About

Statement on inclusion + civility

The Department of Gender Studies at Indiana University Bloomington is dedicated to the values of fair treatment, civility, and non-discrimination. In this we follow IU’s stated commitment to the achievement of equality of treatment and opportunity, last reaffirmed by the Trustees of Indiana University in 2014.

As a community where inquiry is nurtured and theories are tested, the university must be a place where every individual has the right to feel safe to express ideas that differ from those held by others. At the same time, inquiry cannot thrive in an environment of intolerance, bigotry, or derision. This means that we hold to the highest standards of civility in our classrooms and department cultures; we are committed to the inclusion of diverse voices, experiences, and opinions, and we commit to the value of dignity in all our dealings with one another.

This policy is meant neither to proscribe nor to inhibit discussions, in or out of the classroom, of complex, controversial, or sensitive matters, including those involving sex, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, sexual behavior, race, or gender identity or expression, when in the judgment of a reasonable person they arise for legitimate pedagogical purposes.

In and through the Department of Gender Studies, we join together in the spirit of mutual concern, good will, and respect.