Our Commitments to Each Other

As a member of this community, you play an active and important role in fostering a brave, as opposed to, a safe place. A safe place implies that people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or other emotional discomforts. Safe places foster politeness and imply that we should disengage when confronted with a difficult conversation. A brave space acknowledges that we, as humans, are never free from our own biases or those of others. As such, individuals come together in a brave space to have difficult conversations that include discomfort. Brave places are anchored in trust, dignity, and respect and they enable change. To help foster our brave space, we will all agree to the following pact.

What you can expect from me:

1. I will treat you with dignity and respect.

2. I will challenge you to analyze your assumptions and beliefs about the diverse students in our community to guide you towards developing awareness of your unconscious biases.

3. I will be actively present in your learning.

4. I will strive to foster a brave environment where varying opinions are acknowledged.

5. I will be as flexible as we can to support your individual needs.  

6. I will reach out to you when I sense that you need support.

7. I won't be perfect. I am human and will make mistakes at times. We will view mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow.

8.  I will honor who and where you are in this process of learning and self-discovery.

What I will expect from you:

1. You will treat me and your peers with dignity and respect. 

2. You will make a conscientious effort to analyze your assumptions and beliefs about me and the diverse students we share space with.

3. You will lean into your discomfort in our discussions and reflections, as discomfort is an essential part of becoming an equity-minded learner and global citizen. 

4. When engaging with your peers in discussions, you will focus on issues, as opposed to people. For example, “It sounds like you have a strong opinion about ...., I am interested in hearing more. Can you expand on your point?” or “I see you disagree with XX’s perspective. I’m curious about your reasoning. Can you elaborate on what you mean?”

5. You will mindfully recognize and reflect on your reactions to opinions that differ from your own.

6. You will strive to be an active participant in this course and aim to meet due dates.

7. You will maintain an open line of communication with me so I understand how to support you. 

8. You will strive to regularly contribute to collaborative activities to ensure other members of the community have ample opportunity to read/listen, reflect, and respond to your ideas.

9. You will give yourself grace. Expect to make mistakes. You are human and mistakes are part of learning and growing.

This pact was influenced by Garibay, J. C., Creating a positive classroom climate for diversity, UCLA Diversity & Faculty Development.