Student Identities

Everyone has many identities.

Age, gender, religious or spiritual affiliation, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status are all identities. Some identities are things people can see easily (like race or assumed gender), while other identities are internalized and are not always easy to see (like a disability, socioeconomic status or education level). The broader society, over history, has defined, ascribed meaning, and given status and power to various identities. Since they can shape the experiences of students within classrooms, it is important for faculty and instructors to understand social identities to actively develop inclusive learning environments for all students.

First Generation/Low Income

Labels like “First Gen” and “Low Income” are part of a continuum, and depend where you are. Learn what to watch for in your classroom and how to create a culture that can help First Gen and Low Income students feel more welcome.

Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups

Stanford has a long history of encouraging diversity within the university. University diversity profiles show the distribution of race/ethnicity within faculty and student populations.

Gender Orientation and Pronouns

Gender identity is defined as one’s personal experience of one’s gender and is separate from their biological sex. Creating safe school environments that support students on the spectrum of gender identity is a facet of inclusive, culturally responsive teaching. Learn more from the Gender Inclusive Stanford collaborative.

LGBTQ

Higher education has made great strides in LGBT inclusiveness yet bias and discrimination still exist. Creating an inclusive learning environment, avoiding unintentionally activating stereotypes, making adjustments to pedagogy and content, and seeking feedback can help create warmer climates for LGBT students as well as all students. Queer Student Resources is a campus-wide organization that provides resources, events, and communities for students, faculty and staff.

Students with Disabilities

Ensuring access and providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is a shared responsibility. Students, faculty, and the staff of the Office of Accessible Education work collaboratively to meet Stanford's obligations to provide equal access to educational opportunities.  Find out how you can support these students.

Questions?

Contact

Andrei Baltakmens, Ph.D. (he/him)
Communications Project Manager
Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
ctl-stanford@stanford.edu