Classroom Climate

Sharing Concerns about Classroom Climate at BU Law School

Among the core values of Boston University School of Law are excellence in teaching, a high-quality classroom experience, and equitable membership in the law school community regardless of race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex (including that based on sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and marital or parental status), age, national origin (including shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics and citizenship/residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity), ethnicity, physical or mental disability, genetic information, military service or veteran status, socio-economic status, and moral or political perspective. Our school is committed to thoughtful dialogue conducted with good faith and energy in an inclusive and respectful classroom environment. The classroom climate should encourage open inquiry and free expression among community members while recognizing and respecting diversity of identities, backgrounds, values and views. All faculty and students are encouraged to share the aspirations to equity, responsibility and integrity and to treat others in a respectful manner grounded in civility and honesty. 

We nevertheless recognize that as a diverse community engaged with the complexities of life and the law, both inside and outside of the classroom, there will be times when members of our community fall short of these aspirations. Boston University offers a variety of resources and tools to respond to those situations.  

On the University level, the tools and resources  include the following:  

At the School of Law, we have a number of people who are available to provide support and respond to classroom climate issues. Conversations with these people will be private, but not confidential:  

As a distinct sub-community of the broader University, the Law School also developed two of its own supplemental tools to help us to better understand and respond to challenges to our community values on both an individual basis and on a community basis. The two available tools are: 

1. The online feedback form about classroom climate.  

 NOTE: This form is private, but not confidential, meaning that disclosures in this form may need to be reported to the Equal Opportunity Office for investigation and provision of resources. 

  • This form may be used to report student concerns about classroom climate arising from student or faculty interactions in, or related to, classes. 
  • This form does NOT allow for anonymous reports. In addition, this form is NOT CONFIDENTIAL. Conduct reported in this form that may be included as “prohibited behavior” in BU’s Interim Equal Opportunity and Title IX Policy is required to be reported to the BU Equal Opportunity Office. Prohibited behavior that must be reported includes information about sexual misconduct, violence or discrimination, and harassment, discrimination and/or retaliation on the basis of a protected class as defined in the policy.  
  •  This form is meant to facilitate dialogue about the concerns expressed and to promote learning. This form should NOT be used to be used to prevent or stifle the free expression of legal arguments in the classroom. 
  • This form should NOT be used for matters relating to grading, which are addressed by the Academic Standards Committee, pursuant to the JD Handbook. 

BU School of Law is committed to the private and thorough review of the reports received. To learn about the review process click here.  

 As of October 15, 2024, we haven’t received any entries concerning classroom climate this semester. 

 

2. The 1L Classroom Climate Survey 

  •  To gauge the development of the 1L learning environment, we created a 1L Fall Classroom Climate Survey. The purpose of this anonymous 3-question survey is to “take the pulse” of our 1L class by inviting students to provide general feedback (positive or negative), as well as suggestions. This survey will be made available to all 1L students in the fall semester (October). We invite and encourage students to provide feedback (positive or negative), as well as suggestions.
  • Your feedback about inclusion and the learning environment at BU Law will greatly help us pursue this goal. The survey will be read primarily by the Associate Dean for Equity, Justice and Engagement, but will also be shared with the Dean, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean for Academic Engagement, the Director of the Academic Enrichment Program and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. It will help the Associate Dean for Equity, Justice & Engagement and the peer equity fellows respond to student needs, recommend more inclusive practices, and design future programming.