Suggested Language to Promote Compassion and Belonging in the Classroom
In addition to the required syllabus language needed on all syllabi at UMaine, many faculty are using the syllabus as a place of first impressions and to begin building community, and using other course documents to echo beliefs about inclusion and belonging. Read on to learn about why these strategies are helpful and some examples of language that communicates support and acceptance in your classroom.
Do you have a justice, equity, diversity, or inclusivity (JEDI) statement that you would like to share with others? Feel free to add yours here so we can build a UMaine clearinghouse of examples!
Interested in building more inclusive syllabi for your courses or for your department? Take our self-assessment to identify areas for growth, schedule a consultation to review your syllabus or have CITL provide our inclusive syllabus workshop at your next departmental meeting.
Why use inclusivity language in your teaching?
Inclusivity statements should reflect your own position, beliefs, or approaches to the value of diversity and your efforts towards creating learning spaces of belonging. Even short statements can inform students in your class of the type of interactions and dynamics they can expect during the semester. Inclusivity statements can help create a welcoming space for diverse learners and lead to greater sense of community, which in turn can result in better student engagement, learning and student retention. Although research supports that choice of language and other gestures alone can influence student experiences in the classroom (Harnish and Bridges, 2011; Fuentes et al., 2021, Gin et al., 2021, Nusbaum et al., 2021; Howansky et al., 2022, Maimon et al., 2022), it is important that your course climate and policies mirror these statements. Please be intentional and genuine with your choice of language, and use statements that you truly believe in and will be reflected in your course policies, documents, and practices.
How can you incorporate inclusive language in your teaching practice?
When creating inclusivity statements for your syllabi, it is important that your words are authentic to you and the course. The recommendations below are a starting point only. As the course instructor, you should decide what additional or different information to include and how.
We encourage you to add, edit, or abridge the suggested language below to best fit your personal teaching style, the learning goals of the course, and the specific circumstances shaping yours and learners’ experiences. Here are some additional considerations in structuring inclusivity statements for your course documents.
- How do you explicitly recognize and value diversity in your classroom?
- What practices in your teaching demonstrate that you welcome diversity?
- In what ways might issues related to diversity appear in your course or classroom?
- What are your expectations about creating and maintaining a classroom space that values, respects, and engages difference?
- How does diversity contribute to your classroom, field or profession?
- How has your discipline’s history with underrepresented groups or norms impacted efforts towards diversity and inclusion in your field and classroom? How might you provide context around the dominant ideas and practices in your field and department and their impact on inclusive knowledge and learning spaces?
Once you have reflected on the questions above and considered the example statements provided here, think about how and what you might share with students and colleagues. Statements addressing diversity and inclusion can be offered in the course syllabus, as a part of your teaching philosophy shared with students, in a separate course document, or within other relevant course materials and activities. Additionally, as part of community building, students can be involved in shaping course-specific agreements and language around inclusion, climate and welcoming difference.
How did this recommended language come to be?
UMaine alumna Willow Wind (Class of 2023) researched the impacts of affirmation and inclusivity on the mental health of trans- and gender non-conforming individuals as part of her undergraduate scholarship. Implications from this research identified the need to provide statements that normalize and welcome students of all backgrounds in order to improve campus culture and overall learning outcomes, which is also supported by broader scholarship on academic sense of belonging. With the goal of promoting affirmation, respect, and accountability in the classroom, an interdisciplinary group of UMaine students, faculty, and administrators has been developing example classroom inclusivity statements (below).
In Spring 2023, the University of Maine Faculty Senate voted to recommend the use of inclusivity and compassion statements in course syllabi and materials. Where indicated (*) the Faculty Senate reviewed and approved the suggested language. Additionally, we provide sample statements that have been used elsewhere and hope to build a database of UMaine-specific examples – you are invited to add yours here.
How to use the below examples of inclusive language in your own teaching?
We ask that you use these examples as starting points for your own statements, taking time to personalize and tailor them to your specific teaching contexts, and your students. If you would like to discuss your syllabus language with us, you are welcome to meet with a CITL staff member for a consultation.
