Syllabus Statements

Considerations for Including Statements on Your Syllabus

As educational spaces become increasingly open to questions of conscience as regards the desire to hold and conduct them in a maximally just and inclusive manner, it is not uncommon that faculty will include statements – beyond university policy – that speak to their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion on behalf of marginalized and other groups; creating a community in which folks feel they belong; as well as land and labor acknowledgments. Research suggests such statements can help students to understand the ethical commitments held by the instructor, as well as to consider important social, cultural, and political contexts in which a given course is nested, and which may bear down upon or be represented by different folks in a given class in an inequitably distributed manner. Such statements can also critically signal the need, at a given course's outset, to acknowledge the historical right to recognition of various groups and the university's responsibility in reconciling itself respectfully as a civic educational institution to such groups' rights as a core element of its strategies for inclusion.

However, considering that these are ethical statements that re-signal students' attention to our university's mission for active and engaged learning on behalf of social, economic, and environmental justice, including such statements in a syllabus should not be a boilerplate usage that is otherwise disconnected from the faculty member's own work inside and outside a given class. Including some of these statements on your syllabi signals a certain classroom climate and certain teaching practices that students will expect from you, and if those are not integrated into the course, that could lead to harm and/or confusion for the students. In other words, just adding an acknowledgement can be hurtful if it's done without thought and without the hard work necessary to make it meaningful. Neither should the inclusion of such statements be a pro forma exercise designed to signal to students that the course in question has successfully solved the problem of how to manifest a fully inclusive learning environment.

Instead, such statements should be crafted by instructors based on careful self-questioning of why the statements are to be included and what will follow for the class from committing to what is said within them; reflection upon what is not being articulated is equally crucial. If including such statements, it should be clarified for students that they are invitations to further learning. When placed as learning and political opportunities within a syllabus they can be powerful learning prompts, but care must be taken to treat them holistically and in a situated perspective that seeks to meaningfully disrupt the normalization of learning spaces that would otherwise generate functional forms of unjust pedagogy and curriculum.

You may choose to include on your syllabus statements that affirm the identities of your students. The samples provided on this page are intended to be examples. If you see language in the samples that reflects your intended tone/culture, pedagogy, and commitment to equity you could copy and paste them or use them as a jumping off point. At AU in accordance with our long tradition of social justice we believe that creating a culture of diversity and inclusion in an educational community can benefit all community members. The syllabus provides opportunities to support that goal. For example, faculty may note gender pronouns on a syllabus, affirming transgender and gender non-conforming community members; ensure currency with language, and avoid terms that might be offensive or dehumanizing. These steps can alert your students to your values, and the values of the university, invite conversation about these important issues, and provide a social justice framework to the class.

There are many ways to approach syllabi content, not just a one-size-fits-all template that can be copied and pasted onto all instructors’ syllabi. Instead, syllabi should reflect the personal approach of each instructor, while keeping in mind the goal of creating a classroom culture where students feel welcomed, validated, and supported.

Diversity Statements for Syllabi

Diversity statements are just one part of creating a welcoming climate that conveys that you value and respect the diverse identities of your students. You can review your syllabus and check the following 6 areas from the CUE syllabus review tool (p. 18). This tool provides more detail about each of these 6 areas:

Welcoming students and creating a classroom culture in which they feel cared for
Demystifying college policies and practices
Creating a partnership in which faculty and students work together to ensure success
Validating students’ ability to be successful
Representing a range of racial/ethnic experiences and backgrounds in assignments, readings, and other materials
Deconstructing and countering the presentation of “whiteness” as the norm

Make sure your Diversity Statements are inclusive of different types of diversity, including but not limited to: race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and disability.

Below are some sample statements related to:

Diversity
Universal Design for Learning
Gender Identity and/or Gender Expression

Sample Statements related to Diversity:

A positive learning environment relies upon creating an atmosphere where diverse perspectives can be expressed, especially in a course that focuses on pressing and controversial social and political issues. Each student is encouraged to take an active part in class discussions and activities. Honest and respectful dialogue is expected. Disagreement and challenging of ideas in a supportive and sensitive manner is encouraged. Hostility and disrespectful behavior are not acceptable. Just as we expect others to listen attentively to our own views, we must reciprocate and listen to others when they speak, especially when we disagree with them. However, in this class, our emphasis will be on engaging in the mutual exploration of issues as presented in the course readings as scholars rather than in defending the points of view we have formed outside the classroom. – From University of Michigan

