Welcome to The Commons! đź‘‹

General
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The Commons

Where Higher Ed Connects

Here are some things you can do to get started:

:speaking_head: Introduce yourself by adding your picture and information about yourself and your interests to your profile. What is one thing you’d like to be asked about?

:open_book: Get to know the community by browsing discussions that are already happening here. When you find a post interesting, informative, or entertaining, use the :heart: to show your appreciation or support!

:handshake: Contribute by commenting, sharing your own perspective, asking questions, or offering feedback in the discussion. Before replying or starting new topics, please review the Community Guidelines.

If you need help or have a suggestion, contact the admins.

To keep this space valuable, safe, and vibrant for everyone, we ask that all members abide by the following principles.

1. Be a Good Human, Be Kind

Respect is the bedrock of The Commons. We value brave conversations and honest feedback, and we balance that candor with a commitment to supporting one another.

  • Respect others: Treat every member with dignity. Harassment, hate speech, and exclusionary behavior will not be tolerated.

  • Assume good intent: Give your colleagues the benefit of the doubt. If a post feels off, ask for clarification before reacting.

  • Constructive over critical: If you disagree, critique the idea, not the person.

2. Keep It On Topic

We value your time and want to ensure The Commons remains a highly valuable space where every post matters.

  • Search first: Before asking a question, use the search bar to see if it has been answered recently.

  • Post in the right channel: Check the channel descriptions before posting to ensure your content reaches the right audience.

  • Keep it work-related: Your contributions should remain focused on matters related to higher education. This is not a space for advertisements, promotions, or other spam.

3. Your Participation Matters

The Commons belongs to you. Its value is determined by your participation. While CollegeSource Staff may interact in conversation, The Commons will be driven by the community’s participation.

  • Don’t wait for us: You don’t need “permission” from a moderator to start a discussion or share a resource.

  • Answer each other: If you see a question you can answer, jump in! The best insights often come from peers.

  • Shape the culture: Upvote helpful content and model the behavior you want to see.

4 . Be Generous

A thriving community is built on the “give-to- get” mentality.

  • Share your “Secret Sauce”: If you’ve found a shortcut, a template, or a lesson learned, share it. We all rise together.

  • Celebrate others: If someone does something great, call it out. High-fives are always welcome.

  • Offer feedback: Help others improve by providing thoughtful, honest input when asked.

5. Don’t Overshare

While we value authenticity, we must maintain professional and security standards.

  • Protect Privacy: Do not share sensitive client data, internal passwords, or private contact information. We don’t want to be the FERPA police, so please be mindful when posting content that contains sensitive data and ensure you follow your institution’s data policies.

  • Read the Room: Keep personal venting to a minimum. If you’re having a bad day, reach out to a friend or manager directly rather than broadcasting to the entire community.

6. Rely on your Moderators

To keep the community healthy, we have a small team of volunteer moderators who keep things running smoothly.

  • Right to edit/remove: Moderators reserve the right to remove posts or comments that violate these guidelines.

  • Accountability: Moderators may temporarily or permanently remove someone from the community.