OU hosted the first in a series of forums featuring finalists to become director of the new Gateway to Belonging curriculum Tuesday.
The Gateway to Belonging course was made a part of the university’s strategic plan unveiled in July 2020. The future director will receive a faculty position, supervise the curriculum and choose the instructional team according to an email to The Daily by Joshua Nelson, the chair of the search committee. The course will be required for all students as part of the university’s shift to prioritize diversity and inclusion on campus.
On Tuesday, Nelson hosted an hour-long town hall introducing Adrienne Carter-Sowell. Since 2020, Carter-Sowell has served as the associate head of diversity, equity and inclusion in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University.
Nelson said Carter-Sowell also has a doctorate and master’s degree from Purdue University in social psychology and a bachelor’s in sociology, rhetoric and communication studies from the University of Virginia. She has been an associate professor with a joint appointment in Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Africana Studies program at Texas A&M since 2017 after becoming assistant professor in 2010.
Carter-Sowell also conducted extensive research on reducing experiences of marginalization and ostracization, and strategies or interventions to increase belonging, which she said demonstrated the importance of the Gateway to Belonging course. Carter-Sowell said the course will help students understand the need for people to form relationships and social groups.
“It's not just the social motivation, not belonging is painful,” Carter-Sowell said. “Social pain is associated with the operation of a brain function that registers as a threat to survival. So how does social pain feel? It hurts. It hurts regardless of why or by whom.”
Carter-Sowell introduced a three-course format following the five pillars of OU’s strategic plan. The first section would focus on student self-reflection, the second on groups and group differences, and the third on peer mentoring and how a community can influence a sense of belonging.
Each section would include a large assignment and a standardized multiple-choice test on section material.
“We will use course assignments to prepare students for success, we also are (going to) make this course and course material access affordable and attainable, and together we'll be able to enrich the impact of the campus and beyond,” Carter-Sowell said.
When students finish the course, Carter-Sowell said students will learn short writing and assessment skills, the ability to briefly educate on a specific topic and convey important senses of self that will translate to future careers.
“I believe beyond the content (taught in the course) that these (skills) are very important milestones to make,” Carter-Sowell said.
Carter-Sowell said she is looking for teachers with passion and flexibility to help lead the course’s classrooms.
“My observations have been that someone who really is excited about what they teach (is) able to connect with students,” Carter-Sowell said. “But you have to be flexible because just because you're excited doesn't mean you're effective. You have to be able to see where you need to make the adjustments so that your excitement is effective, and contagious, in the way that helps us stay on track.”
With her personal experience, plan of action and vision for the Gateway to Belonging course as part of OU’s strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion, Carter-Sowell said she wants to use her knowledge and capabilities to foster an accepting community at OU.
“I understand that (while) universities want this success, they've never put a name to it,” Carter-Sowell said. “This program, this course and this opportunity is putting a name to it, and I would like to put my name to it.”