Approved Example Inclusivity Statements
Compassion Statement (long)*
Given the realities of our dynamic world, this course is designed with flexibility in mind. To continue protecting our health and wellness, we will adhere to the University of Maine’s COVID-19 guidance, which is regularly updated. I will check in with you regularly to reflect on circumstances in your life and their impact on your learning. Because we cannot predict all eventualities, it is imperative we communicate with openness, so that we can adapt if/as needed.
If something affects you and/or your learning in class (e.g., visible and invisible disabilities, personal challenges, class design), please let me know as soon as possible so that we can discuss and design strategies for inclusion and success together. Listed below are some commonly used student-success resources on campus. If you don’t see a resource that fits your needs or if you are uncertain about how to seek support, please contact me and we can discuss options and outreach.
Academic Support Resources
Health and Wellness Resources
Campus Community and Diversity Resources
Compassion Statement (abridged)*
Life is complicated. If something affects you and/or your learning in class (e.g., visible and invisible disabilities, personal challenges, class design), please let us know as soon as possible so that we can discuss and design strategies for inclusion and success together. Listed below are some commonly used student success resources on campus. If you don’t see a resource that fits your needs or if you are uncertain about how to seek support, please contact me and we can discuss options and outreach.
Academic Support Resources
Health and Wellness Resources
Campus Community and Diversity Resources
Names and Pronouns*
Many people might go by names and pronouns in our daily lives that are different from our legal designators (e.g., members of various ethnic groups, international students, trans* people, and others). In this classroom, we honor inclusivity by referring to one another by the names and pronouns each of us chooses for ourselves. Class rosters may not always reflect students’ chosen names and gender identifications. I want to make sure we are able to address you by the name and/or pronouns you use. At the beginning of the semester, we will introduce ourselves, including, if desired, sharing our chosen names and pronouns, including how they sound when said out loud. If you would rather protect this information, please let me know. Additionally, chosen names and personal pronouns may evolve over time, so if at any point during the semester you would like to be addressed differently, please let me know. In our classrooms, mistakes in addressing one another may happen. If a mistake is made, let’s briefly apologize and correct ourselves.
To learn more about personal pronouns and why they are important, visit mypronouns.org. More information about University policies on name usage, including guidance on updating your name and pronouns, can be found on the University of Maine Student Records page.
Classroom Interactions*
This class is premised on the belief that we all work together to promote an inclusive learning environment for all and that the use of gross generalizations, stereotypes, and derogatory/oppressive language are not conducive to inclusivity. Elevating practices of supportive communication and learning from one another, we commit to naming instances of using derogatory and/or oppressive communication in our shared classroom (including by the instructor or directed toward them). If oppressive communication is called out, we will stop, listen with empathy and expand the learning opportunity for everyone. You may not agree with the views expressed by others (and you shouldn’t), but we must all agree to make space for difference. Listening to the perspectives of others creates greater understanding of the diversity of experiences, knowledge, and ways of being in society.
From around the web – additional statements to consider in your course documents:
Using Land Acknowledgements/Place Relations
The University of Maine worked collaboratively with the Wabanaki people to develop the University land acknowledgement.
It is important to read about and understand the use of land acknowledgments and to engage your students in developing their sense of place. For example, faculty might invite students to explore tools like Native Land Digital to explore their own place relations. The performative use of land acknowledgments has become controversial (e.g., Wark, 2021) and faculty are encouraged to learn more about using land acknowledgements meaningfully (Whitmore and Carslson., 2022)
Basic Needs (Food, Financial & Housing) Security Statements
Food and housing security at UMaine is a real concern. Letting students know about resources available to them and your own support can be helpful. Here is an example to start from, modified from a faculty member at Grinnell College :
“There are many factors that can contribute to your ability to succeed as a student. One of the most important is making sure that you have your basic needs met. If any of you are having difficulty affording food, or accessing a safe place to live I encourage you to contact the Dean of Student Life to find out about support. In addition, take advantage of UMaine’s Black Bear Exchange, a wonderful resource for food and clothing open to anyone in the community. If you feel that any of these factors are impacting your ability to perform in this class, and feel comfortable discussing this with me, please do.”
