Machiavelli vs My Dog
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- Module: Care and Equity
In the space below, brainstorm the MOST restrictive, oppressive course policies you can imagine. You can choose to frame these around a course you teach, or you can just come up with a list that could apply to any courses. Be as heavy-handed and authoritarian as you like; it’s okay if the rules you write make you uncomfortable.
Oppressive Course Policies
- Arrive on time (three late arrivals equals an absence)
- No more than three absences per semester
- No computers or phones! Ever!
- Stay engaged – heads up, hands up, and eyes on whomever is speaking
- Speak in class at least once a week
- Notify me in advance to request an extension (the night before doesn’t count)
- Buy this particular edition of this particular book – no substitutions
Oppressive Course Policies Reflection
The oppressive course policies give me a closed and itchy feeling. I didn’t use all of these when I was teaching, but I did include many of them (alas). I realize now that this came from the “students as antagonists” philosophy that Catherine Denial talked about in her article. I was afraid of being taken advantage of, but I also wanted to minimize distractions in class, establish clear expectations, and set up an environment of mutual respect, particularly for a course that was designed to help first year students establish helpful habits. In retrospect, I could have achieved that outcome in a more supportive and kind way.
Referring back to the rules you wrote, now write the OPPOSITE of each of them in the space below. Reframe each rule by imagining what it would be if you tried to completely counteract its purpose.
Rewritten Course Policies
- No attendance policy – please make the best decision for your life and learning
- Use any and all devices that help you process and stay engaged
- Engage in a way that makes most sense for you (speaking, not speaking, posting, submitting recordings, etc.)
- There are no due dates – we will work out a schedule that makes most sense for you
- Here are the resources we’ll be using in class and multiple ways to access them
Rewritten Course Policies Reflection
I’m struck that all of the rewritten course policies essentially follow a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model. If I offer students one choice, I can offer them another. It assumes that students know what works for them and are responsible for their (complex) lives that may result in balancing multiple priorities throughout the semester. I like that. At the same time, some limitations can be helpful, and as a (slightly obsessive) teacher I would really struggle with the “no due dates/individualized due dates” structure. I would need to be open about my own limitations and have all of us reflect on our preferences for learning and engaging with the class and material so that we could come up with the right balance of choice and structure at that particular time.
Reflect upon the experience of writing both sets. How did writing these rules make you feel? How were the two experiences different? In your own courses, are your policies more like one set or the other? Put yourself in the shoes of a student again, and re-read the rules. How do they feel now?
