Profile: Tuesda Roberts
Tuesda Roberts is the director of faculty development and diversity in the Office of Academic Affairs. Having started this newly created position in June 2019, she has spent the past six months establishing relationships with faculty, department chairs, and deans in order to understand their needs for sustaining a commitment to equity and inclusivity.
Roberts runs faculty workshops on equity-based student learning objectives and “Teaching and Learning in the Context of Emerson’s Diverse Community.” All faculty are encouraged to take the workshops so they have a solid foundation for infusing their classroom experience with a variety of perspectives and diverse voices.
Faculty follow up with her one-on-one after the workshops, seeking advice on how to incorporate material and learning experiences that support students’ intercultural development. She also provides support related to how classroom environments and faculty–student dynamics can promote a sense of belonging, care, and fairness across areas of diversity. “I help faculty present their rigorous content in a sociopolitical framework,” she explained.
Roberts’s main responsibility is to support faculty, but she keeps a strong eye and ear focused on students. She has met with students and student organizations in order to learn more about their classroom experiences. She has also been making connections with staff in the Social Justice Center, Student Affairs, and Internationalization and Global Engagement who are developing initiatives that focus on equity and inclusivity.
Roberts has been impressed with the honesty and openness of Emersonians. The welcoming environment has helped her acclimate quickly to Emerson. She said that the candor of community members is greatly aiding her assessment of the intentional steps necessary for supporting an inclusive campus climate.
Roberts grew up in Charlotte, NC, and received a BA in Spanish and a K–12 teaching license from the University of North Carolina Asheville. She attended New York University for a master’s program in foreign language education/TESOL. Then she headed west to Michigan State University and obtained a PhD in curriculum and instruction. Prior to coming to Emerson, she was the assistant professor of multicultural education at Missouri State University.
She currently resides in Quincy, MA. In her free time, she enjoys attending spoken word performances and is looking forward to checking out local Moth events. She is also interested in learning more about the different communities that call Boston home, both their histories and their contemporary stories.
Nancy Howell (Communications and Marketing)