Course Climate

Your voice matters in this course. 

Every person can succeed in this course. 

 Your experience in this class is important to me.  

We all come into this class with different backgrounds, perspectives, identities, and experiences. The intellectual community that will be formed this semester will be enriched by our differences. Every voice here has value and brings unique ideas worthy of consideration. My goal is to create an inclusive learning environment where all students feel supported and can succeed academically. I strive to be respectful of diversity in gender, sexuality, disability, age, religion, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions for ways in which these areas in the class can be strengthened are encouraged and appreciated. 

We are currently living in an unprecedented time. From the pandemic to acts of racism and violence across our country to a political divide that has not been seen in our lifetime, challenges outside of the classroom are at an all-time high. If you are experiencing any type of hardship that may impact your participation and engagement in this class, please reach out. You do not need to share details that you are not comfortable sharing. We can work together to create a plan to move forward.  

We are all working together toward the same goals in this course! By building a strong learning community from the start, we all benefit.

Student-student interactions

Get to know your classmates. You will spend the next 15 weeks discussing the material and helping each other learn. It is critical that all behavior in the class is respectful. Part of being a strong teammate is being a good listener, being motivating and empathetic, and providing constructive feedback. We will focus on these characteristics throughout the semester.

Student-teacher interactions

If you find that you have any trouble keeping up with assignments or other aspects of the course, make sure you let me know as early as possible. As you will find, building rapport and effective relationships are key to becoming an effective professional. Make sure that you are proactive in informing me when difficulties arise during the semester so that I can help you find a solution.

Appropriate Netiquette

Be professional. Interact with your fellow classmates and instructor as you would in your professional life. Use appropriate language and grammar. Be clear and concise.

Have opinions but be respectful of disagreement.

Be cautious with humor or sarcasm. It’s not that we want to create a dull environment devoid of fun, but it is very easy for these tones to be lost in text. If you want to make jokes or be sarcastic, indicate your intent with emoticons or a sarcasm tag “/s” or by using appropriate gifs. 

Be kind. Be respectful.