個案資料

Khayal Gumaan, a professor at a reputable Canadian university, had many years of experience teaching on campus, where she prided herself in creating a safe and respectful environment by valuing diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in her classroom. When the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced courses to be delivered online, she taught for the first time an online course in organizational behaviour for undergraduate students. Although still committed to promoting DEI in class, the professor found it difficult to do so in the virtual environment. Then, in the first month of her online course, a student appealed to her in a private email, asking her to intervene in an unsettling group discussion. The professor was determined to engage her students on the sensitive topic of DEI. How should she respond to the situation in her class’s online group discussion and also use it as a teaching opportunity?

This case is designed for use in undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in organizational behaviour or for DEI training, on campus or online. It can also be used within various other courses as a DEI module. It can serve as a case study for class discussion or as an individual assignment, group report, or an examination case. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<ul><li>Learn to evaluate DEI in the classroom, including differences in gender, race, ethnicity, cultural norms, socioeconomic status, educational and career aspirations, family backgrounds, religious or political affiliations, sexual orientation, physical appearance, and disabilities, as well as intersectionality, bystander effect, and allyship issues.</li><li>Discuss indigenizing the university, one of the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.</li><li>Assess and analyze the key issues and emotions surrounding (de)escalation related to sensitive discriminatory remarks or content in the workplace.</li><li>Identify and assess the alternative options, and make recommendations for the professor’s and students’ action and allyship.</li><li>Develop DEI policies and a communications plan for the class or workplace.</li></ul>

• Online
• Diversity
• Equality
• Inclusion
• Indigenous
• Teamwork
• Allyship