Neurodivergent research aims to make SBS more inclusive
A team of Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship academics have put out a call for students who consider themselves to be neurodivergent to take part in research to help make Strathclyde Business School more inclusive.
The call has gone out during National Neurodiversity Celebration Week which runs from March 18-24. Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.
Lucrezia Casulli, Suzanne Mawson and Fiona Williams from the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship are hoping uptake is good.
Lucrezia said, "Accommodation based on diagnosis is not enough. Many students are undiagnosed and struggle in silence. Some may be misunderstood because of an inability to fit in. We hope to capture student experiences that can help us not only make our classroom experience more inclusive but also innovate how we think about a classroom in the Business School. To do this, we are looking for students to come forward and share their lived experiences with us. The information we collect (which will be entirely confidential) will be used to influence teaching across the business school to ensure that everyone has a learning environment that suits their needs and strengths.”
Fiona said, "When people talk about neurodiversity such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD or ADD, they often focus on the negative aspects and on the idea of “disorder” - but people who are neurodivergent are simply “different, not less”, as Chloe Hayden puts it. Neurodiversity often confers unique strengths which stem from being wired differently and we want this to be recognised and to see how we can leverage these strengths in the classroom, as well as accommodate the differences."
Suzanne added, “We are passionate about education and pedagogy and we are constantly thinking of what would click with students and why. Through our teaching we have often come across students who have declared being neurodiverse and challenged us to innovate on our practice and the assumptions that inform it. Being from the Hunter Centre, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit guide everything we do, and out teaching practices are no exception to this constant innovation. I am excited to see where this takes us!”
Any undergraduate, postgraduate or research students across all programmes in Strathclyde Business School who would like to contribute should email: sbs-neuroinclusive@strath.ac.uk
Published: 18 March 2024
