Eric Webber

ERIC WEBBER, Lecturer, Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations  

What does inclusivity mean to you?

To be honest, "inclusiveness" isn't something I think about when it comes to teaching. I'm new to teaching and academia, so it's my nearly 35 years in the advertising and PR industry that shapes the way I teach. And it so happens that the Ad/PR business, at least in my experience, is concerned with what's between your ears to the exclusion of almost everything else. I was fortunate - in many ways - to begin my career at GSD&M, an ad agency coincidentally founded by five Texas Exes. They didn't know much about advertising, but one thing they knew was how to get great work out of people. One thing they recognized is that there is great diversity in the way people think and problem solve. Lots of things help determine those abilities - upbringing, culture, physical issues, it's a long list. Some of those things might be considered obstacles in ways, but because they also shape the way people think, they should also be considered opportunities. Unique perspectives are highly prized in our business, and I feel the same way about my classes. But again, it's not something I put thought into; it's just the way I was taught. I have put some thought into the idea of "accommodation," but only since I started teaching. And my motivations there are mostly selfish. I want my students to enjoy my class, but my true goal is to make them good at what they will do. Then they get good jobs and make our industry better, and that reflects nicely on UT and on me. So if a student needs more time on a project, for instance, I don't care, as long as I think I'm getting their best work, and that they are getting the most from the experience, how they arrive there is not my top priority, and different people arrive via different routes.