Students Create a Code of Conduct

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By Stephanie Young ’00, Dean of Students

Last summer the Student Council spent a considerable amount of their vacation developing and drafting the Foxcroft Code of Conduct (Code). This Code is a reaffirmation of Foxcroft’s commitment to an emotionally and physically safe school environment. It sets the tone and expectation for how we treat one another in our community. And the beauty of this Code is that it was developed entirely by students. After witnessing the social unrest following the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, the students wanted to develop a response to the Black Lives Matter movement. “We were inspired by the Courageous Conversations hosted by the Alumnae DEI Committee in partnership with Foxcroft, as well as the @Blackatfxc Instagram,” Senior Class President Julia Clark explained. “The upperclassmen had a vision of fixing the issues we had encountered or noticed during our time, and we hoped that through collaboration with the underclassmen, we could shape a more inclusive future for Foxcroft.” Honor Council Member Betsy Altenburger ’21 added, “Someone brought up the importance of civil discourse, but we did not have policies in place to manage that. The general consensus was that we need a spoken code to facilitate discourse.” Work began immediately. “We met pretty much weekly, and every time we’d meet we would have ‘homework’ for the next time,” described Student Head of School Moni Corona Perera ’21. “We threw out big ideas,” offered Student Vice Head of School Bianca McNeely ’21, “[about] what we wanted students to take from reading the Code of Conduct. Then we looked at other schools’ code[s] of conduct

[and] student behavior expectations to frame how we wanted to organize our own.” Ultimately, it was decided that the Code should be similar in style and structure to the Honor Code because the students were already familiar with that. Meeting regularly over Zoom, members began to flesh out the Code. “We were determined to have it included in the Student and Parent Handbook and made sure to have our final draft before the publication date,” recalled Tami Famewo ’21. Within their timeframe, the Council members created not B et s y Altenburger only the Code of Conduct but also a spoken code to be said aloud — in classrooms and other campus settings — before beginning potentially charged conversations or debates, and a set of case studies to help the entire Foxcroft community practice living by the Code. An undertaking of this scope and scale is particularly impressive given the age of the people involved, as well as their varied backgrounds and points of view. “While we might have different backgrounds or

J ul i a Cl ark

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viewpoints, we all wanted the same thing: a Code of Conduct that the Foxcroft community will uphold and respect,” offered Head Prefect Hays Turner ’21. This sentiment was supported by Moni; “Yes, there were different viewpoints, but none too drastic; in the end, we just wanted everyone to feel comfortable in the community being who they are and respecting everyone.” This does not mean that emotions didn't come into play. “We also used our emotions and experiences,” said Betsy. “It was important that we thought about how we wanted people to feel after having a conversation guided by the Code of Conduct.” “While Foxcroft has had a long-standing policy regarding anti-harassment and anti-bullying, the Code of Conduct is so powerful because it was created by the students themselves and speaks to them in a way they can own it and support it. I am very proud of them,” said Head of School Cathy McGehee, who met with the student leaders over the summer to provide feedback on their drafts. How the students used their emotions is also very impressive. “Among the Council members, we shared personal experiences to gauge what cultural parts of Foxcroft we wanted to see change and we also took inspiration from the @Blackatfxc Instagram posts and alumnae experiences to shape our Code of Conduct,” emphasized Julia. Bianca added that she saw the most diversity in experiences and viewpoints when they were developing the case studies. “I think some of the students have been on the receiving end of the behavior that the Code of Conduct [tries] to prevent,” she says, “so the Code was personal.” This personal aspect of the Code was exemplified by Hays who felt it would

be beneficial with the, then upcoming, presidential election. “I want every Foxcroft student to feel like her voice and opinion belong at Foxcroft, and I do not want any student to feel as if she has to hide that opinion in fear of retribution or conflict.” Julia agreed, “We wanted to ensure that the process did not only surround current students’ issues, but also address[ed] the pain that past T ami F amewo students experienced, and to think about the future generations of Foxcroft girls.” In the end, the Code of Conduct is serving to protect all members of the Foxcroft community from harassment based on their identity, their opinions, or their ideals. The significance of these students’ efforts resonated with everyone in the community, and those who put the ideas and discussions to paper learned the value of using their voice for good. “While crafting the Code of Conduct,” reflected Bianca, “we all came to realize the power of words and the impact that adding these 300 words to the handbook could have on Foxcroft now and in the future.” •

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FOXCROFT CODE OF CONDUCT

Written and adopted by the Student Council

August 2020

All members of the Foxcroft community, including students, faculty, and staff, must take action on creating a community of trust which discourages all forms of discrimination, harassment, and relational aggression. (Examples of relational aggression include behaviors such as gossiping, “backstabbing,” spreading untrue things, covert and deliberate efforts to exclude and put down, eye-rolling, heavy sighing, leaving someone out of group projects, “subtweets,” etc.) This expectation extends to all forms of communication on campus and off-campus, applying to both in-person and online presence including social media, regardless of the formality of the situation, in order to create a safe environment for everyone no matter their race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, religion, age, disability, economic status, personal qualities, or any classification protected by law. The Code of Conduct is a social agreement between members of the community.

All community members must take an active role in creating a community without discrimination to ensure that each individual’s dignity is upheld. Community members are free to share their beliefs without disrespecting others or any classifications protected by law. Reporting behavior that disrespects the personal dignity of a person or group is expected. If any member of the community is a witness to the Code of Conduct being broken, the community expects that person to take an active role through facilitating conversations, education, making amends, and reporting the incident to a student leader, trusted adult, or to Human Resources.

Any students who breach the Code of Conduct can expect a range of responses, including at a minimum, personal education, mediation, and taking actions to repair trust, up to meeting with the Honor Council. Even one offense could result in disciplinary action. Furthermore, those who fail to meet these expectations, resulting in repeated conversations, may face disciplinary consequences including suspension or dismissal from school.

Faculty and staff are also expected to follow the Anti-Harassment Policy and the Anti-Harassment Complaint Procedure in the Employee Handbook.

The following Spoken Code of Conduct is to be posted in classrooms, reviewed before class discussions or open conversations, and is applied to all community-wide events:

Before this conversation, I accept that we may have a difference in opinions. I will respect you, your background, and your identity. I recognize the difference between your identity and your personal opinions on this subject, and while I may challenge your opinions, I will not attack your identity. I am accountable for my actions and my words. If I fail to uphold these values, I will take the initiative to make amends for the harm I have caused and further educate myself, so that I may regain respect and work to rebuild trust in my community.

Foxcroft is no place for discrimination against others and students and faculty are required to report breaches in these expectations.