Many of us find ourselves stumped by the seemingly impossible task of attending to students’ mental health while holding them accountable for the material they signed up to learn. On the one hand, we empathize with how our students must feel in the midst of existential crises like climate change, economic precarity, and threats to democracy. “I would not want to be young right now” is a common refrain we say and hear. On the other hand, is constantly excusing absences and accepting late and/or substandard assignments really empathic?   

In this session, participants will have the opportunity to share their challenges in balancing grace and accountability with facilitators who have thought and written on this topic. Facilitators Laura Harrison and Kristin Chamberlain will provide guidance for planning spring courses with an eye toward achieving this balance.