syllabus_statements

Syllabus creation (statements on mutual respect, etc.)
[Note: We can include syllabi if we want to (can be PDF of we can put up as web pages)]


 * UMD Sample Disability Statement:**
 * It is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations. Please call 218-726-6130 or visit the DR website at www.d.umn.edu/access for more information.


 * Shelley suggests adding a more welcoming personal statement before the policy piece:**
 * Accommodations for Participants with Disabilities: We believe every student deserves the opportunity to have the most productive and comfortable learning experience possible. Participants with special needs are invited to meet with the instructor as soon as possible to gain maximum access to course information. All discussions will remain confidential.


 * Insert examples of diversity statements:**

Good examples of diversity statements to set the tone in your syllabus: > Successful education can only occur in an atmosphere of mutual respect, free from racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice and intolerance, and from their harmful effects. Educational excellence depends on the creation and maintenance of environments in which all members of the academic community can thrive, working up to their full potential (Minnesota' Commitment to Educational Excellence developed by the President's Task Force: Strengthening Excellence through Diversity, June 1990.) > As one of a number of items that I list in the expectations area of my course syllabus, I include the following expectation: >> IMPORTANT: If you have a disability, either permanent or temporary, //or any other special circumstances// that may impact your ability to perform in this course I encourage your to inform me. You do not have to have a formal, medical diagnosis of a disability in order to request that adaptations be made to help you learn. All I ask is that you advocate for yourself and work together with me to design your learning experiences so that you can succeed. I will work with you confidentially and make every effort to adapt methods, materials, and evaluations as needed and as appropriate to provide for equitable participation.I recommend that if you have a disability and have not registered with the UMD ACCESS Center, you should do so as they will provide you will additional support. >> Thank you! Helen > Assumptions and Ground Rules to Guide us in Class Discussion: The following is based in part on suggestions made by Lynn Weber Cannon in "Fostering Positive Race, Class, and Gender Dynamics in the Classroom". > > We can assume that discrimination exists in many forms (e.g. sexism, racism, classism, ageism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, etc.). Any critical understanding of these various -isms means that we need to recognize that we have been taught misinformation about our own group as well as about members of other groups. This is true for both dominant (e.g. white, male, upper class, heterosexual, able-bodied, etc.) and subordinate (e.g. people of color, women, poor, and working class, gay/lesbian, disabled, Jew, etc.) group members. > > Based on these assumptions then, let's agree that we cannot be blamed for the misinformation we have learned, but we are responsible when we repeat misinformation after we have learned otherwise. People and groups are not to be blamed for their subordinate positions. Let's assume that people are always doing the best they can. Let's actively pursue information about our own groups and those of others. Let us share information about our own groups with other members of the class but never demean, devalue, or in any way put down people for their experiences. We each have an obligation to actively combat the myths and stereotypes about our own groups and other groups so that we can break down the walls which prohibit group cooperation and group gain. Let's create a safe atmosphere for open discussion. > > **COURSE FORMAT & PHILOSOPHY** > This course is a discussion-based seminar. As instructors and facilitators of the course, we want you to learn! Learners reconstruct their understanding by interpreting the new information in relation to their prior knowledge. We use reading, writing and dialogue as modalities for learning, as well as assessing knowledge. In this course, we will try to provide guidance in terms of the structure and general content of our readings and discussions. We will also try to nurture a climate that allows freedom in discussions regardless of differences in experiences, values, or perspectives. The same approach will also be extended for choice of topics, frameworks, and approaches to the assignments you will be expected to complete. We expect that we (the students and instructors) will successfully co-construct an environment in this seminar that can be viewed as the most democratic form of dialogue possible, which is both inclusive and informative. > > **Syllabus Statement (Ranelli)** > **Diversity and Civility:** In studying the complex traditions, roles, and responsibilities of health care, it is very important that we are also aware that we each bring diverse backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and viewpoints to this class. Inasmuch as these differences impact our understanding and interpretation of the readings, we would encourage us to use these divergent points of view to challenge our assumptions and expand our intellectual horizons. This can be accomplished if we are civil toward and respectful of each other both inside and outside the classroom.
 * **From Paula Pedersen:**
 * ** Samples from Helen Mongan-Rallis: **
 * **Respect & trust & cooperation:** The nature of this class is such that you will be asked to reflect deeply on complex issues that may be controversial and personal. For us all to do this requires that we create and maintain a community founded on mutual respect and trust. Every person in our class helps to create a learning environment in which others feel safe and comfortable in sharing their thoughts. Two guiding principles here are:
 * 1) //Seek first to understand, and then to be understood//: We do not need to agree, but we do need to be open to listening to and seeking to understand others.
 * 2) //Do unto others as they would have you do unto them//: When you understand others, you will come to realize that they may not want to be treated in the same way as you. Be careful not to assume that they do!
 * **Disability statement from Helen:**
 * **Statement from Deborah's syllabus**
 * **Syllabus Statement (Ranelli)**