Suggested Language to Promote Compassion and Belonging in the Classroom

In addition to  the required syllabus language needed on all syllabi at 91¸£Àû, 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. 

Interested in building more inclusive syllabi for your courses or for your department?  Take to identify areas for growth, schedule a consultation to review your syllabus or have 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? 

91¸£Àû 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 91¸£Àû 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. 

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

The syllabus guidelines for faculty contains approved statements to consider for your syllabus including:

Names and Pronouns

Classroom Interactions

Compassion Statement (long)*

Compassion Statement (abridged)*