Syllabus Statements & Resources

This page serves as part of your course or program’s syllabus, and includes statements and resources that apply to all Evergreen offerings.

Tribal Land Acknowledgment

The Squaxin Island Tribe’s habitation of the land on and around the inlets of the Southern Salish Sea, including what is now the City of Olympia and here at The Evergreen State College spans thousands of years. The ancestral families who lived and thrived here: They named Budd Inlet Steh-Chass, and they named Eld Inlet where the campus is located Squi’Aitle. Today, the Squaxin Island Tribe continues to live on and steward the lands and waters of the Southern Salish Sea.

We acknowledge the Squaxin Island Tribe as it continues to live on and steward these lands and waters.

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional homelands of the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time, and continue to do so today. We recognize that this acknowledgement is one small step toward true allyship and we commit to uplifting the voices, experiences and histories of the Indigenous people of this land and beyond.

We respect and acknowledge the Squaxin Island and Puyallup tribes, and other Tribes across the Americas, and their many contributions to The Evergreen State College (in support of education, tribal sovereignty, environmental stewardship). This acknowledgement is one small step toward respect and collaboration with the aim of uplifting the voices, cultures and histories of the Tribes of these lands and waters.

(From the Evergreen Tribal Land Acknowledgments page)

Accessibility Statement

Students with disabilities: We are committed to creating an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your learning or full participation, please notify the faculty as soon as possible. Students with disabilities who need accommodations to support equal access should contact Access Services (evergreen.edu/access).

National and Religious Holidays Statement

Noting national holidays and religious holidays in your syllabus calendar helps raise awareness. Washington State law (RCW 28B.10.039) requires that institutions of higher education accommodate students by allowing two days of absence and make-up work for religious holidays per year. While Evergreen moves toward putting religious holidays into the online campus calendar, check the Washington State Council of President’s religious holidays calendar.

If there are religious obligations, such as Jewish or Muslim observances, that could conflict with class activities, you might consider announcing that you will make arrangements with students to whom this applies.

Disability and Chronic Illness Access

Faculty are committed to creating an environment in which meaningful learning is accessible to every program member. Please tell your faculty very early in the quarter if you have particular learning needs. If the needs are related to a disabling condition, they will keep the condition confidential unless you give them permission to speak to others.

If you are Deaf, or a person living with a disabling condition and with needs that require arrangements, technology or expense to meet, please talk to staff in the Evergreen Access Services Office to request support: 360.867.6348; office LIB 2153. What faculty can do in the classroom without support from Access Services is limited.

Evergreen’s Assistive Technology (AT) Lab is available to everyone on campus, regardless of disability status. Staff provide help with specific software, hardware, and strategies for learning. You can find the AT lab in its own room toward the back of the main floor of the Evergreen Library proper.

Inclusive Practices Policy

Generous response to others’ requests for inclusive practices counts people in. Requests that someone speak more loudly or slowly, read aloud, follow inclusivity guidelines for presentations, write in large letters on the board, or enable captioning when available are requests to be included.

By minimizing the presence of allergens and sensitivity-triggering fragrances on campus, Evergreen students, staff, and faculty make shared spaces available to people who live with otherwise-disabling conditions. To that end, please don’t wear strongly-scented products or smoke-saturated clothing in classrooms and offices. Read Evergreen’s Indoor Air Quality Policy.

College-wide policies allow smoking (including e-cigarettes) only in designated campus areas. Read Evergreen’s Smoking Policy.

Undocumented Student Support

Evergreen welcomes all students, regardless of residency, citizenship, or immigration status. Undocumented and immigrant students are integral to the Evergreen community and have a right to dignity, safety, and belonging. Evergreen provides various forms of on-campus support for undocumented and immigrant students, students with DACA, and those from mixed-status families. Students can find more information in our resources flyer, available in English and Spanish [Evergreen Undocu Resources Recursos bilingue Jan 2025]. For holistic support, information, and questions, students, staff, and faculty can contact: Evergreen’s Undocumented/Underserved Student Support Specialist, available in Spanish, and the Undocumented Student Task Force, a group of students, staff, and faculty committed to supporting and advocating for undocumented students at Evergreen. Both can be contacted by e-mailing (undocu@evergreen.edu).

Faculty Title IX Responsibility to Report Sexual Harassment

The College’s Title IX Policy and Procedure provides for prompt, fair, and effective response to reports and complaints of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual assault and related retaliation.

Examples of situations that can be reported to the Title IX Office:

Gender discrimination or sexual harassment: any discriminatory conduct based on your gender, gender expression, or perceived gender.
Sexual assault or rape: Actual or attempted nonconsensual or forced intercourse or contact.
Dating violence or domestic violence: physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse or threats of abuse in a romantic or intimate relationship, family, or household.
Stalking: conduct that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or the safety of others, or to feel intimidated or harassed.

To speak to someone confidentially, get support, and learn about your widest range of options, the best place to start is Evergreen’s Title IX Office. Students may also access services confidentially through Student Wellness Services, 360.867.6200. SafePlace Olympia (521 Legion Way SE, Olympia, 360.754.6300) also is a local off-campus contact for services.

If you choose to tell a faculty or staff member about an incident, be aware that almost all other Evergreen employees (including faculty) are required to report to the Title IX Coordinator information from students about sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, and stalking. Although we must notify the Title IX Coordinator, it will be up to you to control how your case is handled, including whether or not to pursue a formal complaint or legal action.

After receiving information from staff or faculty, the Title IX Coordinator will contact you. The goal here is to make sure you are aware of a range of options available to you and that you have access to the resources you need.

To speak to someone at the Title IX office, call 360.867.5224 or email titleixcoordinator@evergreen.edu. You may also report anonymously at evergreen.edu/incidentreport.