Evaluation Plan for Anti-Oppression Education
UCSF is dedicated to providing an inclusive, anti-oppressive curriculum and learning environment that enhances medical student learning. This focus maximizes and supports students’ development into physicians who are prepared to provide equitable, patient-centered care that reduces health disparities.
To meet these objectives, the UCSF School of Medicine has developed an evaluation plan that engages faculty, students, and staff in a participatory approach to identify, respond to, and learn from education oppression events. Informed by examples from K-12 education and developed with input from a range of constituents, including the Anti-Oppression Curriculum Initiative (AOCI) team and the AOCI-Student Collaborative, the plan fosters a culture of continuous growth that helps faculty develop in their abilities to identify and skillfully address educational oppression across all four years of the Bridges Curriculum.
The plan is based on a participatory approach with three main components:
- Streamline Feedback Opportunities
- Provide a Timely Response to Specific Events
- Develop Feedback-Driven Recommendations and Support for Continuous Growth
Streamline Feedback Opportunities
The Supporting a Fair and Equitable Environment (SAFE) Feedback Form provides a streamlined online portal for students to provide real-time curriculum-related feedback directly to School leadership. The SAFE Feedback Form is a supplement to feedback provided via routine course evaluations. When submitting feedback via SAFE, students can choose to include their name or remain anonymous. All feedback via SAFE is treated as confidential. This streamlined process aims to capture both reinforcing and constructive feedback to support faculty and staff in continuously improving teaching, the learning environment, and their own skills.
Provide a Timely Response to Specific Events
The Educational Evaluations team and Director of Program Evaluation and Education Continuous Quality Improvement review evaluation feedback as it is submitted. When an education oppression event is identified in course evaluations or via the SAFE Feedback Form, the Educational Evaluations team shares it with the Associate Dean for Students and Associate Dean for Curriculum.
The Associate Dean for Students and/or the Associate Dean for Curriculum (accountable dean) provide support to students and faculty and work in consultation with the co-chairs of an Action Group for Evaluation of Anti-Oppression Education (Action Group), the AOCI team, relevant course/clerkship directors, and the Director of Program Evaluation and Educational Continuous Quality Improvement to address specific events.
Develop Feedback-Driven Recommendations and Support for Continuous Growth
Beginning in June 2023, the Action Group, which includes faculty, medical students, and staff, meets quarterly to examine aggregate, de-identified evaluation data to identify and communicate recommendations for curricular growth and improvement that will benefit all faculty and learners.
The Action Group focuses on identifying and communicating best practices and recommending proactive improvements to benefit the curriculum and learning environment. The Action Group’s recommendations inform curriculum governance decisions and faculty development offerings. Recommendations are regularly presented at Curriculum Governance Operations and faculty committee meetings, and communicated to students via a quarterly Anti-Oppression Updates newsletter.
The Action Group includes members of our teaching and learning community with diverse lived experiences and backgrounds in medical education, diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-oppression, and justice, evaluation, and assessment. The group is led by student and faculty/staff co-chairs appointed for one-year terms, renewable once. An open call to current medical students, faculty, and staff is issued to elicit Action Group membership and leadership. The Action Group is stewarded by an Educational Evaluations staff member with expertise in anti-oppressive education. For more information, please contact the Educational Evaluations team: [email protected].
Review a one-page overview of the evaluation plan
Education Oppression Support Resources
Education oppression can cause education trauma, impacting emotional and physical well-being and learning for students. UCSF is committed to addressing education oppression and supporting learners who have experienced trauma in their education. Below is a list of services and resources provided for those experiencing education trauma. We encourage you to seek support.
Support Services for Medical Students Experiencing Education Trauma
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Education Oppression Event?
Education Oppression Events are events that can lead to education trauma.
Education or Curriculum Trauma is defined as the ways that education (e.g., curriculum content, pedagogy, assessment, learning environment) harms the well-being, learning, and engagement of students based on their background, identities, and experiences with oppression.
How can students report exemplary anti-oppressive education?
