Teaching in Troubled Times

Intended audience:

Academic Support Staff, Faculty, Graduate Students, Instructors, Post-doctoral students, Researchers

Co-hosted by the American Cultures Center, the Division for Equity & Inclusion, and the Academic Innovation Studio, these timely, interactive dialogues feature dynamic faculty panelists and engage the Berkeley community in exploring how equity and justice challenges – locally, regionally and nationally – are impacting our students, instructors, classrooms, and campus. All events feature plenty of time for open, facilitated discussion.

Check out recaps and recordings of past programs under the Stories tab and our YouTube channel.
For resources related to the series, visit the Teaching in Troubled Times on the American Cultures website.
Find out more information about the series on the Division of Equity & Inclusion website.

This page will be updated regularly as new programs get scheduled. Please join us for dialogues on these and other topics:

Beyond Both Sides: Creating Classrooms of Exploration
Supporting LGBTQ+ Students
Religion and Spirituality in the Classroom
Teaching in the #metoo Era
My Identity, Your Identity
Finding Hope and Joy in the Struggle

Please note:

All events are wheelchair accessible.
To request captioning, ASL interpretation, or other accommodations, please contact Disability Access and Compliance at https://dac.berkeley.edu/overview or email Amy Scharf at ascharf@berkeley.edu.
Please refrain from wearing scented products, so that people with chemical sensitivites can join.

Past events

Teaching During COVID-19: Reflecting on Endings, Beginnings, and Everything In Between

May 7, 2020, 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

“The one thing we essentially need to take care of is how to care for one another.” - Professor Ruthie Gilmore, The City University of New York As we enter the final weeks of the semester, many of us are no doubt feeling a mix of emotions: relief that Spring 2020 is coming to an end, stress about...

Community Reflections During COVID-19

April 2, 2020, 10:30am to 12:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

During times of crisis and disruption, it’s natural to default to very practical and immediate concerns. These are important. But as instructors, we also care about our students as people and as members of families and communities facing a multitude of challenges. We want to create conditions for...

POSTPONED: Teaching in Troubled Times - Culminating Event for a Semester of Learning

December 5, 2019, 11:45am to 2:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

PLEASE NOTE: This event is being postponed until Spring 2020, to allow more time for planning and meaningful participation. Please continue to register if you would like to be informed of the new date. This will be the final event in our Fall 2019 Teaching in Troubled Times semester of learning. We...

Beyond Accommodations: Changing the Disability Frame

November 18, 2019, 11:30am to 2:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

Discussions of disability on campus often focus on how we can support and accommodate individual needs and meet our compliance requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act. With this session, we hope to add to that important conversation, inviting faculty, graduate student instructors,...

Difficult Knowledge, Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, and Safe-ish Spaces

September 12, 2019, 12:00pm to 2:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

Violence and trauma are all around us—fatal shootings by police, sexual violence, family separations, addiction, abuse, displacement of refugees. Often, these situations give rise to individual healing journeys and collective efforts to create change. But the pain and loss embedded in them also has...

Campus Climate Dialogue and Teaching in Troubled Times Kick-Off

September 5, 2019, 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

Since Spring 2016, the Teaching in Troubled Times dialogue series has broached many topics essential to the well-being of our students and of our campus community. As we enter a new academic year, please join us to kick off a "semester of learning," anchored by our signature panel-driven programs...

How to Have Political Conversations in the Classroom?

October 29, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am

Teaching in Troubled Times

In facing the midterm elections, which will see people vote for members of both houses of Congress, for governor seats in 36 out of 50 states, and a packed California ballot, this panel and community discussion will consider how faculty are navigating the nation’s thorny politics and supporting...

Squeezed on All Sides: Economic Pressures Facing Berkeley Students

October 26, 2018, 11:00am to 1:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

How does the high cost of living in the Bay Area affect Berkeley students and impact their learning, health, and academic success? Hear from faculty and staff who are working to alleviate some of these issues and join in a discussion about what we, as individuals and as a campus, can do to help.

What to Do If ICE Comes to Campus: Rights, Recommendations, and Resources

February 26, 2018, 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

Recent statements made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Thomas Homan indicate that California may soon be targeted for increased enforcement, raising questions for Berkeley faculty, students, and staff about how to support members of our undocumented community and...

Whose Classroom? The Generative Potential of Conflict in Higher Education

February 7, 2018, 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

How can we use the misunderstandings and conflicts that arise in the classroom as points of embarkation toward more honest and rigorous intellectual pursuits? How can we think of our evolving values and priorities, not as accommodations or concessions, but as opportunities for deeper learning? We...

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: Dealing with Toxic Stresses on Campus and in Our Classrooms

January 19, 2018, 11:45am to 2:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

Please join your campus colleagues for an open, facilitated conversation about how we understand and respond to the collective stresses and traumas affecting our students and their learning experience here at Berkeley.

Addressing Food Insecurity and Basic Needs Among UC Students: What Can Berkeley Do?

November 15, 2017, 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

The latest systemwide data from the UC Institutional Research & Academic Planning team at the UC Office of the President confirms that 39% of undergraduates and 23% of graduates at UC Berkeley are experiencing food Insecurity. Additionally, 5% of undergraduates and 6% of graduate students self-...

Between Censure and Good Sense: Trigger Warnings and Safe Space in the Classroom

August 21, 2017, 3:00pm to 4:30pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

Open to: Faculty Description: A discussion is a powerful tool, but facilitating challenging discussions often leaves many of us feeling ill-equipped to address the very complex emotional and intellectual topics that enter our classrooms. In this pre-semester conversation, we will consider a variety...

Assignment Design for Social Justice Education

April 17, 2017, 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

Read a recap of this program. Open to: All faculty, graduate students, and academic support staff Description: Interested in bringing social issues into your course(s) but not sure how or where to start? Already teaching about social justice but looking for ideas or support? Come hear Berkeley...

Inviting Students to Bring Themselves to Class: Connecting Learning and Lived Experiences

March 21, 2017, 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Teaching in Troubled Times

Open to: All faculty, graduate students, and academic support staff Description: In higher education, we want learning to be relevant to students’ lives, but how often do we explicitly incorporate students’ lives--who they are, what they know, where they come from--into our teaching and research?...