General Listserv Policy

Each COMmunity for Mathematics Inquiry in Teaching (COMMIT) is part of the COMMIT Network. For more details about the network, see https://www.comathinquiry.org/shared-statements/shared-principles. All leaders of COMMIT communities are invited and encouraged to join and participate in our Google Groups listserv.

This listserv is for leaders of individual COMMITs to (1) share successes and challenges involved in managing and leading their community, (2) discuss business of the COMMIT Network, and (3) share resources for further dissemination to COMMIT memberships. This includes but is not limited to:

• Discussions about national or local COMMIT programming, funding, resources, materials, etc. This includes collaborations or possible collaborations between COMMITs.

• Announcements of COMMIT events that are open to members of one or more other COMMITs, with a “please forward” statement.

• Announcements of or discussion about relevant leadership training, events, or resources. These need not be directly related to COMMIT.

• Relevant discussions about entities affiliated with COMMIT (such as those linked on the COMMIT homepage), or similar entities that are stakeholders in the inquiry, math, or academic leadership communities. This includes discussion of ongoing or possible collaborations between one or more COMMITs and such an entity, but may also include any impact the COMMIT Network may have on such an entity or any impact that such an entity may have on the COMMIT Network.

• Announcements of non-COMMIT events, that are, however, relevant and of interest in COMMIT memberships. Please only send these if they align closely with COMMIT goals of supporting faculty in teaching equitably with inquiry, and include a “please forward to membership” note. We view this as a valuable way to share relevant events with local memberships.

We expect members to use their best judgment as to what is worth forwarding to COMMIT leaders. In particular, unless an event or announcement seems relevant to most COMMITs, it should probably not be forwarded to the listserv of COMMIT leaders.

We are open to revising and adding to this policy in response to membership needs and concerns.

Under no circumstances should the listserv be used for defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials or language.

When composing an email to this listserv, please take the time to make it easy to read for the other busy leaders in the network. For some tips, you can follow the MAA’s “Guidelines for content” at the end of their MAA Section Email Policy. Sometimes a longer, meandering, discussion is necessary, in which case those involved might consider moving off-list, such as to a Google Doc or to the COMMIT Network’s Slack channel; contact CoMathInquiry@gmail.com for assistance in joining the Slack channel.

Listserv members should be mindful of sharing information posted here. Sharing emails clearly marked as “announcements” (or with “please forward”) from this listserv with your community members and collaborators will often be needed. In order to maintain our COMMIT spirit of a "Community of Trust" where members feel comfortable opening up about challenges and are receptive to constructive feedback, other emails should be treated as private conversations among leaders; we rely on everyone’s good judgement.

See www.CoMathInquiry.org for more information about the network.

This updated policy was approved unanimously by the 13 members of the COMMIT Network nonprofit Board of Directors on 8/11/22.