films, articles and activities promoting the principles of anti-racism and encouraging educators to think about how they can create anti-racist and culturally responsive classroom environments.