We must treat every individual with respect. We are diverse in many ways, and this diversity is fundamental to building and maintaining an equitable and inclusive campus community. Diversity can refer to multiple ways that we identify ourselves, including but not limited to race, color, national origin, language, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, ancestry, belief, veteran status, or genetic information. Each of these diverse identities, along with many others not mentioned here, shape the perspectives our students, faculty, and staff bring to our campus. We, at [CMU], will work to promote diversity, equity and inclusion not only because diversity fuels excellence and innovation, but because we want to pursue justice. We acknowledge our imperfections while we also fully commit to the work, inside and outside of our classrooms, of building and sustaining a campus community that increasingly embraces these core values. – From Carnegie Mellon University

It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. In addition, if any of our class meetings conflict with your religious calendar, please let me know so that we can make arrangements for you. – From University of Iowa

It is my goal that all students in this course feel they are engaging in an environment in which they can comfortably and productively learn. Diversity of background (including, but not limited to: race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, ability) is an asset to all of us. Diversity of voices, of minds, strengthens our ability to read, write and answer questions about the world we all inhabit. I ask that you enter our classroom dialogue with an open mind, in an effort to share knowledge and create a space of mutual understanding that includes openness and sensitivity to a diversity of voices and ideas. Additionally, how you identify in terms of your gender, race, class, sexuality, religion, and dis/ability, among all aspects of your identity, is your choice whether to disclose (e.g. if it comes up in classroom conversation about our experiences and perspectives) and should be self-identified, not presumed or imposed.
– Adapted from multiple sources, including University of Maryland

Sample Statements related to Universal Design for Learning:

I am committed to the principle of universal learning, which means that I want to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities. I am open to considering alternate assignments as long as they do not compromise the intent of the assessment or learning activity. If you have a particular need, please email me or arrange a meeting with me so I can help you learn in this course. I will treat any information that you share as private and confidential. I welcome feedback that will assist me in improving the usability and experience for all students. Contact [Disability Support Services] to seek official accommodations. – Adapted from University of Detroit & Celt Iowa

I recognize that students have a variety of learning styles. I will be offering alternate assignments for a variety of learning activities (but not all). I welcome you to engage in a dialogue with me about your learning style and/or specific assignments that you may want to explore alternate assignments for. I will treat any information that you share as private and confidential. Contact [Disability Support Services] to seek official accommodations.

Sample Statements related to Gender Identity and/or Gender Expression:

I recognize the importance of a diverse student body, and I am committed to fostering an equitable classroom environment. All people have the right to be addressed and referred to in accordance with their personal identity. I invite you, if you wish, to tell me how you want to be referred to both in terms of your name and your pronouns (e.g., "he" or "she" or "they" or "ze" or something else). The pronouns someone uses are not necessarily indicative of their gender identity. Additionally, how you identify in terms of your gender, race, class, sexuality, religion, and dis/ability, among all aspects of your identity, is your choice whether to disclose (e.g. if it comes up in classroom conversation about our experiences and perspectives) and should be self-identified, not presumed or imposed. In this class, I expect everyone, including myself, to do their best to address and refer to each other in accordance with each person’s identity.
– Adapted from University of Michigan (CMU Sample 4) & University of Maryland

I recognize the importance of a diverse student body, and creating an environment in which all students can comfortably and productively learn. All people have the right to be addressed and referred to in accordance with their personal identity. I invite you, if you wish, to tell me how you want to be referred to both in terms of your name and your pronouns (e.g., "he" or "she" or "they" or "ze" or something else). In this class, I expect everyone, including myself, to do their best to address and refer to each other in accordance with each person’s identity.
– Adapted from University of Michigan (CMU Sample 4) & University of Maryland

Emotional Labor Acknowledgments

What is Emotional Labor and who does it?

Emotional labor is the effort required to manage emotions during interactions to achieve goals, complete tasks and maintain relationships. This work is often invisible, unacknowledged, and borne disproportionately by members of historically marginalized identities.

Rose Hackman writes in Emotional Labor: The Invisible Work Shaping Our Lives and How to Claim Our Power:

"Emotional labor is not just editing your expression of your emotions to have an effect on the emotions of other people, but to actively put your emotions to work for other people, serving other people."

What should an Emotional Labor Acknowledgment address?

