Community Protocol
LEARNING TOGETHER
Learning with respect, curiosity, and care
Theologies for Today brings together learners with different experiences, identities,
beliefs, questions, and commitments.
Everyone participating in these courses shares responsibility for creating a learning environment grounded in dignity, thoughtful engagement, mutual respect, and care for the wider community.
What We Bring to the Learning Community
Curiosity
A willingness to ask thoughtful questions and learn from others.
Humility
An openness to reflection, growth, and reconsideration.
Respect
Care for the dignity, experience, and perspective of every participant.
Accountability
Responsibility for the effects of our words, actions, and participation.
Respectful Participation
Participants are expected to engage course materials, instructors, and other learners thoughtfully and in good faith.
We ask everyone to:
- Treat others with dignity and respect.
- Use people’s stated names and pronouns.
- Make room for different experiences and perspectives.
- Ask questions with curiosity rather than hostility.
- Respond to ideas without attacking people.
- Use language that supports learning rather than shutting it down.
- Take responsibility when words or actions cause harm.
Disagreement is welcome. Harassment, threats, personal attacks, discriminatory language, and demeaning conduct are not.
Engaging Difference and Disagreement
Theological learning often involves difficult questions, deeply held convictions, and genuine disagreement.
Participants should:
- Listen carefully before responding.
- Avoid assumptions about another person’s identity, faith, experience, or intentions.
- Distinguish disagreement from disrespect.
- Be willing to clarify, reconsider, and repair.
- Recognize that meaningful learning does not require uniformity or consensus.
The goal is not to avoid difficult conversations. The goal is to approach them with honesty, humility, and care.
Privacy and Responsible Sharing
Course conversations may include personal stories, ministry experiences, community concerns, and sensitive reflections.
Participants should not:
- Share another person’s post, comment, image, or personal story outside the course without permission.
- Post private or identifying information about another person.
- Upload confidential congregational, institutional, employment, counseling, student, or client records.
- Record or distribute course conversations without authorization.
- Assume that an online course space is fully private or confidential.
Share only what you are comfortable placing in an online learning environment.
Academic Integrity and Responsible Technology Use
Participants are expected to submit work that honestly represents their own learning.
Unless an instructor states otherwise:
- Acknowledge sources and ideas that are not your own.
- Do not submit another person’s work as your own.
- Do not misrepresent participation, completion, attendance, or authorship.
- Follow course-specific instructions about collaboration.
- Follow course-specific instructions regarding artificial intelligence and other digital tools.
When uncertain about what is permitted, ask the instructor before submitting the work.
Inclusive and Accessible Participation
The BST Collective is committed to learning environments in which participants can engage meaningfully and with dignity.
We ask participants to be mindful of differences in:
- Ability and technology access
- Language and culture
- Education and religious background
- Ministry and professional experience
When possible, provide context for specialized theological or professional language and support multiple ways of participating.
Raising a Concern
Concerns should be addressed early and respectfully whenever possible.
Participants may:
- Ask an instructor for clarification.
- Name a concern about communication or participation.
- Request help when disagreement is interfering with learning.
- Report behavior that appears threatening, discriminatory, harassing, or unsafe.
Concerns may be reviewed by the course instructor and appropriate BST or platform staff. Serious matters may be referred to the relevant institutional policy or process.
Because most concerns are best addressed within the course itself, participants are asked to begin by contacting their instructor. If that step has been taken and the concern continues, or if circumstances make it unworkable, write to kwaray@bst.edu. Concerns involving harassment or discrimination may be reported directly to kwaray@bst.edu at any time, without first contacting the instructor.
For urgent safety concerns, contact the appropriate local emergency resource.
Supporting a Healthy Learning Community
Every participant contributes to the character of the learning environment.
By bringing curiosity, humility, respect, and accountability to our shared work, we help create space for serious theological study, spiritual formation, faithful leadership, and public engagement.
Related Policies and Resources
This Community Protocol provides shared expectations for participation. It does not replace formal Berkeley School of Theology policies.