Embedded Files
Inclusive Teaching
Inclusive Teaching
Boise State is proud to foster inclusive excellence in teaching and offers a variety of professional development opportunities to allow faculty to expand upon their skillset.
Explore the free professional development opportunities that the CTL (Center for Teaching and Learning) has to offer.
Consider completing Boise State's BUILD Certificate Program. This self-paced program is available to all full-time faculty.
Dr. Tracie Addy is a featured expert in ACUE's modules on Designing Student-Centered Courses. In the interview, Dr. Addy shares an inclusive teaching technique for getting to know students at the start of class.
“Inclusive teaching is excellent teaching. It shouldn’t be something that is just tacked on." - Dr. Tracie Addy
Stay up to date on all things teaching by signing up for the monthly CTL E-Newsletter or the Adjunct Faculty E-Newsletter!
Faculty Teaching Guide
Faculty Teaching Guide
Each semester, the University releases a Teaching Guide, with guidelines about supporting public health, as well as tips for student and faculty success.
Attending to student well-being (and your own)
Attending to student well-being (and your own)
People experience trauma when their internal resources are not adequate to cope with external stressors (Hoch, Stewart, Webb, & Wyandt-Hiebert, 2015). The pandemic and other challenges of the spring, summer, and fall impacted all of us (students, faculty, and staff). In all teaching contexts, we should expect that many of our students will arrive in our courses with their physical, emotional, and intellectual energy depleted. While most faculty are not trained to be counselors, it is important to think about how to be ready for your students, as well as acknowledge your own trauma, as you plan [and teach] your courses.
In addition to the resources below, you can
Issue a CARE alert for students about whom you are concerned
Reach out to the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) for support related to teaching choices to best support students
Use the services of the Counseling Center yourself. See also Boise State Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Resources:
Syllabi - Setting Expectations
Syllabi - Setting Expectations
What should I do before the semester begins to set expectations?
What should I do before the semester begins to set expectations?
Syllabus: A syllabus is your contact with your students. It helps them (and you) know what to expect in your course and your course policies. If you are new to teaching at Boise State, I recommend looking at the Center for Teaching and Learning's Syllabus Template. I am also happy to provide you with sample syllabi from the course you are teaching. Just email Mary at MaryPritchard@BoiseState.edu.
Some semesters, especially during the pandemic, the University has required syllabus language regarding public health and student and faculty well-being. Please consult the Teaching Guide to ensure your syllabus complies with any required syllabus language.
If you are curious about what your colleagues include in their syllabi and/or are looking for template language we use in the Department of Psychological Science, please consult the Department's Syllabus Sample Templates document.
Contact your students: It is highly recommended that you contact your students prior to the beginning of the semester to establish an initial welcoming connection and to provide students with your syllabus and anything else you'd like them to know before the first day of class. Tips and guidelines can be found here.
Respond to requests for accommodations: You may receive accommodation requests directly from your students, or from one of the University offices. While you should feel free to handle one-time accommodation requests as you see fit, we recommend sending students who have a long-term accommodation request through the appropriate University office.
If students request reasonable accommodations for a temporary or permanent disability, send them through the Education Access Center (EAC). The EAC has prepared an accommodations handbook that contains information on their processes and procedures and how they intersect with the work that you do as an instructor. There are several sections that provide guidance for instructors, and we thought you might find it helpful to have a better sense of the EAC's intentions in their interactions with you.
You may also hear from the Title IX Office regarding accommodation requests for your students. The Title IX Office is under federal mandate to do what they can to proactively mitigate negative consequences that might result from the situations that they address. They do understand the limitations that instructors face in making some accommodations, and they have requested that you reach out and communicate with them when a request for accommodations poses difficulties. They often do not have information about the student's academic performance, and they appreciate communication from instructors that helps them understand and document the situation accurately.
Our advice: We know you may get several requests for accommodations, and some of those come from "unvetted" sources. However, when it comes to accommodation requests from the EAC or Title IX, we recommend approaching these requests as having already met the burden of proof evidencing that the student's situation warrants accommodations beyond what we might offer in fairness to other students. We understand that in other situations, we must have a clear justification for treating one student differently than the rest (as that justifiable documentation protects us against claims of discrimination). Accommodation requests from the EAC or Title IX remove that burden of proof because it is handled elsewhere, and thus, these students are no longer in the situation of judgment according to "what is fair to other students." Instead, it becomes a situation of what is fair to them and to the faculty member who must do the work to accommodate them. For example, it is unfair to the student to give them a passing grade when they have not demonstrated knowledge of the course content, as that robs them of the necessary learning. It is also unfair to allow them to try to complete half a semester's worth of work in a few weeks. At the same time, it is unfair to a faculty member to have to teach in two modalities simultaneously, even if that is in the student's best interest. It is our hope that approaching accommodation requests in this way will ease the burden on you, both emotionally and transactionally.