An Emotional Labor Acknowledgement should address:

Historically, marginalized communities have had to put their emotions to work for the service of the majority.
Certain course content – i.e. racism, sexism, homophobia – can be disproportionately triggering to members of marginalized communities.
The power dynamic within an academic setting is such that teachers may implicitly require emotional labor from students of historically marginalized communities.
What does emotional labor look like (e.g. burnout, feeling drained), and how can students cope with it/what resources are available to them? (e.g. giving students the space to self-regulate when needed).

Example of an Emotional Labor Acknowledgment

The Emotional Labor Acknowledgment below comes from AU Seattle faculty member Najla Hrustanovic: [or Allina Santillan??]

Emotional labor is the need for one group to regulate their emotions to satisfy another group, usually the group holding the most power. We want to acknowledge the diversity present, and not present, in this space, as this group is currently composed of predominantly white-bodied people, and white folks inherently hold more power in our current social system. We also want to recognize that black and brown-bodied folks in this cohort are inherently carrying the abundance of emotional labor both in this space and on a daily basis in the world, many of them navigating multiple systems of oppression. We thank and honor those that do the emotional labor and agree not to exploit it. We acknowledge the need to hold this emotional labor as a group. As a result of these acknowledgments, it is a goal of this group for the folks that do not tend to hold the weight of emotional labor, to accept the complexity and pervasiveness of emotional labor.

Additional Resources on Emotional Labor

Linguistic Diversity Sample Statements for Syllabi

“Students are often made to feel as if their linguistic and dialectical diversity is a liability in an academic space, but speaking multiple languages is a strength, and [other dialects of English are] not inferior to standard academic English.” – Catherine Savini, Inside Higher Ed

As part of your commitment to antiracism and dismantling white supremacy, you might consider adding a linguistic diversity statement to your syllabi.

Sample Statements related to Linguistic Diversity:

Diverse languages and dialects are welcome in this classroom, and the idea that there is one "Standard" English that is inherently superior and easier to understand than other dialects is a myth. Holding one dialect as superior is an attempt of one social group to exert its dominance over another. This leads to false advice for speakers and writers. I affirm your right to your own patterns and varieties of language. There are many ways to speak and write clearly in English, and the choices we make depend on our social contexts and specific purposes at any given moment. As we communicate with one another, keep in mind that the reader/listener should work as hard as the writer/speaker in the communication process. This means that we will listen patiently, work to understand one another, and seek out clarification when necessary. We will also avoid imposing our own stylistic preferences on others.
– Adapted from the NTCE statement on Students’ Right to Their Own Language & Inside Higher Ed & Gustavus Adolphus College

Linguistic diversity is just as important as any other aspect of diversity on our campus, and intersects with other aspects of identity, like race or nationality. The U.S. has always been multilingual, and there is no federal official language of the United States. Before this land was colonized, there were hundreds of Indigenous languages, many of which are still spoken in the U.S. There are multiple, valid Englishes all over the world; American English is just one of many Englishes. There are multiple, valid Englishes within the United States: there are many regional and social dialects of English in the U.S. The idea that there is one "Standard" English that is inherently superior and easier to understand than other dialects is a myth. There are many ways to speak and write clearly in English, and the choices we make depend on our social contexts and specific purposes at any given moment. – Adapted from Gustavus Adolphus College

Diverse languages and dialects are welcome in this classroom, and the idea that there is one "Standard" English that is inherently superior and easier to understand than other dialects is a myth. As we communicate with one another, keep in mind that the reader/listener should work as hard as the writer/speaker in the communication process. This means that we will listen patiently, work to understand one another, seek out clarification when necessary and avoid imposing our own stylistic preferences on others.
– Adapted from Inside Higher Ed & Gustavus Adolphus College

Land and Labor Acknowledgment Statements

The labor of understanding the history of how your institution came to occupy the land is yours to carry out. Please do not exacerbate harm by expecting Indigenous colleagues to create a land acknowledgment for you. Begin building your foundation for becoming place-conscious with the following resources:

Native Land Digital Map
A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgment (Native Governance Center)
ACPA 2018 Convention. Centering the land: The importance of recognizing Indigenous land and lifeways.
ACPA22 Land Acknowledgement (ACPA22)
Land Acknowledgements (Decolonizing Memphis)

Dr. Gavin Henning & Dr. Anne E. Lundquist

Statements for your Syllabi

Often institutions have an official land acknowledgment that you might include on your syllabus. But just inserting a paragraph into your document is not sufficient. Acknowledging the land and its people is a complex task that takes actual commitment requiring action. Be careful that you are not adding language to your syllabus to fulfill a prescriptive expectation; rather, think about why you want to add that language and how it will change your classroom practices.

