A Pitt program is connecting people through storytelling to build a more inclusive campus

On a summer night in 2020, Susan Graff (A&S '08, SHRS '12G) sat awake in the intensive care unit at 3 a.m., teaching herself about systemic racism after the murder of George Floyd. She was working as a critical care physician assistant and contemplating her next endeavor, certain that it would focus on unifying people and increasing diversity in the health sciences.

"I was doing some soul searching," said Graff, who is now a School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) assistant professor and director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies' residential program. She found inspiration in an online Cornell University course taught by Melina Ivanchikova and Mathew L. Ouellett, Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom, which explores identity through interviews with students and faculty. "I was moved by how connected I felt to these people. It was like sitting across from them having a cup of coffee."

Having been an adjunct professor at Pitt since 2019, Graff decided to focus her efforts on bringing a similar course to the University.

"We started with a belief that if we pause to listen to one another, we can dismantle the systems that strip away our humanity or tell us our authentic selves are not enough," said Graff.

The result: the Community, Partnership, Identity and Dialogue (CuPID) project - a free, self-paced asynchronous course on people's lived experiences. It's really designed for flexibility, Graff explained, "to capture those who aren't currently being engaged by other DEI spaces."

Without lectures or regular assignments to turn in, Graff said CuPID "doesn't feel like a class so much as a piecemeal documentary," that invites learners to foster an inclusive campus environment. In total, it takes about 20 hours to complete over the course of a semester.

Documentary-style video interviews of Pitt faculty, staff and students are supplemented with academic literature and media to explore concepts such as social identity and intersectionality. The course opens on May 13. While the content is designed for faculty, staff and students in the health sciences, enrollment is now open to anyone, and closes on May 20.