The first event for the 8th Annual Diversity Summit was held virtually Tuesday morning with guest speaker FootHill College Math Professor, Patrick Morriss. This week will be filled with activities and events, which celebrate diversity including informational panels, a poetry night and even an off-campus movie night. 

This year’s theme is “Harmony: Achieving Equity through Hope, Action and Community.” During Tuesday’s virtual event, Professor Morriss spoke about the stigma around math and how social construction plays a part in learning math.

Morriss shared that “math becomes a proxy for intelligence” leading students to believe they are not “smart enough” for math. He claimed that in order  to overcome this social construct, instructors must be willing to examine and adjust their instructional practices to meet the needs of their students.

Morriss went on to share some of his methods for student success, which included creating community in the classroom. He explained that in his course he makes all assignments group work, including tests, which allow the students to collaborate with one another to get a better understanding of the material. Morriss debunked concerns around academic integrity by insisting that academic integrity can be shown through sharing  and creating connections with peers. 

When asked to provide his final thoughts, Morriss concluded the session by reminding the participants that, “teachers add nothing to students, they uncover the brilliance within.”  For more information on other Diversity Summit Week events please see the calendar above.