Classroom Free Expression and Inclusion Policy

​The following is intended as both a statement of values and a statement of policy applicable to all in-person and virtual classroom learning environments (hereafter simply “class environments”) at the College.  It is not a statement of what’s legally allowed in classrooms; instead, it is a statement of how faculty and students should conduct themselves in order to promote a high-quality educational experience for all.  

The College will promote awareness and discussion of this policy through trainings and other events, and it will make sure that employees are allotted the time to attend those trainings.  Students, staff, and faculty should promote this policy by continuing to discuss it.  

1.      Core Principles: Free Expression and Inclusion
Saint Paul College is committed to promoting the following core principles in all classroom environments.  

• Free Expression: class environments should be places where ideas relevant to course goals can be freely and productively explored and critically examined, even if those ideas are unpopular, controversial, uncomfortable or offensive.  
• Inclusion:  class environments should be places in which all are welcomed as equal participants and in which those who have been historically marginalized (unjustly excluded) are actively supported and engaged.   

Saint Paul College is dedicated to supporting all members of the College in pursuing truth and understanding and in developing as people, regardless of (among other things) their race, nationality, immigration status, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, political views, (dis)ability, class, and religious tradition (or lack thereof).  

Promoting both free expression and inclusion is essential for achieving these goals.  Acquiring knowledge and understanding requires the freedom to explore uncomfortable, offensive, unpopular, and controversial views and materials.  Participating in democratic civil society requires skill at discussing complex topics with those who passionately disagree.  By working to understand and engage with diverse perspectives, especially those that are often unjustly excluded or ignored, we will develop as learners and as people.  

2.      Faculty and Student Responsibilities
Promoting both free expression and inclusion can sometimes be challenging.  To do so successfully, faculty and students have a responsibility to:

• Protect the free expression of controversial perspectives.  Examining an unsettling piece of artwork, a painful part of history, or arguments for an unpopular idea can provide a valuable opportunity for deeper examination and understanding, even if members of the class find the materials offensive.  On the other hand, the value will be undermined if the materials are not relevant to the course goals or they are expressed or presented in needlessly provocative or hurtful ways. Students and faculty should aim to make class environments places where all participants can feel free and welcome in examining controversial topics relevant to the course.  Balancing the principles of free expression and inclusion also requires distinguishing between mentioning an offensive idea or term and using that offensive idea or term.  It is legitimate in a sociology class to mention a stereotype in order to critically examine the role of stereotypes in society.  An art class may appropriately examine a film or artwork with offensive themes in order to analyze how those themes influenced its aesthetic value or social impact.  But using a recognizably derogatory epithet – asserting and applying it to people – makes the classroom climate hostile to those it targets and thus is not legitimate.  
• Acknowledge and engage with marginalized perspectives.  Course and classroom experiences may leave participants feeling disregarded or unheard.  All students deserve an equal opportunity to learn, but power dynamics inside and outside the classroom can lead to some groups or individuals feeling their perspectives are ignored, excluded, or marginalized in class activities or discussions.  To promote both free expression and inclusion, faculty and students – especially those who are not part of the marginalized groups — should aim to address these impacts in ways that encourage understanding of those marginalized perspectives and how they contribute to the course. Faculty should work to design course content and activities that productively engage all students and help students navigate challenging learning experiences
• Address discomfort and trauma in an active and collaborative fashion.  Productive learning experiences can be unsettling and uncomfortable, because they challenge us to critically examine our own beliefs, values, and assumptions.  Teaching and learning effectively requires managing the discomfort that is a natural side-effect of academic and personal growth.  In cases where a class member (student or faculty) is offended by course content or where course activities elicit reactions (such as trauma) that interfere with learning, those involved should reflect on their needs, reactions, and impacts on others and seek out a productive way to address them (for example, during faculty office hours).   Faculty should work collaboratively with students to identify actions that can be taken to support them (such as learning strategies, referral to counseling or access and disability resources as appropriate, or flexibility in expectations for student participation). 

However, faculty cannot make accommodations that unfairly exempt students from course work.  Faculty have a responsibility to take student concerns seriously and make reasonable accommodations that are compatible with course goals and reflect a fair standard applied to all students similarly affected.

Faculty and students are encouraged to seek mediation through the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or the relevant academic Dean if they are unable to resolve the concern together. 

All members of the College should conduct themselves in way that support the policy.  Faculty and students are encouraged to seek mediation through the College’s Equity and Inclusion Officer or the relevant academic Dean if they are unable to resolve the concern together.  

Situations in which students and faculty are not able to collaboratively identify actions to support the classroom experience, the student can submit a formal complaint which will initiate the College’s complaint process.