Learning and Teaching Culture Policy
Our Learning and Teaching Culture Policy strives to create a positive environment at the School of Architecture. We hold design thinking to be both driver and catalyst to building a better world.
Inherent in our policy is the assumption of respect for one and all – every community member is valued for the individual background, experience and perspective they bring, as a unique individual who is deserving of respect, empathy and attention. All will value the efforts and contributions of other classmates, faculty and administration.
This policy is a living document that incorporates input from students, faculty, and staff. The sections and points below outline our values.
- Our community advocates that diverse perspective leads to better solutions. Therefore, design enquiries should include awareness of all histories and perspectives.
- Our teaching highlights the importance of people, clients, users, communities, and society in design decisions.
- Our community promotes active student citizenship and leadership beyond the classroom, supporting students to become involved and engaged with activities and organization within the school, university and community.
- Faculty refrain from gate-keeping practices and setting obsolete standards or professional behaviors detrimental to student health and current modes of practice. Faculty implement effective and inclusive methods of teaching.
- Faculty and students create a supportive and NON-COMPETITIVE learning environment.
- Students bring a desire to learn from others, creating a robust shared experience where thoughts, concerns and ideas are advanced by the community as a whole.
- Faculty model collaboration for students by engaging with other faculty and professionals with different sets of expertise.
- Faculty moderate critiques in a manner that encourages the collective learning of the class and not merely ‘showmanship.’ This should include inviting appropriate external design professionals to respond constructively to student work.
- Students and faculty recognize that the end goal of studio work is NOT just a finished end-product but documented development of skills, application of knowledge, critical thinking and discernment.
- Students recognize that an iterative process that involves re-doing work to make refinements responsive to feedback is an integral part of architectural education and an important professional skill.
- Students develop skill and confidence without arrogance, elitism or condescension.
- Students understand that grades are one of several methods of communication from faculty. Grades measure how a student meets a specific evaluative criteria at a moment in time. Grades are not a holistic assessment of the student, their worth or latent abilities.
- Faculty ensures that feedback to students, including feedback from external reviewers, is encouraging, constructive, respectful and refrains from criticism of individual students or their abilities. Reviews should be discussion-oriented, not personal, recognizing that learning is in-progress and to be respectful of the efforts, experience and perspective of each student.
- Faculty communicates to students the learning objectives, schedule of assignments and grading criteria.
- Faculty publishes deadlines and presentation schedules with sufficient notice for students to plan their time accordingly.
- Faculty mentor students to set realistic expectations and practice healthy and productive time management habits.
- Faculty adheres to workload consistent with the credit hour requirements for their respective courses. Faculty will not assign work to be performed during University-observed breaks.
- Faculty respects that students take multiple classes and have other responsibilities.
- Faculty sets due dates that considers building closures which limit student access to print lab, shop, etc.
- Faculty and staff help students find alternate solutions when access to supplies and equipment is limited.
- Faculty will not equate quantity of work with quality of work for grading.
- Students strive for a healthy school/work/life balance, attending to the necessary rest, nutrition, stress management, discipline, and efficient use of their time.
- Students respect Faculty’s time and acknowledge that their teaching time is defined by employment contract with the university.
- Students communicate with faculty re: absences and when unavoidable due to illness, can request reasonable extensions to assignment deadlines.
- Students prioritize purchasing required supplies and equipment in a timely manner.
- Students participate in enriching activities outside of the classroom that support the development of their passions and professional network.
- Students are invested in their own learning, in preparation for the profession, beyond transactional exchange of assignment for grade.
- Students recognize that their academic integrity and reputation translate into professional integrity and reputation. Students will seek help from faculty rather than compromise their academic integrity.
- Students recognize that misuse of AI jeopardizes learning and opportunity to be prepared for the profession.
- Students practice the professional conduct of timeliness, including arriving to class on time, submitting assignments on time, and being ready to present to guest critics on time.
- Students learn how to challenge previously held ideas, stay open-minded and discover new insights.
- Learning is achieved through a variety of processes, that may vary from student to student and with each assignment.
- Faculty supports students to develop skills for a wide range of career paths.
- Coursework are regularly updated to reflect current practices in the profession.