Diversity statements to guide difficult discussions
University of Michigan CRLT; Dr Alisse Portnoy, Professor of English
“In our structured and unstructured discussions and dialogues, we also will have many opportunities to explore some challenging, high-stakes issues and increase our understandings of different perspectives. Our conversations may not always be easy; we sometimes will make mistakes in our speaking and our listening; sometimes we will need patience or courage or imagination or any number of qualities in combination to engage our texts, our classmates, and our own ideas and experiences. Always, we will need respect for others. Thus, an important second aim of our course necessarily will be for us to increase our facility with the sometimes difficult conversations that arise inside issues of social justice as we deepen our understandings of multiple perspectives – whatever our backgrounds, experiences, or positions.”
Diversity statements from an non-diverse STEM field
Brown University, Dr. Monica Linden, Neuroscience,
“In an ideal world, science would be objective. However, much of science is subjective and is historically built on a small subset of privileged voices. I acknowledge that the readings for this course, including the course reader and BCP were authored by white men. Furthermore, the course often focuses on historically important neuroscience experiments which were mostly conducted by white men. Recent edits to the course reader were undertaken by both myself and some students who do not identify as white men. However, I acknowledge that it is possible that there may be both overt and covert biases in the material due to the lens with which it was written, even though the material is primarily of a scientific nature. Integrating a diverse set of experiences is important for a more comprehensive understanding of science. Please contact me (in person or electronically) or submit anonymous feedback if you have any suggestions to improve the quality of the course materials.
Furthermore, I would like to create a learning environment for my students that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives and experiences, and honors your identities (including race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, ability, etc.) To help accomplish this:
- If you have a name and/or set of pronouns that differ from those that appear in your official Brown records, please let me know!
- If you feel like your performance in the class is being impacted by your experiences outside of class, please don’t hesitate to come and talk with me. I want to be a resource for you. Remember that you can also submit anonymous feedback (which will lead to me making a general announcement to the class, if necessary to address your concerns). If you prefer to speak with someone outside of the course, Dean Bhattacharyya, Associate Dean of the College for Diversity Programs, is an excellent resource.
- I (like many people) am still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something was said in class (by anyone) that made you feel uncomfortable, please talk to me about it. (Again, anonymous feedback is always an option).
Other websites with examples:
Diversity Statement on a Syllabus – Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University
Diversity Statements – – Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
Diversity & Inclusion Syllabus Statements – Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning
Respect for Diversity – University of Iowa Syllabus Checklist
References
Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the course syllabus: Considerations for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79.
Gin, L. E., Scott, R. A., Pfeiffer, L. D., Zheng, Y., Cooper, K. M., & Brownell, S. E. (2021). It’s in the syllabus… or is it? How biology syllabi can serve as communication tools for creating inclusive classrooms at a large-enrollment research institution. Advances in Physiology Education. 45(2), 224-240.
Harnish, R. J. & Bridges, K. R. (2011). Effect of syllabus tone: Students’ perceptions of instructor and course. Social Psychology Education. 14, 319-330.
Howansky, K., Maimon, M., & Sanchez, D. (2022). Identity safety cues predict instructor impressions, belonging, and absences in the psychology classroom. Teaching of Psychology, 49(3), 212-217.
Maimon, M. R., Howansky, K., & Sanchez, D. T. (2023). Fostering inclusivity: Exploring the impact of identity safety cues and instructor gender on students’ impressions and belonging. Teaching of Psychology, 50(2), 105-111.
Nusbaum, A. T., Swindell, S., & Plemons, A. (2021). Kindness at first sight: The role of syllabi in impression formation. Teaching of Psychology, 48(2), 130-143.
Wark J. (2021). Land acknowledgements in the academy: Refusing the settler myth. Curriculum Inquiry, 51(2), 191-209.
Whitmore C., and Carlson E.(2022) Making land acknowledgements in the university setting meaningful and appropriate. College Teaching, 1-6.