Students can report exemplary anti-oppressive education practices via the Supporting a Fair and Equitable Environment (SAFE) Feedback Form. The SAFE Form gives students the choice to include their name or to report anonymously. Sharing examples of exemplary anti-oppression education helps the School to identify educational practices that should be reinforced and shared.
How can students report education oppression events?
Students are able to report on education oppression events in one of two ways:
- Via the Supporting a Fair and Equitable Environment (SAFE) Feedback Form. The SAFE form gives students the choice to include their name or to report anonymously. Feedback submitted via the SAFE form will be viewed and responded to immediately.
- Via ongoing course and faculty teaching evaluations using eValue and MedHub, where feedback is confidential. The Educational Evaluations team is monitoring all low scores and comments and triaging comments that reflect education oppression to the Education Deans and Action Group. Given the timing of course/teaching evaluations, course feedback submitted via eValue and MedHub may not be reviewed until course completion.
How does the Anti-Oppression Curriculum Initiative (AOCI) work with the Evaluation Plan for Anti-Oppression Education?
The AOCI and Evaluation Plan for Anti-Oppression Education are closely aligned. The director of the AOCI co-wrote the evaluation plan and ensures that work is aligned to support anti-oppression education in the Bridges Curriculum. The AOCI director and Curriculum Component Liaisons (CCLs) will provide consultation and guidance to deans and the Action Group on strategies to address education oppression. Additionally, feedback from the evaluation plan will be shared with the AOCI team to inform their ongoing curricular work.
When education oppression events are reported, who determines the next steps and intervention?
The Associate Dean for Students and Associate Dean for Curriculum, in consultation with the co-chairs of the Action Group, the AOCI team, relevant course/clerkship directors, and the Director of Program Evaluation and Education Continuous Quality Improvement determine how to respond.
If a potential education oppression event requires immediate action, the Associate Dean for Curriculum and/or Associate Dean for Students are responsible for providing and implementing a timely response.
How is feedback that is not linked with oppression delivered to course and clerkship directors to implement change?
This feedback follows the established course and clerkship continuous quality improvement process, which includes alerting the relevant course/clerkship directors and deans. Please see the Methods for Student Feedback Table for an overview.
Will feedback impact individual faculty?
Action Group: Using Aggregated Feedback for Quality Improvement
The evaluation plan and the charge of the Action Group are not focused on individual faculty and are not intended to be punitive, but rather to inform continuous improvement for the School at large. The purpose of the evaluation plan is to improve the learning experience for all students and foster collective growth and development by providing faculty the information and support needed to continually evolve our curriculum and learning environment to be more anti-oppressive.
The Action Group examines aggregated, de-identified evaluation data on a quarterly basis to determine where there are opportunities to modify course/clerkship pedagogy and content and to inform governance and the curriculum about best practices for addressing education oppression and for areas to prioritize in faculty development.
Deans and Course Leadership: Individual Faculty Feedback and Coaching
The Education Deans work with course/clerkship leadership teams to determine the best approach for providing timely individual feedback and coaching to individual faculty on a case-by-case basis.
What is the difference between the authority and actions provided by the Education Deans and the Action Group?
If an incident of education oppression occurs, it is reviewed immediately by the Associate Dean for Students and/or the Associate Dean for Curriculum (accountable dean) for urgent action.
The accountable dean decides on the appropriate intervention in consultation with the co-chairs of the Action Group, relevant course/clerkship directors, the AOCI team, and the Director of Program Evaluation and Education Continuous Quality Improvement.
What support will be available for Action Group members?
The Action Group members are provided orientation and training as well as resources to support their well-being. There is intentional community-building in the Action Group to support students, faculty, and staff. The Action Group staff steward works with the AOCI and the Student Experience Team to create supportive resources for student members of the Action Group. Additionally, the Action Group staff steward works with AOCI faculty development experts and staff to develop supportive resources for Action Group faculty members and staff.
Will a summary of the Action Group’s recommendations be provided to students on a regular basis?
Yes, a summary of the Action Group’s recommendations will be included periodically, at least twice yearly, in the Anti-Oppression Updates newsletter. The Anti-Oppression Updates newsletter is sent quarterly to all current UCSF medical students to communicate our progress on anti-oppression work at the School of Medicine.
