LEO Toolkits

In order to best support the HSC community in creating and maintaining respectful, supportive, and inclusive learning environments, LEO shares toolkits and resources as part of our quarterly reports. Each of the toolkits we have released are linked below with accompanying descriptions of each toolkit. We hope you find these helpful as you work to foster positive learning environments.

Calling In vs. Calling Out

In fostering spaces of inclusion and belonging, it is important to recognize, name, and address when individuals or groups are experiencing harm, such as mistreatment, bias, or discrimination. These actions are what moves someone from being a bystander—an observer of harm—to being an upstander, someone who intervenes in harm. Knowing how to speak up can help us reflect, then act, in the ways we feel will best promote constructive and lasting change.
The goal of Calling In, to quote Dr. Harold R. Saunders, is to create a conversation in which a person who commits harm “recognizes the other’s valid human claims” and “listens deeply enough to be changed by what they learn.”

Intent vs. Impact

Imagine you say something that you think is a compliment, or a neutral statement, but then later you’re told that you hurt someone. But you didn’t mean to, and you don’t know what they mean. Or, imagine someone says something you find very offensive. You give them feedback, but all they say is, “that’s not what I meant.” When intent and impact don’t align, we often find ourselves in conflicts. This toolkit will help find ways to move forward effectively.

Closing the Loop

After someone raises a concern to you, they often want to know that their concern was addressed, what happened, and the timeline for when things are going to improve. This circle-back communication is often called “closing the loop,” because that’s what allows the person with the concern to understand that the process has concluded and learn what happened and what they can expect for the future.

Creating and Maintaining Respectful, Supportive, and Inclusive Learning Environments

This toolkit provides faculty, learners, staff, and administrators with guidelines and strategies to foster supportive, respectful, and inclusive learning environments. It outlines key principles and actionable steps to ensure that everyone can thrive while upholding high standards in education, research, and patient care.

Giving Feedback AND Receiving Feedback

Feedback is an act of care. Imagine a culture where feedback, even
critical feedback, was considered a gift—an act of care and support—rather than punishment. Where feedback was always expected,
welcomed and practiced with skill and humility on all sides. Moving toward a culture that views feedback as a gift means not pretending that feedback is easy but rather that it is a skill to practice intentionally and together in shared responsibility.