Academic Freedom Statement

• Academic freedom is a cornerstone for institutions of higher education. It is the freedom to engage in research, scholarship, teaching, and learning. The Faculty Handbook articulates the university’s commitment to academic freedom and how instructors and students are responsible in upholding academic freedom and maintaining an encouraging environment of intellectual inquiry and discourse
• Including a statement about this reinforces the importance of academic freedom within the classroom and how it also relates to the university’s commitment to academic integrity and diversity and inclusion. Consider this statement example created by Rebecca Kinraide (BU Writing Program), which includes language from the Faculty Handbook:

We value open-minded inquiry, and we critically engage with ideas in diverse texts and among diverse audiences to learn about perspectives diverging from our own. We acknowledge that doing so may be uncomfortable at times, although it should not make anyone feel unsafe. We seek to challenge ourselves and help one another learn. Academic freedom is the freedom to engage in research, scholarship, or other creative work in order to expand knowledge, to publish research findings, to teach and to learn in an atmosphere of unfettered free inquiry and exposition. Academic freedom is the cornerstone of a great university and I encourage you to become familiar with the Academic Freedom statement. https://www.bu.edu/handbook/ethics/academic-freedom/

This commitment reflects values shared across the Writing Program and the University. If you ever have any concerns about the classroom climate, you are welcome to reach out to me, or if it is more comfortable for you, to the CAS D&I office and its Community Values & Resources Team.

• If you would like to learn more about academic freedom and its implementation at BU, please read these policies on free speech and expression and campus discourse.
• If you would like to participate in shaping BU’s policies about academic freedom, consider joining the Academic Freedom Committee, one of several committees of the Faculty Council that works with university leadership to make decisions on policies and initiatives.

Accessibility Statement

• An accessibility statement on your syllabus acknowledges that student learning can be impacted by a variety of visible or invisible barriers and reflects that a course was designed to anticipate diverse learners.
• We encourage developing an accessibility statement that not only acknowledges BU’s accommodations policies and Disability & Access Services Office, but also invites dialogue about the ways in which course design can create learning environments that are inclusive to a diverse student body.
• Here is a sample statement: “I am committed to creating an inclusive learning environment for you. Please let me know if you have any or foresee any obstacles that may impact your learning. I am happy to collaborate with you to find solutions that help you achieve the learning goals of this course. If you have any questions about this, do not hesitate to reach out to me. If you are a student with a disability or think you may have one, the Disability & Access Services office can further support your needs and identify accommodations that can be implemented in your coursework.” 

AI Use Statement

• Generative AI has now become a mainstay in higher education and is rapidly evolving. Institutional committees, such as the BU AI Task Force, are now starting to explore and learn about how AI can be used as a teaching and learning tool. 
• While your syllabus will already contain a statement about academic integrity, including a more detailed statement about the use of AI tools in your course can articulate to students a) what is considered  acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in your course and b) how AI relates to the Academic Conduct Code (specifically section 3, clause b).
• Your statement could take different forms depending on the decisions you make around generative AI. See this CTL guide for example statements. 
• The BU AI Task Force’s Report on Generative AI in Education and Research also has several suggestions on how instructors can incorporate AI into course design and use AI as a tool for learning.
• If you would like to learn more about generative AI and the ways you can incorporate it into your teaching, the CTL invites you to attend our Open Office Hours for AI. 

Classroom Norms & Expectations Statement

• Establishing a set of norms and expectations sets the tone for classroom communication: how students interact with you, how students interact with their peers, and how everyone can work towards creating and maintaining a productive and respectful learning environment.
• Including a statement around classroom etiquette is one way to communicate your expectations and what you consider to be acceptable behavior. Questions to ask yourself include:
  • What do you think a productive learning environment looks like?
  • What positive and negative behaviors in the classroom impact a learning environment?
• Another way to implement classroom norms is to collaborate with your students and create community agreements, a list of general principles for your classroom environment. Asking your students to brainstorm and contribute to this list allows them to reflect on what makes a positive and negative learning experience.
  • Classroom norms could include: avoid interrupting someone speaking; listen actively; respectfully critique or challenge ideas and opinions, not people.
  • To learn more what community agreement are and how to develop them, see this CTL guide.

