Developing a Classroom Code of Ethics: Early Semester Work for Preparing the Class for Learning and Participation – with Renée Nichole Ferguson, Angelina LoBianco, and Gabriela Robinson
Developing a Classroom Code of Ethics: Early Semester Work for Preparing the Class for Learning and Participation – with Renée Nichole Ferguson, Angelina LoBianco, and Gabriela Robinson
Date: Thursday, April 30th, 2026
Time: 1:00-2:00pm (AT) / 12:00-1:00pm (ET) / 9:00-10:00am (PT)
SoTL Speaker Session Description:
In social work education, one way ethics is taught is through ethical codes and solving dilemmas, shaped by traditions that treat conflict as something to manage or analyze at a distance. This SoTL project starts from a different premise: that ethical issues are fundamentally conflicts between values, relationships, institutions, and harness real-world conditions. We begin from Black feminist pedagogy and methodology and use this project to test what it means to take them seriously in both teaching and the study of teaching and learning. Developed in a social work course at Toronto Metropolitan University, we analyzed student assignments through a students-as-partners model, asking what becomes visible in students’ thinking, what remains difficult to articulate, and what becomes possible within the classroom.
As part of the session, participants will learn about Black feminist pedagogy and its significance in the classroom; learn about ways to develop a SoTL project and work closely with student partners; and apply takeaways from the project to draft a code of ethics that will support them in setting a supportive tone for the class at the start of the year.
SoTL Speakers’ Bios:
Renée Nichole Ferguson, PhD (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in Social Work at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her teaching and research draw on Black feminist methodology and are shaped by her professional practice in health and social service settings in Canada.
Angelina LoBianco, BSW, RSW (she/her) is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University and a member of the research team contributing to the project. She is currently working with communities in non-profit housing and co-operative housing. As a recent graduate of the BSW program, Angelina is thrilled to have the opportunity to explore students’ conceptions of conflict, accountability, and peace, as well as the gaps in social work education. She also hopes to apply her learnings to her work with long-standing aging communities.
Gabriela Robinson (she/her) is a soon-to-be graduate of the BSW program at Toronto Metropolitan University and a member of the research team contributing to the project. Gabriela is honoured to implement her knowledge and skills to better understand students’ perspectives on conflict, accountability, and peace. She is particularly interested in how these concepts can inform compassionate practices and support the well-being of individuals in both clinical, community-based settings, and academics. She also hopes this experience will support her in expanding her career in research and deepening her engagement with meaningful practice.
