This blog is the second in our Summit series. Stay tuned next week to learn more about The virtual Ball State Provost Summit is February 6 and 7, 2025
Ball State University’s Division of Online and Strategic Learning, Office of Inclusive Excellence, and Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs are gearing up to host the 2025 Provost’s Summit: Fostering Inclusiveness in an Evolving Educational Landscape. The summit will take place virtually February 6 and 7, 2025 and all are welcome to join.
Each year, this summit showcases the meaningful work of faculty, staff, and students at Ball State University as well as other institutions. Sub-themes for this year’s event include:
- Assessment Practices
- Inclusive Pedagogy Practices
- Innovative Teaching Practices
- Trends in Higher Education
To bookend this exciting event, we’ve arranged daily keynotes featuring Dr. Tracie Marcella Addy and Dr. Sandra Miles. We invite you to learn a little bit more about these two phenomenal educators in the following Q&A.
Meet Our Keynote Speakers

Dr. Tracie Marcella Addy is an accomplished academic leader who partners with higher education instructors across disciplines on their teaching efforts. She is the founding director of the Institute for Teaching, Innovation, and Inclusive Pedagogy at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. She received her BS from Duke University, MPhil from Yale University, and PhD from North Carolina State University. She is a published scholar of teaching and learning and educational development and primarily focuses on learner-centered practices.
Dr. Addy’s work has been featured in a variety of academic journals and venues, such as Inside Higher Ed and University Business. She has been an invited guest on a number of podcasts, including Teaching in Higher Ed, Tea for Teaching, Teaching for Student Success, and Dead Ideas in Teaching & Learning.
She is the lead author of the books What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching (2021) and Enhancing Inclusive Instruction: Student Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Advancing Equity in Higher Education (2024). She is also a frequently invited keynote speaker and workshop facilitator.

Dr. Sandra Miles has spent most of the last two decades serving as a leader and administrator in higher education. Specifically, she has had extensive experience in managing crisis, strategic planning, developing leadership programs, working with persons with disabilities, mediating disputes, and serving as a Dean of Students, Chief Student Affairs Officer, Chief Diversity Officer, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator. In 2022, Sandra joined Academic Impressions full-time as the Head of Practice for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, due to her experience with the organization as a subject-matter expert who facilitated trainings and workshops in higher-ed, as well as to her passion for making DEI concepts resonate for individuals from all walks of life. In 2024, Dr. Miles transitioned to specialize in the team development space supporting the growth of trust and effectiveness of high-performing teams among leaders in higher education.
Sandra completed her doctoral work at Florida State University in 2012, earning a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration. She also completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Central Florida. In addition to her career and educational achievements, Sandra is on the editorial board for EVOLVE Magazine – First Coast Edition; is a former Chair of the NASPA Center for Women Board; is a former National Director of the Black Female Development Circle, Inc.; is the current President of the Palm Coast-Flagler County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and is the 2026 Chair of the Regional Nominating Committee for the Southern Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
We recently had a chance to sit down with Dr. Addy and Dr. Miles ahead of the 2025 Provost’s Summit to get the conversational juices flowing. Check out our conversation below.
QUESTION ONE: As a leader in inclusive practices, what is it that fuels you in this work?
Addy: When I was young, I realized the powerful impact that an inclusive educator could have on a student’s life. The words chosen, the teaching approaches utilized, and the way the instructor designed the learning experience could engage students in meaningful ways. My motivation to support instruction that helps students thrive drives me to do this work and knowing that we are part of an ongoing learning journey in higher education. In my daily work, continually witnessing how the implementation of inclusive teaching approaches makes instructors more effective educators is very rewarding.
Miles: My primary fuel tends to be those “aha” moments when you can tell that a person doesn’t just understand but will actively approach their leadership differently. Those moments are not as easy to create, but they have the kind of lasting impact that makes me know this difficult work is worth the effort. For example, once, when I was moderating a session related to courageous conversation between a police officer and a Black Lives Matter activist, the topic of the “Defund the Police” movement came up and the police officer became visibly agitated. I asked him if he could articulate what he was feeling and he said, “look, I know there is a mismatch between what officers are trained to do and the situations we get called in for. So if the city decides to use some of our funds to hire social workers, or invest in different types of training, then I’d be all for that, but to simply zero out our budget as a punishment for a few bad actors, that wouldn’t make any sense.” Before the activist could respond, I said “what you just described is exactly what the “Defund the Police” movement is calling for and it seems less like the two of you are on opposite pages and more like the rhetoric of choosing a side has come between you. So, for the duration of this conversation, could you both agree to refrain from using catch phrases and simply explain your perspective to see where there may be common ground and where there is an actual divide? They agreed and by the end of that conversation they were both surprised by how much they actually wanted the same things AND had similar thoughts on how to achieve their goals. Those were just two people, and much more work is left to be done in that community, but the fact that those two were able to leave that conversation on the same page was an important first step in going beyond platitudes to actual understanding.
