Identity, Power and Difference (Journey Students Only)

Welcome to the course Identity, Power and Difference!!

We your instructors, Laura Ralston and Julie Todd are excited to be on this creative and empowering journey together. This class provides rich opportunities to engage challenging topics with regards to identity, power and differences in our own lives, our towns and cities, our faith communities, our country and our world. In these days, there are no more important relevant and important topics to explore in community.

Here we introduce ourselves to you by video:

https://youtu.be/j6USPrpQ2SM

Why does Iliff require IPD of all of our professional degree students?

• The course expresses Iliff’s core justice commitments by introducing students to anti-oppression work as a central element of any kind of ministry or religious leadership work.
• Iliff is committed to educating persons who have some initial competence in working in multicultural environments and who understand their need to nurture this competency through a lifelong practice of ongoing education and development.
• We hope to help students continue to develop their understanding of the way their complex and embodied social identity has been shaped and what it communicates about them and how it influences their perspectives in the US context of structural inequality, and to begin to attend to the potential impact that this social identity could have on their work in the world.
• We are introducing some basic conceptual and interpersonal tools to navigate constructively within interlocking systems of advantage and oppression.
• We understand this work as part of students’ vocational and spiritual formation as well as preparation to fully engage other courses in the curriculum that work on issues of colonialism, oppression, and privilege in historical and contemporary contexts.

There is no required textbook for the course. All materials are provided as files and links.

In relationship with the co-instructors, you will evaluate and give yourself a grade in this course. Please see the following links for the Initial Learning Agreement and Final Assessment of Learning Agreement & Grade.

Here is a video describes why we have chosen to use a self-evaluation method for grading (12:24): https://youtu.be/zkIXl0y88jE

In general terms you are being asked to adequately address each of the following elements in order to receive a passing grade for the class.

• Invest in the course by establishing a regular and respectful online presence;
• Genuinely try to learn the concepts and materials by reading and listening, asking questions and collaborating in the spirit of critical, community learning;
• Participate every week in online discussions. For more information on the specific requirements for posting, see the following page or read more below (same content). Meet the minimum participation requirement to receive a “Complete” from the instructors by posting your own original response to the questions, and responding to at least one other student’s original post. Respect other students' preparation by being prepared, having read, watched and listened to the assigned materials carefully and thoughtfully;
• Turn in online posts and other written assignments in a timely fashion;
• Communicate with the instructors when you anticipate being unable to participate in the requirements a timely manner;
• Attend every session (five sessions) during Journey Days in October.
• Personal critical reflections: Social Location Assignment, Critical Family Genealogy, Initial Learning Agreement, Final Assessment of Learning Agreement & Grade, and the Final Project.
• Articulating related to the personal and professional development with regards to matters of your identity and how you intend to work with and reflect on matters of social location, power and difference within yourself, in your community/ministry. 

More on Discussion Forums

Every week, you must post your own original response to the discussion questions.

Your original response to this Discussion Post is due by Wednesday evening at 11:59p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST).

You are also required to respond to at least one other person's original post throughout the week in order to receive a "Complete".

This course will rely heavily on online discussions. In an online-hybrid course, this is where much of the collective aspect of the course “takes place.” It is an area to share ideas, ask questions, and deepen our understanding of course concepts. Some weeks, we will post numerous questions related to the weekly topics and reading/viewing/listening materials. By no means are you expected to answer all of the questions posted. Respond to the ones that resonate, pique your interest, compel you or bother you the most.

While you are required to post your original response to the questions and respond to at least one other student's post, our hope and desire is that you participate in all discussion threads as often and as well as you are able. Ask questions and respond to the questions that are asked of you.

Every week, you must post your own original response to the discussion questions by Wednesday night at 11:59p.m. MST. 

You may post your original responses earlier than that. Even if you are not ready to post your own original answers to the questions early in the week, we nonetheless encourage you to log in to the course website early in the week, read other classmates' posts that have been posted early, and respond to them. Participation in online discussions should be completed within the week assigned. Each week, the discussions will start on Monday and last through Sunday night. This allows us all to focus on the same issues at the same time. Being present in an online format requires you to make your presence known. Making your presence known means signing into the course regularly and checking the discussion thread multiple times per week. As a result of the Learning Agreement, you will be the best judge of whether or not/how well you engaged your classmates and instructors in regular, online conversation. 

In relationship with the co-instructors, you will evaluate and give yourself a grade in this course. Please see the following links for the Initial Learning Agreement and Final Assessment of Learning Agreement & Grade.

