Bias-Free and Inclusive Language at Cengage Higher Education

Download a PDF of the Bias-Free and Inclusive Language statement below.

Cengage has a critical role to play in providing quality, inclusive learning materials that empower progress and combat ignorance. As one of the largest education companies in the world, and a global employer, we are taking action to advance inclusion and diversity efforts in our workplaces, communities and the education experiences we provide to learners and educators. We do this because it’s the right thing to do: for our customers, our employees and our business.

What does bias-free and inclusive language mean to the Cengage Higher Education division?

We believe in the power of language to advance the way students learn inside and outside the classroom. Our comprehensive vision of inclusivity encompasses the learner’s need for social belonging.

We recognize a special responsibility to develop and deliver content that is responsive to this powerful need, in part by eschewing the idea of a generic student. Instead, to improve both the learning process and outcomes, our materials seek to recognize the fullness of human diversity with respect to all forms of human difference that students may bring to the classroom.

We do more than simply acknowledge diversity — we actively strive for inclusivity in content through the solicitation, promotion, recruitment, valuation and incorporation of different views and experiences. Our efforts center on recognizing and reducing implicit biases, being intentional in our learning design and including diverse sources of scholarship and authorship.

How is Cengage Higher Education working to ensure appropriate language in our products?

The Higher Education Product teams follow learning design principles that prioritize intentional, authentic, personalized and inclusive experiences when developing and updating products. Our product and content teams are trained in learning design principles, as well as in accessible design. 

In addition, we take or have taken the following key steps:

• Engage Experts. We have consulted outside experts in incorporating bias-free and inclusive language in the development of our products, rubrics and training. We engage discipline-specific advisors — consisting of e ducators whose work embodies a deep understanding of, and commitment to, diverse, equitable and inclusive scholarship — to provide us with ongoing advice, direction and expectations.
• Follow Recognized Guidelines. We follow the American Psychological Association's (APA) Inclusive Language Guide and the APA Bias-Free Language guidelines. Where necessary, we also have product specific authoring guidelines that our authors and content teams use as we develop new products, including print, digital, narrative, assessment and supplemental materials.
• Audit Our Products. We assess our current and upcoming copyright products to ensure that they adhere to the APA's robust Inclusive Language and Bias-Free Language guidelines. We also retroactively update existing products wherever we can.
• Train Our Team. We have implemented training for our product team members and authors and continue to build out our training program to ingrain our standards.