QUESTION TWO: If educators could do one thing to be more inclusive in their teaching practices this year, what could that be?
Addy: I would suggest that they identify one smaller teaching goal that has the potential to positively impact their students and take steps to achieve it. Such might include learning more about who is in their courses to build relationships, redesigning an assignment using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework, or applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to one class session or online module. As an example from our study on students’ perspectives, one participant described how their instructor allowed them to choose a topic to explore for an assignment. Being given such agency made the student feel more included and was a smaller-scale UDL approach that had a large impact.
Miles: One thing I would love to see more educators do is infuse more curiosity into their practice. Instead of assuming a theory or perspective is “wrong” because it’s the first time you’ve heard it, maybe just saying “I’ve never heard that before.” Or “I’ve never considered that” or “I’ll need to do more research before I can support or refute that perspective”. Anything other than “I’m right and you’re wrong” will go so much farther in actually teaching the very critical thinking we believe this generation is lacking would be pivotal.
QUESTION THREE: What is one student insight we will hear about during your keynote, Inclusivity from Students’ Perspectives: Insights and Common Pitfalls?
Addy: The students shared many positive experiences, but also pitfalls to building an inclusive learning environment. One commonly expressed pitfall was the lack of care; when students perceived that their instructors did not demonstrate care, they did not feel welcome in their courses. Acts of care must feel authentic to students. During the summit we will discuss various teaching approaches that students indicate demonstrate care.
QUESTION FOUR: What is a learning experience for educators to engage in that we will hear about during your keynote, You Can’t Teach What You Haven’t Learned: Inclusive Practices as the Foundation for New Knowledge?
Miles: There are a number of learning experiences that educators can engage in proactively to become more intentional in their inclusive practices. While conferences and other shared learning experiences can be critical to developing a support network on the journey, examples of individual opportunities to enhance inclusive practices could be through the use of the Harvard Implicit Association Tests. I recommend that these tests be done alone to reduce any fear of judgement and reduce the inclination to “get it right”. The Harvard Implict Association Test has more than a dozen different topics to test your subconscious opinion and the test is designed to limit the ability to overthink. It also measures the time it takes you to respond to each question and weighs that with your answers so there is more science involved than just getting a pat on the back for knowing the right thing to say. A person can share their results, but the overall point is that you know your inclinations and become more intentional in your behavior. Admittedly, the implicit association tests can be overwhelming, so a more low stakes approach could involve journaling and/or the use of personal reflection questions to really think through opportunities to enhance current practices in the classroom. A few prompts to consider include:
- How do I ensure that my classroom environment is welcoming and accessible to all students, regardless of their backgrounds or identities?
- In what ways do I actively challenge my own biases and assumptions when interacting with students, both inside and outside the classroom?
- Do I create opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to share their perspectives, and how can I make space for these voices in class discussions?
- Am I providing students with a variety of resources (e.g., mentoring, academic support, counseling) to help them thrive in and out of the classroom?
- What strategies can I use to make my teaching practices more inclusive of students from different cultural, socio-economic, and gender backgrounds?
- How do I model inclusive language and behavior in my interactions with students and colleagues, and how can I hold myself accountable for maintaining these standards?
These types of experiences help educators to engage meaningfully in the kind of continuous education that not only stems from new knowledge but also helps present steadfast frameworks in new ways.
Reserve Your Place Today
Excited to dive deeper with Dr. Tracie Marcella Addy and Dr. Sandra Miles? We are too! Reserve your place at the 2025 Provost’s Summit: Fostering Inclusiveness in an Evolving Educational Landscape February 6 and 7, 2025 by visiting the event landing page. We look forward to continuing the conversation!
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