Here is a video describes why we have chosen to use a self-evaluation method for grading (12:24): https://youtu.be/zkIXl0y88jE

In general terms you are being asked to adequately address each of the following elements in order to receive a passing grade for the class.

• Invest in the course by establishing a regular and respectful online presence;
• Genuinely try to learn the concepts and materials by reading and listening, asking questions and collaborating in the spirit of critical, community learning;
• Participate every week in online discussions. For more information on the specific requirements for posting, see the following page or read more below (same content). Meet the minimum participation requirement to receive a “Complete” from the instructors by posting your own original response to the questions, and responding to at least one other student’s original post. Respect other students' preparation by being prepared, having read, watched and listened to the assigned materials carefully and thoughtfully;
• Turn in online posts and other written assignments in a timely fashion;
• Communicate with the instructors when you anticipate being unable to participate in the requirements a timely manner;
• Attend every session (five sessions) during Journey Days in October.
• Personal critical reflections: Social Location Assignment, Critical Family Genealogy, Initial Learning Agreement, Final Assessment of Learning Agreement & Grade, and the Final Project.
• Articulating related to the personal and professional development with regards to matters of your identity and how you intend to work with and reflect on matters of social location, power and difference within yourself, in your community/ministry. 

More on Discussion Forums

Every week, you must post your own original response to the discussion questions.

Your original response to this Discussion Post is due by Wednesday evening at 11:59p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST).

You are also required to respond to at least one other person's original post throughout the week in order to receive a "Complete".

This course will rely heavily on online discussions. In an online-hybrid course, this is where much of the collective aspect of the course “takes place.” It is an area to share ideas, ask questions, and deepen our understanding of course concepts. Some weeks, we will post numerous questions related to the weekly topics and reading/viewing/listening materials. By no means are you expected to answer all of the questions posted. Respond to the ones that resonate, pique your interest, compel you or bother you the most.

While you are required to post your original response to the questions and respond to at least one other student's post, our hope and desire is that you participate in all discussion threads as often and as well as you are able. Ask questions and respond to the questions that are asked of you.

Every week, you must post your own original response to the discussion questions by Wednesday night at 11:59p.m. MST. 

You may post your original responses earlier than that. Even if you are not ready to post your own original answers to the questions early in the week, we nonetheless encourage you to log in to the course website early in the week, read other classmates' posts that have been posted early, and respond to them. Participation in online discussions should be completed within the week assigned. Each week, the discussions will start on Monday and last through Sunday night. This allows us all to focus on the same issues at the same time. Being present in an online format requires you to make your presence known. Making your presence known means signing into the course regularly and checking the discussion thread multiple times per week. As a result of the Learning Agreement, you will be the best judge of whether or not/how well you engaged your classmates and instructors in regular, online conversation. 

Discussion Forum Requirements

Every week, you must post your own original response to the Discussion questions.

Your original response to the Discussion Post is due by Wednesday evening at 11:59p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST).

You are also required to respond to at least one other person's original post by the end of the week in which the materials are posted in order to receive a "Complete".

This course will rely heavily on online discussions. In an online-hybrid course, this is where much of the collective aspect of the course “takes place.” It is an area to share ideas, ask questions, and deepen our understanding of course concepts. Some weeks, we will post numerous questions related to the weekly topics and reading/viewing/listening materials. By no means are you expected to answer all of the questions posted. Respond to the ones that resonate, pique your interest, compel you or bother you the most.

While you are required to post your original response to the questions and respond to at least one other student's post, our hope and desire is that you participate in all discussion threads as often and as well as you are able. Ask questions and respond to the questions that are asked of you.

Every week, you must post your own original response to the discussion questions by Wednesday night at 11:59p.m. MST. 

You may post your original responses earlier than that. Even if you are not ready to post your own original answers to the questions early in the week, we nonetheless encourage you to log in to the course website early in the week, read other classmates' posts that have been posted early, and respond to them. Participation in online discussions should be completed within the week assigned. Each week, the discussions will start on Monday and last through Sunday night. This allows us all to focus on the same issues at the same time. Being present in an online format requires you to make your presence known. Making your presence known means signing into the course regularly and checking the discussion thread multiple times per week. As a result of the Learning Agreement, you will be the best judge of whether or not/how well you engaged your classmates and instructors in regular, online conversation. 

Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students who have disabilities to accommodate reasonably their needs in order to support effective learning.  Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The Advising Center may be contacted as advising@iliff.edu, or by phone at 303.765.1146.