Land Acknowledgment Statements:

AULA’s official land acknowledgment:

Antioch University Los Angeles (Yaang’ar) resides on Tovaangar, the traditional and unceded territory of the Tongva people. These lands and the Tongva people continue to carry the stories of this Nation and the people’s struggles for survival and identity. We are committed to learning these stories and identifying ways to join in decolonial and Indigenous movements for sovereignty and self-determination.

AUNE’s official land acknowledgment:

Antioch University New England resides within what is colonially recognized as "Keene, New Hampshire", which was the homeland of the tribal nation of the Pennacook. We recognize that Indigenous peoples are the traditional caretakers of the land that we now occupy, living here long before Keene was a town. We offer respect and gratitude to the many Indigenous peoples that reside in the Keene area and across New Hampshire, as well as their ancestors.

AU Seattle official land acknowledgment:

Antioch University Seattle acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral lands of the Coastal Salish people, specifically Duwamish Tribe (Dkhw Duw’Absh), a people still here, continuing to honor and bring to light their ancient heritage. Whether you are here on the west coast or other places in the states, please join us in honoring and acknowledging the Coastal Salish people and their land. Learn more about how to support the Duwamish Tribe here.

AUSB’s official land acknowledgment:

Antioch University Santa Barbara resides on the traditional homelands of the Chumash people. By making this land acknowledgement, we recognize that Indigenous peoples are the traditional caretakers of the land that we now occupy, living here long before Santa Barbara was a city. We offer respect and gratitude to the many Indigenous peoples that reside in the Santa Barbara area and across California, as well as their ancestors.

Labor Acknowledgment Sample Statements:

Labor Acknowledgment from Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges:

We acknowledge that our nation (and our institutions) have benefited from the free enslaved labor of Black people. We recognize the interconnected histories of Indigenous peoples who were forcibly removed from their land and the history of those who were forcibly brought to it. We acknowledge the enduring impacts of the African diaspora, and honor the contributions, talents, and dreams of our Black communities.

We acknowledge the immigrant labor that has contributed to this country as a critical labor force, including voluntary, involuntary, trafficked, forced, and undocumented peoples. We recognize and honor their important contributions.

In these acknowledgements, we commit to the essential work of moving beyond awareness to action through meaningful changes at our institutions and in our communities.

Questions to ask yourself about Indigenous Justice

Faculty who are discussing decolonizing their curriculum or adding a land acknowledgement do so in the name of improving Indigenous justice. But if that's your goal, what does that mean? Consider researching the connections between Indigenous justice and the topics covered in your course, then posing to yourself the following questions:

Does the discipline you are teaching in have a professional association that has taken on this issue?
Are Indigenous authors active in the areas you cover in the course?
What place or places are central to the course? Would it be possible to invite a local Indigenous activist or expert to be a classroom speaker?
How could students apply the course learning objectives to support Indigenous sovereignty and justice?

Once you've answered these questions, you could add a paragraph to your syllabus for students' reference and/or discuss your findings in your first course meeting.

Diversity Statement Resources

Listed here are other examples for you to consider:

Brown University, Diversity & Inclusion Syllabus

Chico State University, Office of Diversity & Inclusion

University of Kansas, Creating an Inclusive Syllabus

University of Alabama, 12 Inclusive Syllabus Suggestions

Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Learning Environment Syllabus Statements

It is helpful to clarify for students the nature of the learning environment that you plan to create in your classroom. This is especially true for faculty who want to negotiate their syllabus with students within their learning environment. Here are some examples to get you started:

Andragogical Design Sample Statement:

This course is a mix of both didactic and experiential learning. Students will learn via lecture, reading, discussion, and demonstration. Emphasis will be on understanding and learning about the role of teaching in Counselor Education across the CACREP curriculum.

Negotiated Syllabus Sample Statement:

This syllabus represents the start of a carefully held dialogue within our learning environment. As your professor, I believe that it is my role to suggest learning activities that best support your development in this subject. If you have other ideas by which you would like to demonstrate your learning and development, I encourage you to suggest them! Open the space for our shared discourse and we will likely all come away with an even better experience.

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