University of Arizona has implemented new guidelines regarding "safe spaces." This comes amidst the criticisms that safe spaces and trigger warnings have received for coddling students.
Apparently, the initiative is to "maximize free speech in the classroom." The new guidelines encourage students to say "ouch" when they are offended while the other party should respond with "oops," The College Fix reported.
These suggestions were from the University of Arizona's College of Humanities. The guidelines can be found in a 20-page handbook entitled "Diversity and Inclusiveness in the Classroom," which has been credited to Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence Jesús Treviño.
The guidelines are intended to be a resource for addressing sensitive topics in the classroom. It is not a requirement but are suggestions for faculty to use in their classes.
The "Oops/ouch" strategy can be found in the Personal and Group Affirmation of the handbook. It is intended to create a safe space for students to engage in dialogue about challenging topics and promote positive intergroup interactions.
Other strategies in the section include "One Diva, One Mic," where only one speaker is allowed to talk at a time. Another is "Confidentiality," which encourages students to continue dialogue outside of class with their peers but to make sure not to disclose the names of students who shared in class.
According to Free Beacon, the guidelines also teach about "microinsults" and "microinvalidations" apart from "microaggressions." The former is defined as behaviors, actions or verbal remarks that are rude, insensitive or demeaning to a group, social identity or heritage.
"Microinvalidations," on the other hand, are actions that negate or nullify the opinions, feelings or reality of people who represent different groups. The guidelines also provide examples of "microaggressions" such as pronouncing a student's foreign-sounding name wrong or assigning class projects that are sexist, racist or promote oppressions as well as using heterosexist language in class.
