Addressing questions of how to comply with recent legislation, this blog provides suggestions for teaching and learning in inclusive classrooms.

The University teacher is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When speaking or writing as a citizen, there should be freedom from institutional censorship or discipline, but a special position in the community imposes special obligations. [They] should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinion of others, and should make every effort to indicate that he or she is not an institutional spokesman.

Academic freedom is essential to higher education. As articulated in the above quote from Ball State University’s Freedom of Expression page, instructors should be free from institutional censorship, but this freedom comes with conditions. One condition is the newly enacted Senate Enrolled Act 202, commonly referred to as SB 202.  

In his speech at the State of Inclusive Excellence Address, President Mearns asserted Ball State “encourage[s] and reward[s] diversity of thought.” However, the passage of SB 202 may leave some faculty feeling anxious and confused about the law’s application to the classroom. This blog will provide suggestions for teaching and learning in the post-SB 202 classroom to address faculty concerns. 

Strategies to Consider

The Fall 2024 semester is the first regular term SB 202 is in effect, creating murkiness around the potential restrictions and repercussions of the bill. After connecting with several faculty members at Ball State and researching how other universities are handling academic freedom, instructors may do the following to cultivate inclusive classroom conversations in adherence with SB 202: 

Clearly align objectives with classroom content

Explicitly aligning course objectives with course content is the easiest way to justify how content relates to the course requirements, discipline, or curriculum standards. While many instructors already do this at the beginning of the semester, it may be helpful to remind students frequently (e.g., every week or at the start of every unit) of the ways their assignments relate to the course or unit-level objectives. See below for a redesigned objective from my Fundamentals of Public Communication course last semester. 

Before: 

You should be able to display improved abilities in critical listening. 

After: 

At the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate critical listening skills when contributing to in-class discussions.  

I outline how students will demonstrate their learning in the revised course objective. Instead of using a subjective adjective (improved), I include measurable verbs (demonstrate, contributing) to clearly illustrate what students should do. I also mention where the students should demonstrate these skills (in-class discussions) to help them actualize the objective.  

Have students choose their own content

When applicable, letting students choose their own content is a practical way to “introduce students to scholarly works from a variety of political or ideological frameworks,” a tenet of SB 202. For instance, during Ball State Director of Instructional Consultation Cheri Madewell’s Gendered Religion unit in her Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies course, she encourages students to find an alternate podcast to analyze if they feel more comfortable doing so.  

Cheri talks more about her practice below: 

Teaching Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies, we examine topics that some learners may feel uncomfortable exploring for [various] reasons, such as little to no experience or knowledge of the topic, their beliefs, or their background or lived experiences. This doesn’t mean learners can skip a module or topic. [Instead], I can give learners a choice of instructional materials and students agency to identify their own material—as long as the material clearly aligns with the stated module objective(s).  

In other words, learners must demonstrate their achievement of the module objective no matter the material with which they engage. This requires that learners clearly understand the module objective or what they should be able to do once they engage in the course material and complete the corresponding assessment. 

As an instructive example, learners listen to a podcast by a reputable source in the course module examining gender and religion. However, I give learners the choice to identify their own podcast, as long as it aligns with the stated objective and the podcast is similar in length and produced by a reputable source. It is important that learners identify a podcast, specifically, so they can experience and engage with various types or modalities of learning materials throughout the course. 

Create discussion guidelines

At the beginning of the semester, involve students in creating classroom discussion guidelines. These requirements may include criteria such as avoiding blame, critiquing ideas instead of individuals, or listening actively. For examples of effective guidelines, see the University of Michigan’s Guidelines for Discussing Difficult or High-Stakes Topics or the University of Connecticut’s General Discussion Guidelines.  

Additionally, assigning clear discussion roles encourages equity and critical thinking in student discussions. Assistant Teaching Professor of English Kat Greene’s Teaching Innovation Blog post details her experience assigning discussion roles in online discussion boards. Still, this practice can be easily adapted to the in-person classroom. 

Promote open dialogue

It is our responsibility as instructors to maintain a respectful learning environment when facilitating classroom conversations. Ball State provides a Faculty Toolkit with pertinent resources for instructors looking to model productive conversations. From an overview of national free speech to Ball State’s specific guidelines, the toolkit aids faculty in navigating academic freedom of expression policies. 

