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SF Build Focuses on New Faculty in Push for Inclusive Classrooms

Published

8 years ago

March 11, 2018

Leticia Márquez-Magaña

Balancing science and personal stories, representatives of SF Build are working to spread techniques for creating more inclusive classrooms through a series of faculty training workshops.

SF Build is an NIH-funded initiative to transform research and teaching at SF State and increase diversity in the biomedical workforce.

The program, and these workshops in particular, focus on the phenomenon of stereotype threat — a fear of confirming the stereotypes people have about you.

Triggered by a variety of situations, from being the only student of color in a classroom full of white students to dealing with negative or dismissive comments about one’s identity, it can lead to decreased motivation and lower test scores.

In a December 2017 workshop delivered to new faculty members, Professor of Biology and SF Build Principal Investigator Leticia Márquez-Magaña explained ways that new faculty members can avoid triggering stereotype threat in their classroom, drawing from her own experiences as a Latina scientist.

For instance, comments like “I don’t see color” can make students of color feel unwelcome. “I’m super colorful,” she said. “If you don’t see color, you don’t see me.”

Another pitfall, she said, can be negative comments that leave no room for growth — like trying to reassure a student who had failed a test by saying, “Not everyone is good at math.”

Feedback like that could be especially derailing for students who already have to combat negative stereotypes about their math performance. Instead, instructors can reframe comments in ways that show a path forward while emphasizing that failure is an important part of learning, Márquez-Magaña explained.
Assistant Professor of Management Verónica Rabelo, who attended the workshop, cited that portion as eye-opening. Even as someone well-versed in the literature about the negative impacts of stereotypes, she had fallen into some of the same traps that Márquez-Magaña described.

“Some of that feedback can be well-intentioned. I’ve even given some of that advice to my own students,” Rabelo said.
Over the past two years, the team has collected data about the workshops’ effectiveness and fine-tuned their delivery. With a continually shifting audience, finding the right balance of information has been a challenge.

On the one hand, personal stories encourage new faculty members to open up and share their own thoughts and experiences. According to Assistant Professor of Gerontology Emiko Takagi, who attended the December 2017 workshop, “Every one of us was able to connect to the ideas they were presenting in our own ways.”

At the same time, some faculty members will only be swayed by hard scientific evidence. So Márquez-Magaña also explains the large body of research on the triggers of stereotype threat and how these effects can even be seen in peoples’ bodies.

“You can monitor stereotype threat from an experimental psychologist’s point of view,” she said. “You can measure stress hormones, you can see peoples’ eyes darting back and forth.”

Another fall 2017 workshop, conducted during orientation for new faculty members, focused on the syllabus—typically a stiff, formal document. During the workshop, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Alegra Eroy-Reveles and her co-presenter, Professor of Health Education Michele Eliason, offered a different vision for the syllabus as a signal to students that the classroom will be welcoming for everyone.

One of their examples of a model syllabus, from Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Kim Coble, included the line, “You are encouraged to recognize the diverse strengths your colleagues bring to the classroom.”

Language like that signals to the students that they, too, belong in the class.

“What really resonated with me is that a syllabus isn’t just a laundry list of policies,” said Rabelo, who participated in the workshop. “It forms a feedback loop between the professor and students.”

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Sale of Coliseum to African American Developers Moves Toward Completion

The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

Published

7 hours ago

June 16, 2026

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The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

‘This is on the precipice of actually occurring,’ said Ray Bobbitt, buyers’ representative

By Post Staff

After many months of complex negotiations, the Oakland Coliseum development deal is finally nearing an agreement that will open the way for new owners – the African Americans Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) – to revitalize the sports complex and the Hegenberger Corridor in East Oakland.

On May 28, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a non-binding agreement to dispose of the County’s portion of the complex for $115 million in a deal with AASEG, with a closing date set for June 30.

“People are seeing that this is on the precipice of actually occurring,” said Ray Bobbitt, founder of the AASEG and an East Oakland native. “People feel that this needs to happen for Oakland, for East Oakland in particular,” Bobbitt said, as reported in the East Bay Times.

