The New School’s teachers contribute to an open-ended Ensemble rather than belonging to an exclusive faculty, wherein free-wheeling encounters, long-term collaborations and gracious departures might be valued equally. Our gathering extends to more than one hundred teachers attached to universities across the country and the world. All of us are otherwise active in the world as parents, children, carers, grandparents, knitters, gardeners and petitioners; and ever wary of what Edward Said identified as the dangers of professionalism. 

 

We aim to explore how a group of people in their work might recover a condition of trust, conviviality and mutual aid, both among and between teachers and students, without falling into the retrograde traps of the institution. In our decision-making we seek to learn from and emulate the improvisational risk, tactical acuity and collaborative grace that characterises the jazz quintet, the dance troupe, the letter-cutter’s workshop and the Occupy movement.

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The New School of the Anthropocene is an environment that encourages and celebrates freedom of thought and expression; freedom from discrimination; and the fostering of companionship, mutual aid and trust. These values are enshrined within our core principle of care for others. It is therefore vital that our behaviour towards one another remains ethical, courteous and considerate.

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The following code defines NSotA's community standards. It sets out our expectations around how we should and should not behave towards each other. It is not exhaustive but models both the expectation of positive behaviour and the inappropriate forms that may lead to a scholar or Ensemble member being asked to leave the New School. Understanding this can help each of us appreciate the impact of the way we behave.

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We are each individually responsible for our own actions and for recognising the impact of our behaviour on others. This is an ethical duty of care which can, in certain cases, extend beyond NSotA’s boundaries. This includes the nature of course work, which is often of a sensitive nature and can have a demonstrable impact on individuals and communities, both human and earth others.

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We should always strive to:

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• Foster a trusting environment that enables honest and supportive working and studying conditions;

• Recognise that our actions can impact others and show courtesy and consideration in our interactions with others, even if we disagree with their views;

• Discuss views that others may find disagreeable or distasteful in a constructive and lawful way;

• Treat each other fairly and without bias;

• Recognise and acknowledge the contribution of others to our work;

• Honour the need for confidentiality when the nature of our work requires it;

• Maintain respectful and appropriate relationships with everyone associated with the New School;

• Promote a culture of safety where people can speak about inappropriate behaviour;

• Identify inappropriate behaviour and then intervening, speaking out and helping where we feel able.

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In order to maintain a culture of courtesy and trust, we must never bully, harass, discriminate, victimise or commit sexual misconduct, by avoiding such behaviour as:

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• Talking down to, belittling, gratuitously interrupting or preventing others from speaking;

• Directing inappropriate language, such as swearing, towards others or making degrading comments about individuals or groups of individuals;

• Making derogatory remarks about a colleague’s performance in public, whether directly (such as in a meeting) or indirectly (such as by copying people into an email or social media post);

• Humiliating others by shouting at them, either publicly or privately;

• Maliciously ignoring individuals or groups of individuals, or inhibiting the ability of others to perform their roles by withholding information or excluding them from necessary meetings and discussion; 

• Imposing overbearing and intimidating levels of supervision or management;

• Undermining the reputation of others through slander, malicious rumour or false allegation, or by breaching confidential conversations;

• Advocating unethical practices or positions that might bring the New School and/or its community into disrepute;

• Making jokes, remarks or gestures relating to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability or age that are degrading or discriminatory even if this is independent of our intentions;

• Mocking, mimicking or belittling a colleague, student or visitor because we perceive them as different to us, or using this difference as a reason to treat them unfairly;

• Behaving in a controlling or coercive way, such as placing excessive pressure on others to subscribe to a particular political or religious belief;

• Circulating or displaying any type of communication on any form of media that would otherwise constitute a form of inappropriate behaviour contrary to this policy;

• Making unwelcome and unpermitted sexual advances, suggestive behaviour or touching someone against their will or without their consent, even if it is perceived as harmless by the individual behaving this way;

• Retaliating to allegations of inappropriate behaviour, including threatening those who have made the allegations, providing unfair or misleading references, or blocking access to opportunities.