Carnegie Mellon University

Osher at CMU - Values and Expectations

The mission of Osher at CMU is to provide its members with learning and social enrichment opportunities that increase their knowledge, enhance skills and interactions with peers, and increase cultural and social awareness, complementing CMU's leading role in educational, intellectual, and cultural life in the Pittsburgh region.

Osher at CMU's vision is to be a premier quality source of lifelong learning for its members through cost effective, short-term, non-credit courses, lectures, field trips, special interest groups, and other events supporting its mission.

Diversity, equity and inclusion guide our values and are critical to academic excellence and innovation.

Values: Osher at CMU provides a dynamic, intellectually-stimulating, and participative environment of continuous learning and social interaction. To ensure the effectiveness of that environment, we highly value:

  • mutual respect,
  • personal and academic integrity, and
  • civil discourse.

Expectations and Actions: Osher at CMU expects its participants (members, study leaders, staff, volunteers and prospects) to observe our values. Participants agree:

  1. To treat all others with respect and dignity.
  2. To embrace diverse perspectives in an accepting environment, thereby ensuring vitality, relevance, and further learning.
  3. To ensure that discourse and interactions are focused on the course and not the individual.
  4. To respect all study leaders and members through consistent attendance, only at courses for which registered.

Osher at CMU holds a high behavioral standard including, but not limited to, not tolerating personal attacks or other behavior that fails to meet these expectations. Examples are denigrating others views or opinions, threatening behaviors, use of offensive or abusive language, disruptive classroom conduct, and sexual harassment or discrimination.

Anyone who disregards the values and expectations of Osher at CMU may be subject to corrective actions, up to and including denial of course and/or activity participation, and/or discontinued membership.

We encourage participants in the Osher at CMU community to notify the Executive Director or the Board President if they experience or observe behavior that is inconsistent with our Values and Expectations.

We are committed to fostering a community environment of lifelong learning.

Revised: December 14, 2023