Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 7AM - 7PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
Dear Participants,
We are delighted that you will be joining us at the Collegium Spinozanum this summer, and we look forward greatly to welcoming you soon. As we put the finishing touches on the summer school preparations, we would like to share a few updates and pieces of information with you. So keep watching this space:
Code of Conduct.
We are currently developing a Code of Conduct for the summer school to help ensure a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive environment for everyone. We would be grateful if you could take a look at the draft. If you have any comments, suggestions, or feedback, please do not hesitate to let us know.
General rules of polite and respectful interactions:
– Treat all conference participants with the same respect.
– Respect others’ privacy, personal space and boundaries. Be attentive if they do not want to be touched, talked to, photographed, or approached.
– Do not interrupt and listen to other opinions attentively.
– Help create an atmosphere, where asking questions and having a different perspective is cherished.
– Avoid misrepresenting other positions. Rephrase them as coherently as you can.
– Formulate criticism as fairly, constructively, and sensitively as possible.
– Desist from any unfair and unprofessional style of argumentation (ad hominem, straw man arguments, abusing power imbalances, killer arguments, etc.)
– If you present the idea of another person, make sure to refer to them as your source.
– The session chairs and conference team facilitate respectful discussions and conflict resolution. Support their work and follow their instructions.
Awareness of existing patterns of discrimination:
– Be mindful of your language (gender-sensitive, discrimination-sensitive, inclusive) and avoid derogatory or exclusionary wording.
– Respect self-designations and the chosen pronouns of others. If unsure, ask politely. Session chairs check pronouns before presenting a speaker.
– Ask for the correct pronunciation of a name, if you are unsure, and make an effort to pronounce it correctly.
– Reflect on your own privileges and be mindful not to marginalize or overlook others unintentionally.
– If you notice that someone appears uncomfortable or is experiencing discrimination, offer low-threshold support. Respect the decision of the affected person regarding further actions and support them if asked to. The conference team is here to help.
– If you are unsure whether your behavior has overstepped a boundary, take such feedback seriously, pause the conversation if necessary, and reflect on your behavior.
– A designated quiet space is available for breaks and calm. Follow the signs or ask the conference team to find them.
Film team on July 1.
Please note that there is a film team recording some snippets of the first lecture of the day as well as of the Round Table in the evening. This material will be used in upcoming adverts for future collegia as well as in a film about the University of Hagen. Please let us know in case you do not wish to be identifiable on the material.
Spinoza Society e.V. – We’d also like to inform you that, among the various Spinoza Societies, there is also one in Germany that regularly supports members with funding for initiatives like workshops or indeed the Collegium Spinozanum.
Moreover, we’d like to thank the Gesellschaft der Freunde der FernUniversität in Hagen for generous support.
Finally, here is a blog post featuring the previous Collegium Spinozanum that took place in 2023 in Groningen, NL.