We here to help support you as you navigate these situations. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concern: - Cynthia (cynthiacampbell@boisestate.edu) and Mary (marypritchard@boisestate.edu)
The Athletics Department and You
The Athletics Department and You
Contact Between Athletics Department Staff Members and Boise State Faculty
Contact between members of the Athletics Department and Boise State faculty on issues specific to academic progress of student-athletes is limited to the Athletic Academic Services staff (e.g., academic advisors within the Athletics Department--grade/progress checks are allowed), NCAA Compliance staff, the Faculty Athletics Representative, and the respective faculty member(s). This policy does not, however, prevent members of the Athletics Department from interacting with faculty members on issues unrelated to student-athlete academic progress. If an Athletics Department member (except those listed earlier) contacts you directly about a student-athlete’s progress, please let Dr. Munger know and refer that individual to Dr. Munger.
Athletics Department Contact with Boise State's Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid Office and Admissions Office
Coaches and other sports specific personnel (e.g., Director of Operations, managers, GAs) may not contact Boise State employees working in the Registrar’s office, Financial Aid Office or Admissions Office about matters related to a prospective or enrolled student-athlete.
Exam Proctors
Coaches and all other Athletics department staff (including academic services staff) may not serve as proctors for our student-athlete exams. If a student-athlete is required to take an exam while traveling for practice or competition, a proctor must be set up with someone outside of Boise State Athletics. This can include academic services staff at other institutions or faculty at other institutions. Athletics department staff traveling with the team cannot proctor an exam. This would include coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, media relations staff etc. All arrangements for proctored exams while on the road should be made by the team's academic services advisor.
Extra Benefits and Special Academic Arrangements
Deans, professors, teaching assistants, and any other instructor should follow all departmental and university policies and should not make special arrangements for student-athletes that go beyond the permissible missed class time exceptions for university competitions. Special arrangements in access to classes, majors, grading, time extensions, submitting work, etc., that are made available to a student-athlete, but not made available to the regular student-body could be considered an extra benefit and could render the student-athlete ineligible. All questions related to whether or not an arrangement constitutes an NCAA extra benefit violation should be directed to our Nathan Burk, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, nathanburk@boisestate.edu.
Access to Student-Athlete Accounts
Coaches and athletics staff should never log into a student-athletes myboisestate student account and/or Blackboard accounts. It is, however, permissible for a student-athlete to log in to their own account with a coach or athletics staff member present for the purpose of demonstrating their grades or progress through course assignments. Additionally, all adjustments, submissions or changes to any of these accounts must be made by the student-athlete.
Concerns About a Student-Athlete’s Well-Being
Sometimes faculty are approached by students (including our student-athletes) who reveal mental health concerns or other well-being issues. Faculty might also overhear or witness distressing behavior as well as learn about them in an assignment submitted by a student. In these instances, faculty have the option of submitting a CARE (Campus Assessment Resource and Education) report. The CARE Team provides assistance to the university community to help assess and find solutions for managing distressing, disturbing, disruptive, and dangerous behaviors. To learn more about CARE and to submit a report, visit the CARE page.
Addressing Student Behavior
Addressing Student Behavior
As much as possible, try to prevent disruptive behavior and escalations of conflict with students by creating a warm and welcoming environment while setting and reinforcing limits. This can be achieved by:
Promoting student well-being and providing students with resources available to them on campus
Clearly communicating expectations (e.g., syllabus statements)
Create a sense of community in your classroom
Validate students' concerns to set a tone of caring and diffuse tension
We recommend familiarizing yourself with the Faculty Guide to Addressing Student Behavior: This guide aims to assist Boise State University faculty members in preventing and responding to disruptive student behaviors.
Despite your efforts to maintain harmony, at times, you may find yourself in a disagreement with a student. Whether this is due to the student wanting an exception to a clearly established rule or a difference in opinion, we encourage you to respond in a supportive and caring, yet firm way. Your leadership team - Cynthia (cynthiacampbell@boisestate.edu) and Mary (marypritchard@boisestate.edu) - are here to offer additional guidance in navigating difficult student situations.
Student Outreach and Assistance Services.pdfPage updated
Report abuse