What I Wish You Knew

Conversation starters from learners to faculty


Have you ever felt you didn’t belong in school or a learning/working environment? Have you had an assignment in the learning environment that made you feel excluded or even offended? Do you think there is an opportunity to enlighten faculty on ways to create more inclusive and socially sensitive environments?

The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion & The Subcommittee on Faculty Diversity & Inclusion (FDI) under the GUMC Faculty Development Committee seeks submissions from current GUMC students, learners, residents or fellows of MedStar Health. This year we are interested in receiving short statements (100-500 words), poems, photographs, artwork or short videos that capture student reflections that will enlighten faculty. The content should focus on what students wished the faculty knew before they began teaching, in order to better enhance the learning process. Please note that there will be various options for how your submission can be shared:

  • Public sharing on a Georgetown website with the author’s name and internal sharing for faculty development training purposes.
  • Public sharing of my work on a Georgetown website without author’s name (anonymous) and internal sharing for faculty development training purposes.
  • Author approve ONLY of internal sharing for faculty development training purposes.

Submitted content may also relate to identities that will further help to address and elaborate on the given advice:

  • Age
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Religion
  • Ability/Disability
  • Personality
  • Class/Socioeconomic status
  • Or any other identity that you care deeply about

The goals of “What I Wish You Knew” are to:

1. Enlighten faculty around inclusive teaching practices that incorporate aspects of identity and student community.
2. Support faculty in examining their own biases and assumptions.
3. Develop a sense of shared responsibility for upholding a compassionate and respectful community.
4. Stimulate engaging conversations that may be challenging or unfamiliar; and
5. Build more awareness and understanding among faculty and students of the diversity of the Georgetown community through meaningful reflection.

Please submit the “What I Wish You Knew” Initiative by May 31 at 5 PM.

Submit Here