Below are the community guidelines and ungrading and assessment policies I include in my syllabi, which I modify slightly depending on the level and type of course. The guidelines and values are grounded in my teaching philosophy and collaboratively written by the students in a particular course. Each semester, we start class by brainstorming guidelines as a class, then, I add additional guidelines. Students can also set their own guidelines and goals and interact with the syllabus. The practices that surround these guidelines and values provide students with a sense of ownership over the course and demonstrate the power of collaborative writing and self-reflection. The language and anti-racism guidelines and my adoption of ungrading and flexible deadlines grew from my research on the educational experiences of students of color. These exemplify my commitment to making space for varied ways of knowing and valuing students as creators and holders of knowledge.
Guidelines and Values
In this course, you will work with students who differ from you in terms of identity, whether that’s gender, race, ethnicity, nationality and immigration status, language background, age, marital, parental, or veteran status, or beyond. Regardless of these differences, you must respect the knowledges and contributions of your classmates, even if their perspectives differ from yours. As such, (cis)sexist, racist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic, and/or xenophobic remarks or behavior will not be tolerated, nor will any additional form of harassment. These attitudes are counterproductive to safe and inclusive learning. So please be respectful of your peers’ contributions to class and their work, as we will all be working together to promote a rich, comfortable learning environment. It follows that I envision our class environment—both in its physical and digital iterations—as a safer space in which everyone feels welcome to participate. Should we encounter material that might be emotionally challenging or potentially traumatic, I will provide a content warning in advance. If you find yourself having difficulty dealing with a particular class discussion or reading, feel free to step out of the classroom and/or speak to me about it in person.
Making my classroom a safe, collaborative, and productive space is one of my first priorities and I expect you to fully collaborate in making it so. These classroom guidelines and values extend into networked spaces, specifically with regard to e-mail communication and other online activities, including Blackboard.
Part of creating a respectful community in which we can all grow means honoring each other’s identities. If you prefer to go by a name different from what is on the official class roster, let me and the class know so that we may use that name. I encourage everyone who feels comfortable doing so to share their pronouns so that we can also honor those.
What would you add to this description of course guidelines and values? In other words, what else do you wish this space to be?
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Language Diversity: To ensure that all students are successful in my class and to make the work we do as intellectually engaging as possible, I encourage work that represents and draws on students’ full language resources. This means that if you know multiple languages or codes and want to use them in this class, I encourage you to do so. This choice will not negatively impact your grade. Similarly, if you feel like I can be more supportive of your language needs in order for you to succeed in my class or to reach your goals, I encourage you to talk to me about your needs and how I can better support you. If at any point in the semester you have questions about how I would respond to work that is not composed in ways normally expected in the academy, feel free to ask them individually or during class. I will use these questions or concerns as teaching and learning opportunities. We will also discuss what this guideline means in practice throughout the semester.
What do you think about this language diversity guideline? What questions do you have about this guideline at this time?
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Commitment to Anti-Racism: In keeping with the goal of working toward a respectful and supportive learning community, this guideline acknowledges the ways in which some groups have experienced structural and systemic oppression and the ways in which educational institutions can either reinforce or undermine this oppression. Given that this class will be made up of individuals from all backgrounds, as is the society we live in, we will work collaboratively to ensure our learning is grounded in antiracist frameworks and to work against the silencing of and violence against Black, Indigenous, and people of color. As a teacher-scholar, I critique and seek to change structures of power that have oppressed certain individuals and groups and provided more privilege and opportunities to some than others. In many ways, that work starts in my classroom, where I see opportunities to create more equitable learning and social spaces and a better future for all. I envision this guideline as an opportunity for all of us to grow, to challenge our existing beliefs, and to work individually and collectively towards change. We’ll discuss what a commitment to anti-racism looks like in practice throughout the semester.
What do you think about this commitment to anti-racism? What do you expect might be difficult in upholding or enacting a commitment to anti-racism? What questions do you have about this guideline at this time?
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Wellbeing and Success: As your professor, I also value your health and wellbeing. To succeed in my class, in college, and beyond, you must balance hard work with rest, exercise, and attention to your mental and physical health. My course has built-in flexibility that should help you find this balance, and I will encourage you to celebrate your wins and the messiness of learning. I hope this course and the community guidelines and policies we embrace contribute to your wellbeing and growth. (Adapted from Dr. Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve).
Childcare: Currently, the university does not have a formal policy on children in the classroom. The policies that follow are a reflection of my own beliefs and commitments to student, staff, and faculty parents and caregivers. This includes those who become childcare providers unexpectedly, too. As with the community guidelines listed above, I ask that all students work with me to create a welcoming environment that is respectful of all forms of diversity, including diversity in parenting/caregiver status. I am happy to problem solve with you in a way that makes you feel supported as you strive for school-parenting-caregiver balance. (Adapted from Dr. Melissa Cheyney & Dr. Timothy Oleksiak)
- All breastfeeding babies are welcome in class as often as is necessary to support the breastfeeding relationship. Because breastfeeding is a deeply personal choice, not all people can pump sufficient milk, and not all babies will take a bottle reliably, I never want students to feel like they must choose between feeding their baby and continuing their education. You and your nursing baby are welcome in class anytime.
- For those with older children and babies, I understand that minor illnesses and unforeseen disruptions in childcare often put parents in the position of having to choose between missing class to stay home with a child and leaving them with someone you or the child does not feel comfortable with. While this is not meant to be a long-term childcare solution, occasionally bringing a child to class to cover gaps in care is perfectly acceptable.
- In all cases where babies and children come to class, I ask that you sit close to the door so that if your children need attention, you may step outside until their need has been met. Please reserve seats near the door for your parenting/care-giving classmates.
Ungrading and Assessment
The ungrading statement that follows is adapted slightly depending on the course I’m teaching. This one is the one I used when I last taught my Seminar for Tutors course.
My overall goal in this class is to help you to learn about the principles of writing and writing center pedagogy, theory, and research. Because my goal is for you to learn from and engage with the materials and the processes at the core of this course and to be intellectually curious about the work of writing centers, I practice ungrading. Ungrading invites you to engage deeply with the class materials and assignments and to take ownership of your learning. It aligns more closely with my teaching philosophy than traditional grading practices as I seek to be an anti-racist teacher and to dismantle systems that unequally affect linguistically and racially diverse individuals and communities. Ungrading also aligns with a core principle of writing center praxis, which is that grades aren’t part of the work of a writing center. My work as a scholar and teacher is deeply influenced by work in writing centers. Ungrading offers us a way to bring writing center practice and theory into our class.
Ungrading means that I won’t provide quantitative grades on your work. Rather than using quantitative assessment, I’ll provide qualitative feedback. I’ll also ask you to reflect carefully on your work and learning at various points. The goal here is for you to engage in learning and to be intellectually curious without having to worry about a grade, which would ultimately be a flattened response to any work you do. Assignment sheets will provide more details on expectations for assignments. You’ll write writer’s memos and reflections that will help you assess your learning and will help me provide you with helpful feedback. We’ll discuss what ungrading looks like more throughout the semester. If at any point you have questions or concerns about how you’re doing in the course, please come to my student hours or make an appointment so we can talk.
At the end of the semester, you’ll have the opportunity to give yourself a letter grade since the university still requires these grades. I reserve the right to change these grades. (Adapted from Dr. Jesse Stommel).
If you’re interested in learning more about ungrading, I recommend reading from Dr. Susan D. Blum’s (2020) Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to do Instead).
What do you think about this approach to assessment? What questions do you have about ungrading or assessment?
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