The following information was previously included in a September 2024 Teaching Resource created by the Teaching and Learning Center.
Current events–whether local, national, or global in scope–that evoke feelings of instability or uncertainty or any sense of harm among those in our community can have significant and adverse impacts on teaching and learning. This resource offers concrete strategies to help instructors establish classroom community agreements to sustain an inclusive learning environment and respond with care if boundaries are crossed or if students are misinformed about events or behave in ways that are harmful to others or that violate UCLA’s Principles of Community or Student Conduct Code.
Developing or Revisiting Community Agreements
Establishing community agreements (a.k.a. ground rules or social contracts) with students can help reinforce norms and expectations for respectful conversations and critical discourse during class. Community agreements can be framed around these three broad questions:
- What can students expect of themselves?
- What can students expect of one another?
- What can students expect of you?
This teaching practice is important even if you do not plan to discuss current events as not all discussions are planned. This resource from the University of Michigan can help instructors develop and establish community agreements, and this article offers a deeper dive into the importance of approaching this practice with nuance and care.
Instructors can co-create community agreements with students or offer baseline norms (such as those listed below and in the resources linked above) and then invite students to suggest additions and amendments, either during class or asynchronously in a shared Google doc. Whichever option you choose, it is important to explicitly ask students to agree to the guidelines–for example with an anonymous poll on Zoom, a thumbs up in class, etc.–and it is equally important to revisit agreements throughout the term and collaboratively consider whether further amendments are needed to support and sustain an inclusive learning environment. For example, you might consider projecting the agreements at the start of each class and asking students to take a minute to privately identify for themselves an agreement on which they plan to focus. This brief activity affirms that the agreements are important to you, require intentional practice, and are central to the functioning of the class.
In times of high stress on campus or in the world, the following agreements can be a helpful starting point for fostering a brave space for learning and discussion:
- Recognize how your own social positionality informs your perspectives, and remember that others have different identities and lived experiences.
- Debate the concepts, not the person.
- Be open to challenges as an opportunity to learn something new.
- Respect confidentiality. Share your learning beyond the classroom but not information that identifies others or exposes them to potential harm, in person or online.
- Reflect on intention; prioritize and address impact. Remember that even if you did not intend to say or do something hurtful, taking responsibility for the impact of your actions and respecting the experiences and feelings of those impacted is critical for relational trust.
It is never too late to establish community agreements; if this is not something you did at the start of the quarter, pause at the start of your next class and let students know you would like to take some time to clarify the expectations you have for one another to help ensure the classroom is a space where everyone belongs and feels empowered to contribute to shared learning goals.
Also remember that community agreements apply to everyone involved in a class, including the instructor(s) and teaching assistant(s). Having our ideas challenged by students can be uncomfortable and may trigger defensive responses to the person as opposed to the idea itself. Pause before responding to give yourself and students time to reflect before engaging further either in the moment or at a later date.
Campus Support
You and your students are not alone in navigating challenging situations that arise from local, national, and world events that are outside of our immediate control. Please take advantage of supportive services and encourage students and others in our community to do so when needed. UCLA’s Red Folder provides a flowchart to assist the campus community in determining when and how to refer others for different forms of support, including the resources below.
- Be Well Bruin: UCLA’s resource hub from Student Affairs with an index of supportive services for both undergraduate and graduate students.
- Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS): Counselors available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: (310) 825-0768
- Case Management Services and Crisis Response Team (CRT): Faculty and students can refer students who may be in distress
- Staff & Faculty Counseling Center
- Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Report an incident through EDI’s online portal and review EDI’s UC Principles Against Intolerance Toolkit with helpful information about free speech on campus, academic freedom, and other topics
- Dean of Students: Review Tips for Classroom Management for practical suggestions on addressing disruptive classroom behavior
- Resilience in Your Student Experience (RISE)
- Healthy Campus Initiative
- UCLA Mindful