Course Ethos of Care
In my courses, we engage in the radical act of taking care of ourselves and one another. Thus, I want to explicitly set the tone for how we’ll get through the semester while prioritizing care.Here are a few ideas for how we can create an ethos of care in the course. This is not an exhaustive list.
Note: Click on the + for more information.
Syllabus Ambitions
Need More Time?
Voice Your Needs
Matches your audience
Ask for what you need
You do not need to apologize for needing more time
Revise & Resubmit
Creative & Innovative
As You Are
You are encouraged to revise and resubmit assignments for full points
Bring yourself as you are.
New ways of engaging with material
*Course Ethos of Care is inspired by and revised from Dr. Laura Mauldin of the University of Connecticut https://lauramauldin.com/teaching/
You do not need to apologize for needing more time.
Asking for what you need also pertains to extensions. You do not need to apologize for needing more time. I can provide extensions any time for any assignment. You do not need to give me an explanation. You will not be punished, nor should you be. It is okay to take longer. We can work together to problem-solve. Ask for the time you need.
Bring yourself as you are
Let’s not pretend that the very things we discuss in the course aren’t the very things we live with, in our bodies, in our worlds. Let’s take care of each other in class through kindness and support. Ask for what you need.
ask for whatyou need
I encourage you to ask for what you need. In this course, “needs” are not “special,” they simply are. And everyone has different ones. It is okay to need something different when it comes to the course–Although my courses are designed with accessibility in mind, do you have access needs that I have not covered? Is there something we can do collectively as a class that will help make sure you thrive? We can and will have those conversations in the ways that feel most comfortable to you (privately, with each other, and so on). Ask for what you need
creative and innovative
Taking care of ourselves and each other means getting creative and innovative. It also can mean devising new ways of engaging with material. Let’s talk about the ways we can do so collectively and collaboratively if that is something that nurtures you and your intellectual development. Ask for what you need.
Here you can put a highlighted title
We will be talking about a lot of topics that may be new, and potentially difficult, for some of us. The beautiful part of learning is that it is a process! It is my hope that we will embrace this process in this course. Therefore, after you submit assignments and receive feedback you are encouraged to revise and resubmit assignments for full points. Additionally, you are encouraged to lean into potentially difficult and uncomfortable topics with openness and care for one another.
SYLLABUS AMBITIONS
Taking care of ourselves and each other also means taking things week by week. Yes we have a syllabus. It is full of ambition. We will check in regularly and make sure the ambitions are still feasible. Ask for what you need.
Course Ethos of Care
Heidi Blair
Created on October 16, 2025
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Transcript
Course Ethos of Care
In my courses, we engage in the radical act of taking care of ourselves and one another. Thus, I want to explicitly set the tone for how we’ll get through the semester while prioritizing care.Here are a few ideas for how we can create an ethos of care in the course. This is not an exhaustive list.
Note: Click on the + for more information.
Syllabus Ambitions
Need More Time?
Voice Your Needs
Matches your audience
Ask for what you need
You do not need to apologize for needing more time
Revise & Resubmit
Creative & Innovative
As You Are
You are encouraged to revise and resubmit assignments for full points
Bring yourself as you are.
New ways of engaging with material
*Course Ethos of Care is inspired by and revised from Dr. Laura Mauldin of the University of Connecticut https://lauramauldin.com/teaching/
You do not need to apologize for needing more time.
Asking for what you need also pertains to extensions. You do not need to apologize for needing more time. I can provide extensions any time for any assignment. You do not need to give me an explanation. You will not be punished, nor should you be. It is okay to take longer. We can work together to problem-solve. Ask for the time you need.
Bring yourself as you are
Let’s not pretend that the very things we discuss in the course aren’t the very things we live with, in our bodies, in our worlds. Let’s take care of each other in class through kindness and support. Ask for what you need.
ask for whatyou need
I encourage you to ask for what you need. In this course, “needs” are not “special,” they simply are. And everyone has different ones. It is okay to need something different when it comes to the course–Although my courses are designed with accessibility in mind, do you have access needs that I have not covered? Is there something we can do collectively as a class that will help make sure you thrive? We can and will have those conversations in the ways that feel most comfortable to you (privately, with each other, and so on). Ask for what you need
creative and innovative
Taking care of ourselves and each other means getting creative and innovative. It also can mean devising new ways of engaging with material. Let’s talk about the ways we can do so collectively and collaboratively if that is something that nurtures you and your intellectual development. Ask for what you need.
Here you can put a highlighted title
We will be talking about a lot of topics that may be new, and potentially difficult, for some of us. The beautiful part of learning is that it is a process! It is my hope that we will embrace this process in this course. Therefore, after you submit assignments and receive feedback you are encouraged to revise and resubmit assignments for full points. Additionally, you are encouraged to lean into potentially difficult and uncomfortable topics with openness and care for one another.
SYLLABUS AMBITIONS
Taking care of ourselves and each other also means taking things week by week. Yes we have a syllabus. It is full of ambition. We will check in regularly and make sure the ambitions are still feasible. Ask for what you need.