The Importance of Culturally Responsive Curriculum in Higher Education and Broader Challenges

In this episode, OCCRL Associate Director Gianina Baker talks with Drs. Rick Rantz and Lauren Contreras about the book Developing Culturally Responsive Curriculum in Higher Education. The scholars describe the origins of the book, rooted in concerns about student retention, curriculum relevance, and the absence of higher education-specific tools for assessing cultural responsiveness. They highlight how faculty engagement, institutional context, and student demographics shaped their work, emphasizing the importance of representation, relationship-building, and action-oriented pedagogy. As the discussion expands, Drs. Tiffany Davis and Ginny Boss connect culturally responsive curriculum to broader challenges in higher education, including political pressures, DEI debates, and shifting student needs. Collectively, the speakers frame culturally responsive curriculum not as an optional add-on but as essential, holistic, and urgent, impacting teaching practices, institutional culture, student belonging, and educational equity.