Community Guidelines

The following are a set of guidelines to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment in our class. It was adapted by Dr. Josephine Mitchell from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan.

Take care of each other

Get to know your classmates and call each other by your preferred names and pronouns.

Be an engaged scholar

Complete the pre-class readings and assignments, be on time to class, and engage with your classmates, professor, and the material in class.

Respectfully contribute to the learning environment

Treat each other with kindness, listen and develop awareness for ideas and opinions that are different from your own, be accountable to each other in discussions and group work, and foster an environment where everyone feels welcome.

Adopt an open mindset

Learning is a process! Strive for intellectual humility. Recognize that we will make mistakes as we learn. Think critically about how your perspectives have been shaped and be open to exploring new ideas and points of view.

Share responsibility for welcoming everyone to participate

If we tend to have a lot to say, make sure we leave space to hear and learn from others. If we tend to be quieter in group discussions, let us challenge ourselves to contribute so others can learn from us.

Challenge the idea, not the person

It is expected that different opinions and perspectives will be shared during discussions. We will be respectful of each other when debating an idea that may differ from our own. Personal attacks, divisive language, etc. will not be tolerated in our class.

Be accountable

We are in control of our learning and will get out of it what we put in. When working in groups, we will respect other group members and push ourselves to contribute to the group in ways that stretch our learning. We will maintain the highest standards of Academic Honesty and give credit to ideas that are not our own.