About This Course
This To Be Welcoming course introduces bias based on politics and political affiliation in the United States. These modules offer definitions, discussion points, and context to situate your understanding of broad issues of bias in a democracy and how they differ from other biases in the curriculum. We begin by defining the key terms you will see throughout the course, followed by a video module featuring faculty experts answering commonly asked questions. Next, we provide some context and discussion of political parties, speech, and social media. We conclude with points for starting your own discussions on political culture bias and considering appropriate responses.
Learners who complete this course will earn a digital certificate of completion.
Meet Your Instructors
Jeremiah Chin, J.D. Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Center for Indian Education
Arizona State University
Jeremiah Chin, J.D. Ph.D., graduated from Arizona State University in 2016 with a JD from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and a PhD from Justice and Social Inquiry in the School of Social Transformation. His research focuses on the intersections of race, law, and science—particularly in the Supreme Court. His dissertation looked at the role of social science data in Supreme Court opinions on Affirmative Action and Fair Housing, uncovering the interplay between Amicus Briefs, data and opinions of the Court. Currently, he is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Indian Education, with research looking at the School to Prison Pipeline, the intersection of Race and Indigeneity, and importantly, co-creating a Critical Legal Preparation Program that would seek to create a pipeline to law school for underrepresented and first-generation students.
Dr. Jessica Solyom
Associate Research Professor
School of Social Transformation
Arizona State University
Jessica Solyom, Ph.D., received her doctorate in Justice and Social Inquiry from Arizona State University. She has worked in research, program development, and program evaluation for postsecondary institutions in promoting diversity in curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom management for over 10 years. Her research focuses on diversity, belonging, and justice. Her scholarly publications have explored the justice-related struggles of historically underrepresented students including explorations of race and gender in student leadership, persistence for students of color in predominantly white postsecondary settings, and education rights activism among Indigenous college students. She is currently an Associate Research Professor and teaches courses on Research and Inquiry, Critical Race Theory, and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Dr. Solyom serves as a mentor at the Center for Indian Education (ASU) in preparing and training rising students of color as community embedded researchers and servant-leaders.
Video Contributors
Matt Salmon
VP Government Affairs
School of Public Affairs
Arizona State University
Rep. Matt Salmon, who represented the 5th District of Arizona for five terms in Washington, joined Arizona State University as Vice President of Government Affairs in 2017. Salmon oversees the university’s Federal, State, Community, and Tribal relations, putting his years of experience as a state and federal lawmaker to work on behalf of an institution that is committed to the economic, social and cultural health of the communities that it serves.
At ASU, Salmon assists the university in advancing its global strategy, including working with the governments of other countries to advance international projects.
Dr. Adam Seagrave
Associate Professor
School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership
Arizona State University
Adam Seagrave is associate director of the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership as well as associate director of the Center for Political Thought and Leadership. He holds editorial roles with three journals: American Political Thought (University of Chicago Press), Starting Points, and Compass. Seagrave’s teaching and research focus on American political principles, including both their application in American political history and their antecedents in intellectual history. He holds a doctorate from the University of Notre Dame.
Senator Kyrsten Sinema
United States Senator, AZ
SINEMA, KYRSTEN, a Senator and a Representative from Arizona; born in Tucson, Pima County, Ariz., July 12, 1976; B.A., Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; M.S., Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., 1999; J.D., Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., 2004; Ph.D., Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., 2012; social worker; lawyer, private practice; adjunct professor; unsuccessful candidate for election to the Arizona state house of representatives in 2002; member of the Arizona state house of representatives, 2004-2010; member of the Arizona state senate, 2010-2012; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Thirteenth and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2013-January 3, 2019); was not a candidate for reelection to the House of Representatives but was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 2018 for the term ending January 3, 2025.
