Olga Klimova, Russian Program Director in the Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures, has received a 2022 Provost’s Award for Diversity in the Curriculum for designing a course to create multiple opportunities for students in all four language modalities (reading, listening, writing, and speaking) to engage with authentic Russian language materials that will introduce them to cultural, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic diversity of Russia’s regions and Russian speaking countries. The goal is to assist students with developing a more accurate cultural competence and a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the target culture(s). Dr. Klimova incorporates DEIA and social justice principles in course policies, instructional practices, learning activities, assessments, and grading.
Dr. Klimova’s lessons also addressed important and contemporary social issues, including LGBTQIA+ representation and civil rights and ethnic and religious diversity in the Russophone world. These issues were introduced through authentic resources, like news articles, op-eds, and personal stories addressing marriage equality and gender identity. Dr. Klimova always respected students’ identities, while instructing us on how to navigate these issues in a linguistically appropriate and culturally-sensitive manner.
The Provost’s Award for Diversity in the Curriculum recognizes a faculty member’s efforts to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) concepts into courses and curricula at the University of Pittsburgh.