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Teaching For Social Justice Faculty Learning Community

Description

The Teaching for Social Justice Faculty Learning Community is a collaborative learning space that supports faculty in developing, implementing, assessing, and evaluating the impact of equity-oriented pedagogy in diverse academic disciplines.  Since its inception in 2017, this FLC has enrolled faculty university-wide, and participating faculty have presented their research locally, nationally, and internationally, received intramural and external grant support for FLC-related curricular innovation and scholarship, and published their findings in academic books and journals.

Teaching For Social Justice Mini-Conference

The 2025 mini-conference will be held on March 7th. Scroll to the bottom of the page to learn more about registering for the conference and who is presenting.

Featured Work Resulting from the Social Justice Faculty Learning Community

FEID Grant Award Work

Here is an outline of work being done by CSUF's Dr. Rohanna Ylagan-Nicanor to make improvements to a graduate-level course. It is funded by CSUF's FEID Grant.

Supporting Students and Promoting Social Justice with Innovative & Equitable Pedagogy: Purposeful Modifications in an Asynchronous  Course (EDEL 543: Critical Arts Education w/in Urban Communities)

CSUF News Story

"In a powerful celebration of resilience, identity, and healing, Cal State Fullerton’s Transformative Praxis Research Lab and LGBT Queer Resource Center proudly present the “Through Our Lens: Queer Womxn of Color’s Experiences of Healing and Liberation,” a captivating collection of photographs and stories that amplifies the voices and experiences of nine queer womxn of color (QWoC)."

Through Our Lens: A Photovoice Exhibit Celebrates and Honors Queer Womxn of Color

The New Educator Article

Dr. Alison Dover, Dr Benikia Kressler and Dr. Maritza Lozano from Cal State Fullerton published an article about a study in which they "examine how participation in a year-long social justice-oriented faculty learning community (FLC) impacted faculty members’ identities and trajectories as social justice teacher educators and scholars."

“Learning Our Way Through”: Critical Professional Development for Social Justice in Teacher Education

Centering Social Justice Article

Dr. Sapna B. Chopra, Dr. Rebekah Smart, Dr. Yuying Tsong, Dr. Olga L. Mejía, and Dr. Eric W. Price from Cal State Fullerton published this mixed methods program evaluation study designed to assist faculty in better understanding students’ multicultural and social justice training experiences, with the goal of improving program curriculum and instruction. It also offers a model for counselor educators to assess student experiences and to make changes that center social justice.

Centering social justice in counselor education: How student perspectives can help.

It’s Heart Work Article

Dr. Alison G. Dover and Dr. Nick Henning, both from Cal State Fullerton, along with Dr. Ruchi Agarwal-Rangnath and Dr. Erica K. Dotson wrote an article talking about how social justice–oriented teachers and teacher educators, feel as if thet are fighting a losing battle against neoliberal education policies designed to disrupt and dismantle their field. In this article they draw upon traditions of critical race theory, counterstorying, and critical hope to examine the complex realities of contemporary teacher education and envision an alternate reality in which our profession develops and thrives.

It’s Heart Work: Critical Case Studies, Critical Professional Development, and Fostering Hope Among Social Justice–Oriented Teacher Educators

Service-Learning Article

Dr. Abigail Saavedra from Arizona State University, and Lizette Ruiz and Lucía Alcalá from Cal State Fullerton wrote an article about how service-learning is a high-impact practice that increases students’ engagement with class material and the community. However, a critical lens is needed to strengthen students’ understanding of and commitment to social justice and the inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds. This mixed method study examined the impact of a critical service-learning approach, which integrated critical curricula with 30  hours of service to community organizations, on undergraduate students’ orientations towards social justice and civic engagement.

Critical service-learning supports social justice and civic engagement orientations in college students

Social Justice StoryMap Using ArcGIS Hub

This digital exhibit assembled by Dr. Charles Cunha from Cal State Fullerton, is motivated by efforts to achieve Teaching for Social Justice pedagogy practices. The Teaching for Social Justice Faculty Learning Community (TSJFLC) allows university professors to take part in developing curriculum in Teaching for Social Justice.  As part of our efforts to improve transparency and community at Cal State Fullerton, this site is intended to help the community become more aware of criminal justice system's efforts to enhance community relations. It is my aspiration that our CSUF community view this digital exhibit and gain an understanding of those efforts from the criminal justice system. This exhibit is intended to increase community connections and collaborative efforts. Together, we can solve social justice issues while enahncing community safety.

Social Justice Through Procedural Fairness

Teaching For Social Justice Mini-Conference Details and Registration

Coming Soon!

