Carnegie Mellon University

Osher at CMU - Values and Expectations

Mission: 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.

Vision: 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.

Values: Osher at CMU provides a dynamic, intellectually stimulating, and participative environment of continuous learning. 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 embrace diverse perspectives on subjects, thereby ensuring vitality, relevance, and further learning.
  2. To ensure that discourse and interactions are about the course and not the individual.
  3. To respect all participants through regular attendance, only at courses for which registered.
  4. To participate in appropriate ways that help the group to grow.

Osher at CMU holds a high behavioral standard, expecting no personal attacks or other behavior that fails to meet these expectations, including denigrating other’s views or opinions, threatening behaviors, use of offensive or abusive language, disruptive classroom conduct, sexual harassment or discrimination, and monopolizing discussions.

Anyone who disregards the values and expectations of Osher at CMU may be denied the privilege of participating in courses and/or other Osher activities even to the extent of discontinued membership.

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

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

July 29, 2019