Creating Welcoming Spaces Toolkit

Course Design

Introduction

Creating welcoming spaces is a community-oriented approach to teaching that prioritizes the wellbeing of both student and instructor within the learning environment. Students are encouraged to participate actively in the learning process, take advantage of accessible resources, and bring their unique experiences into discussion, while instructors care for themselves as well. This toolkit has been created as a complement to the Creating Welcoming Spaces Innovative Teaching Showcase.

General Advice

• Creating a Welcoming Classroom — University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Creating a Welcoming Online Space for Your Students — Seattle University
• Heuristic for Inclusive Instructional Design — Western Washington University
• Inclusive Course Design — Harvard University

Syllabus

• Building an Inclusive Syllabus — Stanford University
• Creating a Welcoming Syllabus: Idea #1 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Inclusive Syllabus Design — University of Massachusetts
• Developing an Inclusive Syllabus — The University of Utah
• Key Elements for Building a Liquid Syllabus — eCampus News, 1/24

Accessible Content

• Accessible Design for All Students Idea #2 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Course Accessibility — Teaching and Learning Cooperative, Western Washington University
• Creating Accessible Documents — Univ. Communications & Marketing, Western Washington University
• Getting Started with UDL (Universal Design for Learning) — Teaching and Learning Cooperative, Western Washington University
• Inclusive Course Content & Universal Design — Northwestern University

AI Policies

• AI Hub (coming soon) — Western Washington University
• Frequently Asked Questions: Generative AI Guidelines — Western Washington University

Course Materials

• Diversifying Course Content — Carleton College
• Diversifying Course Materials — American University
• Including Multiple Perspectives in Course Materials: Idea #3 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Leaning in to Social Justice Content: Idea #10 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University

Using Free Texts

• Open Educational Resources — Teaching Handbook, Western Washington University
• OER Toolkit — Western Washington University
• Open Educational Practices: Ideas — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University

Day One

General Advice

• Day One Activities to Build Community: Idea #4 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• First Day Tips — University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Day one; intros, expectations, activities. Visualizing classroom diversity in intros
• How to Teach a Good First Day of Class — Northern Illinois University
  • First day to last day connections, community, first impressions, connection of first day to material
• Plan the First Day’s Session — Berkeley Graduate Division
• First Day of Class — Dartmouth
• A Welcoming Tone: Tips to Build Rapport in Digital Spaces — Faculty Focus
  • Inclusivity, welcoming language, first day, pronouns
• Creating a Welcoming Learning Environment — East Carolina University
  • Relationship & day one, conflict, and teaching strategies, syllabus

Introductions

• Gender Inclusivity Practices — Stanford University
• Inclusive Practices for Names and Pronouns in Academic Contexts (self-directed course) — University of Minnesota
• Learning Student Names: Idea #5 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Practice with Pronouns — pronoun practicing tool
• Tips for Learning Students' Names - Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University

Building Community

Engagement

• Building Community — Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Community Building in the Classroom — Columbia University
• Exploring Ideas via Socratic Dialogue: Idea #8 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Engagement, Reflection, and Application: Idea #9 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University

Developing Trust

• Co-Creating the Classroom: Collaborative Ground Rules for Engaged Learning — Faculty Focus
• Creating Community Agreements — Berkeley Graduate Division
• Developing Community Agreements — National Equity Project
• Developing Relationships and Trust: Idea #6 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Establishing Community Agreements and Classroom Norms — Cornell University
• Welcoming Warm-ups and Cool-downs: Idea #12 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University

Flexible Teaching

• Balancing Flexibility with Rigor: Idea #7 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Flexible Instructional Strategies to Meet Students Where They Are — UC Berkeley
• Flexible Teaching — University of Colorado Boulder
• Flexible Teaching Strategies — Portland State University

Discussion

• Learning Through Discussion — Columbia University
• Difficult Conversations Toolkit — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Engaging Social Justice: Ideas — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University

Peer-to-Peer Learning

• Peer Learning: Overview, Benefits, and Models — Western Governors University
• Peer-to-Peer Learning — Georgia Southern University
• Ways to Incorporate Peer-to-Peer Learning in Your Classroom — University of Michigan

Emotional Care

Supporting Students

• Balancing Flexibility with Rigor: Idea #7 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Fostering Academic Wellbeing in the Classroom — MIT Teaching + Learning Lab
• Fostering Health and Wellbeing in Classes — Teaching & Learning Cooperative, Western Washington University
• Promoting Mental Health and Well-being in Learning Environments — Stanford University
• Teaching the Whole Student: Idea #10 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Trauma-Informed Teaching — MIT Teaching + Learning Lab

Self-Care

• Bringing Your Best Self: Idea #11 — Innovative Teaching Showcase, Western Washington University
• Instructor Tips: Incorporating Self-Care and Stress Management in Your Routine — McGraw Hill
• Practicing self-care: 5 tips for teachers — Understood
• The Complete Guide to Self-Care for Educators — Purdue Global

Western Washington University

Support Offices

• Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — collection of offices such as the Disability Access Center, LGBTQ+ Western, and multicultural services, clubs, and spaces.
  • Gender-Affirming Care — care for students relating to their gender identities, focusing on health, name changes, social transition, counseling, etc.
• Basic Needs Hub — home of the Basic Needs Office, Off Campus Living, Western Success Scholars and the WHOLE Pantry
• Campus Safety — services for and assistance in maintaining a safe environment including, University Police, Bias Response Team reporting, the safety app, alerts, etc.
• Counseling and Wellness Center — offers culturally-sensitive clinical services, outreach, or crisis therapy during academic quarters, along with other resources like gender-affirming care, survivor support, and sexual health
  • Red Folder Project — campus-wide initiative to help faculty and staff recognize, respond effectively to, and refer students in distress
• Office of Student Life — can help students with crisis, receive care or complaint reports, or organize leaves of absence
• Viking Resource Hub (Office of Orientation and Transition) — collection of supportive areas at WWU from academics to technology, health and wellness to community, etc.