STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF DIVERSITY COURSES ACROSS THE COVID19 PANDEMIC

The issues the Latinx community face remains to persist while attending a predominately white college environment (Garriott & Flores, 2013). The impact of the pandemic may have been magnified for students of color (Chirikov et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2020). COVID-19 lead to several issues including a lack of student and teacher engagement within online learning, continuous challenges in student life, and an overall disconnect between students and the university. Our data did not initially intend on collecting data about COVID-19, instead we intended to look at how to create more inclusive classroom pedagogical considerations for students, and particularly Latinx students. By chance, we gained student perceptions before, during, and throughout the pandemic. In this study, we identify how teaching considerations impact student perceptions by semester. This qualitative study details the experiences of forty-two students (Latinx = 21/Non-Latinx = 21). Participants were identified through their involvement in psychology and/or policy and government classes, which focused on the unique experiences of Latinx families in society. From Fall 2019 to Spring 2021, two focus groups were conducted in each of the five classes: those who self-identify as Latinx and those who do not. Longitudinal qualitative analysis tracked the impact of pedogeological considerations towards DEI in classrooms throughout COVID-19. Coding was structured to identify changes in student perceptions based on pedagogical and university experiences by semester. The findings from this study highlight the changes in student perception of the classroom by semester. We summarize key themes presented in each semester and detail how each subsequent semesters’ classes were altered based on student perceptions. We then detail the impact of the changes. In sum, nearly all students felt a disengagement or disconnection to the university during the pandemic when transitioning to online learning. Both Latinx and Non-Latinx students detailed that Latinx students faced increased challenges as compared to Non-Latinx students while attending a predominantly White college setting during the pandemic. Our work reflects on course pedagogical considerations during the pandemic and provides recommendations for educators and administrators for best practices moving forward. Suggestions and strategies to support Latinx students are provided for the faculty, department, and university to consider moving forward. As we begin to come back together in person, we can reflect on what has separated us. Our work supports a future with a sense of community where Latinx students feel their voices are heard and accepted on a college campus