Colorado State University also offers advice for promoting open dialogue on its Academic Freedom in the Classroom page. Their suggestions reframe common conversation pitfalls—for instance, when a student places blame, they suggest to “[ask] the student to rephrase and practice mutual respect in the classroom” instead of “ignoring or being silent.” 

Another way to promote open dialogue is reflection. Particularly if a classroom discussion is heated, it may be helpful for students to reflect on the experience after leaving the classroom environment. Director of International Student Success Shane Lanning’s Teaching Innovation Blog post details how to create a Canvas reflection space for learners to refer to throughout the semester.  

Recommend office hours or other Ball State supported programming

In some cases, instructors may need to redirect instead of engaging in a classroom discussion unrelated to course material. When this situation arises, instructors might suggest continuing the conversation with the student outside the classroom, either after class or during office hours. They could also recommend a campus resource to the student after class.  

For instance, Success Coaching provides students with skills and strategies for success. Their office may be suggested when students mention issues such as lacking motivation, requiring additional support, or needing academic direction. For a full list of when to refer students to success coaching, see Student Success Coaching’s Fall 24 Referral Suggestions.  

Another resource is the Counseling Center, the mental health experts at Ball State. Their office may be recommended to students if they have concerns about their mental health or you would like to encourage them to seek professional support. For a full list of the Counseling Center’s resources and on-demand services, see their Linktree. 

The Need for Ongoing Consideration

We are still in the initial stages of teaching with SB 202. How the legislation will affect our instruction is still mostly unknown, but that does not mean instructors must reshape their pedagogy. Instead, this semester poses a unique opportunity for intentionality in our classroom conversations.  

The Division of Online and Strategic Learning intends to provide you with the resources to act intentionally this fall. If you still have questions, please email strategiclearn@bsu.edu or make an appointment with one of our instructional consultants.

References

Ball State University. “Cheri Madewell.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/online-and-strategic-learning/contact-us/online-and-strategic-learning-staff/instructional-support/cheri-madewell 

Ball State University. “Contact Us – Online and Strategic Learning Staff.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/online-and-strategic-learning/contact-us/online-and-strategic-learning-staff/instructional-support 

Ball State University. “Counseling Center.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.bsu.edu/campuslife/counseling-center 

Ball State University. “SharePoint Document.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://ballstate-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/mackenzie_clark_bsu_edu/EZ2Bzrg7OhZGlg3xBT9XAKMB0urR2Nhtu_rq29PUT91bFA?e=UUhKeN 

Ball State University. “Student Success Coaching.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.bsu.edu/academics/collegesanddepartments/universitycollege/student-success-coaching 

Ball State University. “Freedom of Expression.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.bsu.edu/about/freedom-of-expression 

Ball State University. “Freedom of Expression Faculty Members Issue Statements.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.bsu.edu/about/freedom-of-expression#accordion_canfacultymembersissuestatements 

Ball State University. “Freedom of Expression Faculty Toolkit.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.bsu.edu/about/freedom-of-expression/faculty-toolkit 

Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. “General Guidelines.” University of Michigan. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://crlt.umich.edu/publinks/generalguidelines 

University of Connecticut. “General Discussion Guidelines.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://onlinestudent.uconn.edu/general-discussion-guidelines/ 

Kat Greene. “Creating Space and Connections with Discussion Board Roles in Canvas.” Ball State University Teaching Innovation Blog, March 1, 2023. https://blogs.bsu.edu/teaching-innovation/2023/02/08/creating-space-and-connections-with-discussion-board-roles-in-canvas/ 

LegiScan. “Indiana Legislative Bill SB 202.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://legiscan.com/IN/text/SB0202/id/2946990 

Shane Lanning. “Creating Reflective Space in Canvas.” Ball State University Teaching Innovation Blog, February 8, 2023. https://blogs.bsu.edu/teaching-innovation/2023/03/01/creating-reflective-space-canvas/ 

“Academic Freedom in the Classroom.” Colorado State University. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.libarts.colostate.edu/classroom-climate/academic-freedom-in-the-classroom/ 

Linktree. “Linktree for Ball State University Counseling Center.” Accessed October 3, 2024. https://linktr.ee/bsucc