Center for Teaching and Scholarly Excellence

Elements of Inclusion

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In addition to the tips and examples below, please visit our Course Syllabus page for more information and ideas about what to include in your syllabus.

Be approachable

  • Help students feel welcome by using positive and friendly language.
  • Convey joint ownership of the course by replacing impersonal language about what “the students” will do in the course with more immediate language about what “we” will do together in the course.
  • Use pronouns such as “I” and “you”.
  • Invite conversation around course policies rather than rules.
  • Set clear guidelines about how students can communicate with you (email, virtual or in-person meetings, etc.) and encourage them to do so.
  • Consider calling your office hours “Student Hours”.
  • Specify how you would like to be addressed, including your pronouns.

See examples

  1. Student Hours (in-person or virtual): 233 Sargeant Hall or via Zoom | 617-573-8222 |
    MWF 10-11 a.m. | jsmith@suffolk.edu
    I welcome you to contact me outside of class and student hours. You may email me, call my office, or contact the department and leave a message. (source)
  2. Student Hours: This time is set aside for you. You are not “bugging” or interrupting me when you pop in or set up a time to meet with me during these hours. Rather, you are making good use of a resource! You should feel free to use this time as you need — ask me a question, review notes, brainstorm ideas, consider future plans, etc. I’m also happy to meet in small groups. (source)
  3. You all enter this classroom with different skills, strengths, and experiences. In virtue of this fact, I open my office to you as an extension of the classroom, including scheduled virtual meetings and individualized tutoring. There is no shame or embarrassment in asking for help, although it is common to feel anxious when approaching one’s teacher. To enter my office and ask for help is an act of bravery. To enter and chat about nothing in particular often leads to new insight. Both are valuable. Both show that you trust me. I promise to respect you and earn that trust through compassionate listening and understanding. (source)

Exhibit empathy

  • Acknowledge that unexpected events can happen and indicate how you will support the student in the event of an absence, late work, tardiness, etc.
  • Include a student wellness statement that provides university resources to support students’ academic and personal well-being.
  • Consider adding a basic needs statement.
  • Avoid front-loading penalties in your attendance and grading policies – offer words of understanding first.
  • Consider the cost of course materials – are there ways that students can access materials for free (e.g., through the library)?

See examples

  1. Please let me know of any life circumstances that may affect your participation in this course. These may be personal, health-related, family-related issues, or other concerns. The sooner I know about these, the earlier we can discuss possible adjustments or alternative arrangements as needed for homework, exams, or class. (source)
  2. You may experience stressors that can impact both your academic experience and your personal well-being. These may include academic pressure and challenges associated with relationships, mental health, alcohol or other drugs, identities, finances, etc. If you are experiencing concerns, seeking help is a courageous thing to do for yourself and those who care about you. If the source of your stressors is academic, please contact me so that we can find solutions together, or you can reach out to the Division of Student Success. For personal concerns, Suffolk’s Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center offers several resources and services. (source)
  3. Basic Needs Statement: We learn as whole people. To learn effectively you must have basic security: a roof over your head, a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat. If you’re having trouble with any of those things, please talk with me or with the Dean of Students. Together we can work to make sure those needs are met. (source)

Demonstrate enthusiasm

  • Include a welcome statement.
  • Offer a clear rationale for each assignment that speaks to the purpose of the course and makes it feel relevant to students.
  • Take a fresh look at the course description and goals: demonstrate that you are passionate about your subject matter and teaching; get students excited about the course and motivate them to learn more; help students recognize and understand the value of your course.

See examples

  1. Course Description: Who are we? Am I a son or daughter, a mother or father, a brother or sister?  Am I a student, a worker, an athlete?  How did we become who we are?  How do we manage to play so many diverse roles?  And what dictates the roles that we play?  In this class, we will learn what science can tell us about development of the self and how scientists figure these things out. Your efforts in this class will help you understand who you are in new ways and prepare you to study the self scientifically. (source)
  2. Course Overview: Welcome! Although many of you may be here due to University requirements, I hope that during the next sixteen weeks we will accomplish a good deal more than simply acquiring necessary credits. Imagine that we are human agents pursuing a better understanding of the world. Together, we will learn more about how literacy affects (and sometimes dictates) our place in the world.
    Other classes may have a more obvious link to your future career goals and ambitions. Few, however, will have such an enduring focus on your relationship to words. Language is powerful; so powerful, in fact, that it can both create and destroy worlds. If you have ever been in love or fought with a parent, you know this is true. In here, we will critique the politics of language, practice adapting our own language for various power-structures, and discuss the ethics and cultural implications of these actions. (source)

Foster inclusion

  • Demonstrate that you aim to build a sense of community in which students of all backgrounds feel a sense of belonging.
  • Include a statement about inclusive teaching–make sure that the language feels authentic to you.
  • Encourage your students to participate in class discussions.
  • Establish community norms that foster a mutually respectful environment.

See examples

  1. Diversity: I hope to foster a sense of community in this classroom and consider this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect. I welcome individuals of all backgrounds, beliefs, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, religious and political affiliations – and other visible and nonvisible differences. All members of this class are expected to contribute to a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment for every other member of the class. If this standard is not being upheld, please feel free to speak with me. (source)
  2. Class Participation: I hope you actively participate in this course, whether it be through our discussions during lectures or in our online discussion forums. I say this because I found it is the best way to engage you in learning the material (and it makes the course more fun). I welcome your comments, thoughts, questions, and hope you take an active role both in and outside of class. (source)

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