The agreement would transfer ownership of the 112-acre Coliseum complex property, which was owned 50-50 by Alameda County and the City of Oakland, to Oakland Acquisition Company, which is AASEG’s real estate wing.

The County’s approval marks an important step in the sale of the property, even though concerns about environmental liability remain. Under the terms of the non-binding agreement, the county will pay $115 million to Coliseum Way Partners, the corporate entity of the Oakland Athletics that had previously purchased the county’s half of the property for $85 million.

AASEG will then pay $115 million to the County in three annual payments, with 5% annual interest paid on any outstanding balance, according to the term sheet.

AASEG already negotiated a purchase of the city’s half of the property for $125 million in 2025, awaiting the sale of the county’s half.

A strong supporter of the sale, Supervisor Nate Miley said he was not “breaking out the champagne” until the sale was final. This is not perfect, but it is good.

“It’s good because the County ends up with more money,” Miley continued. “It’s good because an African American team takes ownership of the property, and they’ve got a lot of potential in terms of what they want to do with the property.”

A remaining disagreement between Alameda County and the AASEG involves environmental concerns.

AASEG wanted a “carve-out” for environmental concerns so that it would not face liability for the release of groundwater into San Francisco Bay without a permit. Obtaining a permit could be time-consuming and expensive, requiring the need for consultants, studies, and an oversight process by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

County supervisors unanimously supported the non-binding agreement without the carve-out, though Bobbitt said delaying or excluding the carve-out creates timing risks for the project.

“The motion is to accept the terms as presented, excluding the carve-out,” Board of Supervisors President David Haubert said. “Noting that it’s a non-binding term sheet and terms can always be discussed going forward. It’s been pointed out that that could affect the deal, timing, which we’ve been at this for nine years, but what’s a little more time?”

“The arena represents an anchor of the site,” said Babbitt. “This arena … has become a pop culture mecca, and the opportunity to enhance that and expand that is critical to the overall process.”

Speaking at the Board of Supervisors meeting, Miley explained the County’s reasoning behind some of the complex negotiations. He asked interim County Counsel Andrea Weddle:

“In layman’s term’s who’s on the hook for the environmental (cleanup)” under the current deal with the Oakland A’s?

“When the county with a former board entered in the deal with the (A’s), we took on all of the environmental obligations,” Miley said. “Since then, we’ve learned a lot more about the environmental conditions of the Coliseum.”

“If we do a deal with Coliseum Way Partners (the A’s), we remain on the hook,” she said. “If we do a deal as we’ve currently structured with OAC (AASEG), we have eliminated some or hopefully all (or) as much as we can of that liability and aligned our deal with the terms of the city.”

Bobbitt, despite his concerns, supported the nonbinding agreement. He said the public has waited nearly a decade to come to this point.

“The community support has been overwhelming,” he said. “We’ve used a lot of P-words: patience, perseverance, persistence. And we’ve just had to do it, and we understand how complex this has been.”

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Celebrating Juneteenth – Frederick Douglass on education and resistance

This video from BlackPressUSATV explores the significance of Juneteenth, focusing on the enduring wisdom of Frederick Douglass. It delves into his powerful perspectives on the vital role of education as a tool for liberation and empowerment. Douglass’s words are presented as a cornerstone for understanding the ongoing struggle for equality and the importance of continuous […]
The post Celebrating Juneteenth – Frederick Douglass on education and resistance appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

13 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Oakland Post

The content highlights how education and active resistance are intertwined, drawing parallels from historical movements to contemporary challenges. This exploration of Frederick Douglass’s teachings offers valuable insights into the spirit of Juneteenth and its relevance in today’s fight for justice and human rights.

The post Celebrating Juneteenth – Frederick Douglass on education and resistance appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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LIVE! — ASK ALMA! — TUES. 6.19.26 7PM EST

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13 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Oakland Post

Welcome to Ask Alma LIVE — your go-to livestream for real talk, life advice, and honest answers to the questions everyone is thinking about but not always asking.
In this interactive live Q&A, Alma and her guests dive into topics such as relationships, personal growth, decision-making, life challenges, and self-improvement — giving you practical insights you can actually use. Whether you’re feeling stuck, curious, or just need a fresh perspective, this is where clarity begins.
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