Content Warning

• Content warnings, also known as content notices or advisory warnings, flag sensitive content that may be potentially distressing. They identify to students that there can be some topics that may be uncomfortable to engage with and will help prepare them for conversations, assignments, or activities that focus on these sensitive topics. Content warnings also allow students to take necessary steps to prepare themselves for class and support their mental and physical well-being.
• Content that could be flagged include: sexual assault, abuse, animal cruelty, suicide and self-harm, eating disorders, violence, pornographic content, death, blood, racism, sexism, classism, hateful language, religious discrimination, homophobia and transphobia.
• A content warning statement in your syllabus could be a blanket warning, such as these examples:
  • “This course will occasionally cover topics that some may find distressing, such as [list examples]. If you have concerns, I welcome you to reach out to me so we can discuss them.” (Depaul Teaching Commons)
  • “This course may include readings, media, and discussion around topics such as sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, physical violence, and identity-based discrimination and harassment. I acknowledge that it may be difficult to engage with this content. I also encourage you to care for your safety and well-being.” (University of Wisconsin Health Services)
  • “The content and discussion in this course will necessarily engage with racism every week. Much of it will be emotionally and intellectually challenging to engage with. I will flag especially graphic or intense content that discusses or represents racism and will do my best to make this classroom a space where we can engage bravely, empathetically, and thoughtfully with difficult content every week.” (University of Michigan Equitable Teaching)
• You can also insert warnings within your course schedule for when specific warnings are needed by adding tags to readings or class themes. For example:
  • October 7: Read Devery S. Anderson and Julian Bond, Emmett Till: The Murder that Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement (2015), Chapters 2-3. [Tags: race, racism, violence, murder, death, hate crime]
  • October 20: Read Diane Wolfthal, Images of Rape: The “Heroic” Tradition and Its Alternatives, Chapter 2. [Tags: Sexual assault, rape, sexism] 

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

• A diversity and inclusion statement on your syllabus conveys your commitment to developing a supportive classroom environment and reveals that students’ identities, lived experiences, and learning styles are valued and respected.
• Crafting a diversity statement largely depends on your teaching philosophy, but your discipline may also impact how diversity and inclusion is addressed in the classroom. Ask yourself these questions:
  • How does your teaching philosophy impact your classroom and engagement with different types of diversity, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, disability, and religion?
  • How can diversity, as seen in your discipline, course content, or student body, make a positive impact in your courses and classroom?
  • How can you communicate or collaborate with your students to set expectations for creating and maintaining a learning environment where everyone’s ideas, opinions, and differences are valued and respected?
• The tone in your diversity statement should complement the rest of your syllabus and course design and be warm, positive, and supportive. Consider these example statements.
• To learn more about the university’s commitment to inclusivity, visit BU Diversity & Inclusion (BU D&I). 

Land Acknowledgment

• A land acknowledgement is a formal statement “that recognizes the Indigenous peoples who have been dispossessed from the homelands and territories upon which an institution was built and currently occupies and operates in.” Creating one should be “motivated by a genuine respect of Indigenous nations and communities.” (Land Acknowledgement Guide)
• For example, the BU Writing Program’s sample land acknowledgement reads: “We acknowledge that the territory on which Boston University stands is that of  The Wampanoag and The Massachusett People. Our classroom and BU’s campus are places to honor and respect the history and continued efforts of th eNative and Indigenous community leaders which make up Eastern Massachusetts and the surrounding region. This statement is one small step in acknowledging the history that brought us to reside on the land, and to help us seek understanding of our place within that history. Ownership of land is itself a colonial concept; many tribes had seasonal relationships with the land we currently inhabit. Today, Boston is still home to Indigenous peoples, including the Mashpee Wampanoag and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). For more information, please visit the North American Indian Center of Boston and the Commission of Indian Affairs of the State of Massachusetts.”
• To learn more about the importance and complexity of land acknowledgments, consider watching this BU Lightning Talk by Ty Furman. To learn more about Indigenous lands, people, and languages, see this interactive map on Native Land. 

Student Resources

• Listing campus resources on your syllabus helps to normalize students seeking help, building skills outside of the classroom, and collaborating with others.
• The Educational Resource Center (ERC) offers an array of assistance: academic coaching consultations, academic skill workshops (reading strategies, test taking, time management, etc.), writing assistance, English conversation groups, and peer tutoring.
• Schools and departments offer discipline-specific assistance, such as the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)’s Tutoring Writing in the Disciplines. Check with your department and school to see what they offer.
• If your course has a research project, the BU Libraries staff provides several services for faculty. You can request an instructional workshop for your students on using library resources for their research and study. The librarians also offer research consultations for students.  

Student Well-Being Statement

• A statement about student well-being recognizes that students’ mental and physical health impacts their academic life and also helps to normalize seeking support.
• A short statement acknowledges issues that can impact students and point students in the direction of resources: “Students may experience stressors that can impact both their academic experience and their 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 we can find solutions together. For personal concerns, U-M offers many resources, some of which are listed at Resources for Students on the Well-being Collective website. You can also search for additional resources on that website.” (University of Michigan)
• A longer statement can list offices and programs dedicated to supporting students. To learn more about the resources at BU, please visit Student Wellbeing and this list of Campus Resources. We encourage you to include some of these resources in your syllabus.

Updated August 28, 2024