Co-Creating Spaces for Full Selves: Student-Facilitated Pedagogy Circles for BIPOC Faculty

In predominantly white institutions, BIPOC faculty experience the perpetual stressors of systemic inequity and imposter syndrome. COVID-19 added pandemic-induced traumatic stress. On top of both of these and out of care for all, but particularly BIPOC, students, female BIPOC faculty took on additional emotional labor during the pandemic. Acknowledging these realities, our teaching and learning institute created a new forum: "Pedagogy Circle for BIPOC Faculty." Co-facilitated by two BIPOC student partners, this counter-space promotes wellbeing for participating faculty and student facilitators through inviting them to bring their full selves to a focus on presence, not only revisions of pedagogical practice.