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Abstract
Empathy, the ability and willingness to take the cognitive and emotional perspective of others, is becoming increasingly important within academia. We introduce our Empathetic Course Design Perspective that refers to the intentional infusion of empathy into a course. We discuss the overarching beliefs that underlie this perspective, such as instructors’ commitment to inclusive teaching practices. In this commentary, we present practical recommendations for incorporating this perspective into your classes, in terms of course syllabi; schedules and routines; modalities; policies; and assignments and assessments. We believe this template is flexible and can be applied to any course (e.g., lower- and upperlevel classes), in any modality (e.g., face-to-face, hybrid/hyflex, online), and in any academic discipline. Ultimately, we believe the Empathetic Course Design Perspective can transform our courses into learning spaces that are more positive, supportive, and engaging for us as instructors and, more importantly, for our students.