Grant Submissions

  • Asturizaga, Vivianne. (2024). Cross-Disciplinary Approaches to Fostering Equity and Engagement in Higher Education. 2024-25 Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Faculty Travel Grant.
  • Asturizaga, Vivianne. (2024-25). 200 Years Of Bolivian Musical Heritage: Expanding The Canon Database And Music Festival. Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (RSCA). 14.990. Funded
  • Carmona, S. (2023). Asset Discovery: A Key to Effective Adult Learner Engagement. Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Faculty Travel Grant.  $1000. Funded.
  • Larios, R. (2023-2024). Exploring the Intersection of Culture, Language, Dis/ability, and the IEP. CSUF Faculty Enhancement and Instructional Development Award, Funded. 
  • Reyes, A. G., & Perry Wilson, T. (2022). Through Our Lens: Queer Womxn of Color’s Experiences of Healing and Liberation. Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities. $500. Co-Principal Investigator, 75%.  Funded.
  • Reyes, A. G. (2023). Through Our Lens: Queer Womxn of Color’s Experiences of Healing and Liberation. California State University, Fullerton. $7,500. Principal Investigator, 100%. Funded.
  • Soto-Peña, M. (2023-2024). Antiracist Literacy in the 21st Century. CSUF Faculty Enhancement and Instructional Development Award, Funded. 
  • Ylagan-Nicanor, R. (2023). Supporting students and promoting social justice with innovative and equitable pedagogy: Purposeful modification in an asynchronous course. CSUF Faculty Enhancement and Instructional Development Award. $5000. Funded.
  • Ylagan-Nicanor, R. (2024). Using Visual Thinking Strategies in the Classroom and Promoting Social Justice. Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Faculty Travel Grant.  $1000. Funded.
  • Ylagan-Nicanor, R. (2024). “Yo Tengo Muchos Sueños Pa’ Mi Hija”: Increasing Family Engagement Through Innovative Practices.” Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Faculty Travel Grant.  $1000. Funded.

Conference Presentations

  • Asturizaga, Vivianne. (March 2024). Hi, Barbie! A Cultural Discussion of Low Flutes, Women in Music, and the Importance of Play. International Low Flutes Society Bi-annual meeting.
  • Asturizaga, Vivianne. (March 2024). How to Incorporate Early American Music into Your Teaching: Meanwhile in the Americas: Bolivian Missions and de La Plata Cathedral Archives. Society For American Music (SAM). Detroit, MI. 
  • Asturizaga, V., Shahrestani, P., Fuente-Camacho, M. & Harrison, A. (2024, December). Cross-Disciplinary Approaches to Fostering Equity and Engagement in Higher Education. 14th International Conference on Education and Justice. Honolulu, HI. December 6-7, 2024. 
  • Carmona, S. (2024, June 13). Asset Discovery: A Key to Effective Adult Learner Engagement [Conference presentation]. The Learning Ideas Conference, New York, NY, United States. https://www.learningideasconf.org/programs/2024
  • Carmona, S. (2025, April 23-27). From Discomfort to Empowerment: A novice faculty’s experience embracing an Anti-Racist and Inclusive Pedagogy. [Poster Session] 2025 AERA Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, United States.
  • Diaz, Amanda, R. (2025, April 23-27). Building queer-inclusive curricula in a teacher education course. [Roundtable presentation]. American Educational Research Association Convention, Denver, CO.
  • Dover, A.G., Kressler, B., & Lozano, M., (2019). Walking the walk: Critical professional development and social justice learning in teacher education. American Educational Research Association. Toronto, ON. April 5-9, 2019.
  • Herring-Alderete, S., Rodriguez, B., Pham, J., & Reyes, A. G. (2023, May). Beyond the academy: Research as a catalyst for social change. Session at California State University, Fullerton, Social Justice Week. Virtual.
  • Larios, R., Lozano, M., Ylagan-Nicanor, R., Johnson, A. & Barreto, L. (2024, April). “Yo tengo muchos sueños pa’ mi hija”: Increasing family engagement through innovative practices. American Educational Research Association. Philadelphia, PA. April 11-14, 2024.
  • Reyes, A. G., Herring-Alderete, S., Holmes, K., Manswer, M., Schroeder, G., & Pham, J. (2023, May). An invitation for transformative change through liberatory research. Session at Pacific University, 2023 Diversity Conference. Virtual.
  • Reyes, A. G., Rodríguez Delgado., M, & Jarrett, J. A. (2023, June). Cosechando nuestro poder: Decolonizing clinical practice & counselor education. National Board of Certified Counselors Foundation Symposium, Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Ylagan-Nicanor, R. (2025, January 4-7). Using visual thinking strategies in the classroom and promoting social justice. Hawaii International Conference on Education. Honolulu, HI.