Basic Guidelines for Class Discussion

• Respect individual confidentiality
• Everyone participates equally when working in teams or groups.

                  If for any reason you can't contribute your share to a team project, be honest about it with yourself, your teammates, and the professor. Don't expect anyone to cover for you.

• Get to class on time and be prepared
• Keep in mind that your personal experience may be different from others. Be open.
• Let others finish what they are saying without being interrupted.

                  Give everyone a chance to speak (if you feel that you are not being heard let the class know)

• Speak for yourself (and don’t assume you can speak for others).
• Be brief and to the point when speaking.

• No putdowns. (no stereotyping, assumptions etc)
• Agree to disagree.
• Engage in facilitation strategies
• Take talking points seriously

Discussion/Facilitation Tips

• People with strong differences can relate to each other honestly and respectfully
• Sacred assumptions can be openly and non-defensively explored
• The seemingly unspeakable can be spoken - and heard
• Try to educate as opposed to getting frustrated
• We aim to handle conflict effectively, bring out internal contradictions, and move forward.
• Don’t overlook providing positive feedback to your peers.
• We agree that people are encouraged to check out assumptions or hunches that they may have about other people. When others confront us with their assumptions, fantasies, or intuitions, we will offer them insights into our own realities, looking for the grain of truth in what they say as a starting point.
• Don’t be afraid to share your own opinion even if it is different from the rest of the class
• Keep small group discussions as a possibility
• Keep a discussion board on SOCS for continuing conversation and for those who feel shy during class
• If someone is offended by a discussion containing prejudices or misconceptions that are personal for them they may flag the conversation.

* Let everyone know what offended you—engage that as part of the conversation, don’t just let the discussion end. Let the person speaking finish their thought before interrupting to flag the conversation.

The Discussion Guidelines are always up for revision depending on the course the class takes throughout the semester.

Ryan English
Lauren Fradella
Bill Norris
Cheryl Pierce
Heidi Schmid
Marlene Valera
Jessica VanLiere