Facebook Group Guidelines and Rules
/We now have Facebook Group guidelines and rules!
NMI FB Group Rules/Guidelines
As our community grows, we want to share some Group Rules and other guidelines to help us all co-create a community of learning, exploration, and growth.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
This page is not moderated
NMI staff do not monitor this group
FB group posts and direct messages are not an official means of communication. If you need help from or have a question for staff or an instructor, please send an email. We will respond during normal work hours in our representative time zones.
This Facebook group, like our community, is diverse and broad. It comprises:
NMI midwifery students and recent grads
NMI staff and faculty
Folks of many different genders, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, abilities, levels of education, and pathways to midwifery
Folks who have varying exposures to racism, sexism, trans-hostility, homophobia, and other marginalizations
Folks who have varying degrees of exposure, education, and language around anti-racism and anti-oppression work in midwifery.
The following are guidelines for participating in this online learning community. NMI will periodically revisit these guidelines and amend them as necessary. If you feel that a guideline has not been followed, please notify staff via email. You are also welcome to file a complaint or grievance in accordance with our policy.
No Hate Speech, Bullying, or Exclusion. Degrading comments about things like race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, or identity will not be tolerated.
“Safety is Co-Created.” Together we create a welcoming and inclusive community. It is everyone’s responsibility to create a safer space for all members of this group. NMI cannot guarantee a “safe space,” because “safe” means different things to different people, but we do our best. We ALL have a responsibility with our behaviors and our words to help create safer spaces for folks.
Be Civil, (especially when we disagree). From the Institute of Civility in Government, “Civility is claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs, and beliefs without degrading someone else’s in the process.”
Be Inclusive. Consider your communications in this group for inclusion of gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and more intersections and positions.
Respect Everyone’s Privacy. Being part of this group requires a level of mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions make groups great, but may also be sensitive and private. What's shared in the group should stay in the group.
Public harm requires public acknowledgement of harm. Those who witness harm, and who may not have been directly involved in the harmful interaction, can also experience harm. All parties involved in the incident or who witnessed it, are welcome to use NMI’s Complaint and Grievance mechanism
Abide by the NMI Student Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct defines the positive and educationally supportive behaviors that are expected within the NMI community. (see the NMI Student Handbook)
Abide by the NMI Non-Discrimination Policy (see Policy & Procedures on the NMI Website)
If you are in a position of privilege in a particular discussion topic, practice humility, and listening skills. Be open to learning. After all, this is a learning community! We are all always learning.
If you are unsure of how to behave in this group, please review the resources in the NMI Anti-Racism & Anti-Oppression In Midwifery module: How To Be In Community and How to Apologize.
Dr. Yangmai, a talk on Instagram
Dr. Ann Marie Garran, Equity in Midwifery Webinar: Affinity Spaces for Learning and Healing; Co-Author in book, Racism in the United States: Implications for the Helping Professions
