Accessibility
I believe in the principles of universal design, which state that maximizing accessibility for participants with disabilities improves learning environments for everyone. I try to minimize barriers posed by course structures and materials, and I will do my best to work with any student who requires specific accommodations for a disability. Regardless of whether you have official documentation, please let me know about any access needs as soon as you can.
The University of Maryland is committed to providing appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. Students with a documented disability should inform the instructors within the add-drop period if academic accommodations are needed. To obtain an Accommodation Letter prepared by Disability Support Service (DSS), a division of the University Counseling Center, please call 301-314-7682, e-mail dissup@umd.edu, or visit the Shoemaker Building for more information.
Diversity in the classroom
The University of Maryland values the diversity of its student body. Along with the University, I am committed to providing a classroom atmosphere that encourages the equitable participation of all students regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Potential devaluation of students in the classroom that can occur by reference to demeaning stereotypes of any group and/or overlooking the contributions of a particular group to the topic under discussion is inappropriate. (See Statement on Classroom Climate).
A note on discussion
Classes like this one, where we talk about identity and oppression, require us to be especially mindful of the ways in which we speak to and about one another. We’ll spend a lot of time in class figuring out where our assumptions come from, and this will mean raising questions about race, class, disability, politics, and religion as part of our exploration of sexuality and gender. Readings, screenings, and class discussion are likely to make all of us feel uncomfortable at one time or another, and our job is always to sit with that discomfort long enough to understand what it might mean. The classroom should be a space where you can express your thoughts as they develop; explore your responses to the reading and writing tasks; be honest about what you do and don’t know; and take the time to understand the context of texts and ideas before passing judgment on them. We will have to work together to make the classroom a space where all voices, perspectives, and learning processes are respected, and where we can discuss sexist, homophobic, racist, and ableist language without using it against members of our community. Sometimes things won’t go as well as we might hope, and we’ll have to talk about how to make our classroom more hospitable to open discussion. If you have concerns about the way class conversations are going, please speak to me in office hours, email me, or use the Class Notes document to let me know anonymously.
A note on content
As part of our exploration of gender and race in digital media, we are likely to read and view media that includes discussions and depictions of homophobia, sexism, racism, sexual assault, medical trauma, racism, and other kinds of violence. It is possible that some of us will have responses to some of this material that will make it difficult to be fully present in class, and I will do my best to give advance notice when course material contains common psychological triggers, especially graphic depictions of physical violence, self harm and suicide, or sexual assault/abuse. You are always free to step out of the classroom with no questions asked. If you think you will need to stay away from class due to the material being discussed, email me and we will discuss adaptations, such as an alternate writing assignment that would let you work through the material in your own time. If you know that course material has the potential to be triggering for you, please take the time to read through the schedule in advance and talk with me about the details of the content (again, you may use the anonymous Class Notes document if you wish to ask questions in confidence). Being triggered and being made uncomfortable by class material are very different things; if you are uncertain what to make of your reactions to the course, I encourage you to talk about it with a therapist at the Counseling Center.