This section is for scholars anticipating or facing harassment based on their teaching. This can come in the form of verbal, physical, sexual or online abuse, and may occur in the classroom or outside of it.
York is committed to policies that support the teaching and learning of controversial subject matter. Students and instructors are, however, expected to maintain a teaching and learning environment that is physically safe and conducive to effective teaching and learning for all concerned, and to be civil and respectful at all times within the learning environment.
If you or a York colleague is experiencing scholarship harassment:
- Contact the relevant Chair/Director or Associate Dean within the Faculty as well as the Vice-Provost Teaching & Learning at vptl@yorku.ca
- If harassment raises human rights concerns, consult with the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion CHREI at rights@yorku.ca
For preparing to teach challenging courses or topics:
- Facilitating Dialogue and Challenging Conversations in the Classroom (Teaching Commons)
- Teaching sensitive topics and dealing with emotionally charged content (University of Liverpool)
- Inclusive Teaching Practices: Handling Sensitive Topics (Graduate School of Stanford Business)
To explore other resources:
- Resources – Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (CHREI) – resources to assist students, faculty and staff in upholding human rights, equity, and inclusion
- Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – Teaching Commons – Explore DEDI in teaching & learning
- Guidelines to Support Accountable Space – Teaching Commons – Fostering accountable spaces in the classroom