Table of Context

Farm-to-Table

Spring 2005 Program Covenant

This program is designed to introduce you to topics and issues related to local and global food systems. Students will be required to write progress reports, keep a portfolio, complete a project and participate in all program activities including seminar, and complete all assigned readings. Please follow the syllabus and schedule.

Students should know that failure to attend class and to accomplish the required program work in a timely fashion may result in loss of credit. Field trips will leave on time – if you miss the vans you miss the trip and you will miss credits.

Students can expect to receive credit in food systems studies expository and reflective writing. These assignments are listed in the program schedule and described in hand-outs. ALL writing assignments are to be turned in on the due date. Students run the risk of losing credit if assignments are not turned in on the due dates.

I. Expectations

All members of the Evergreen community are bound by the Social Contract (reprinted in the advising handbook). Violation of the Social Contract is a serious offense and can result in an individual being barred from the Evergreen community. For our purposes as an academic program, let us emphasize:

"Evergreen can thrive only if members respect the rights of others while enjoying their own rights. . . . All must share alike in prizing academic and interpersonal honesty, in responsibly obtaining and in providing full and accurate information and in resolving their differences through due process and with a strong will to collaborate. . . . Civility is not just a word; it must be present in all our interactions."

The social contract means many things. It means respect for the learning of others, and has implications for how we treat each other in classrooms, seminars, and other program settings. It means that students are expected to work cooperatively in most program activities (except when performance is being measured individually as in term papers/projects“). It means that plagiarism will not be tolerated. Joint efforts must be identified. Students must give credit to collaborators and indicate their personal contributions. Plagiarism (nonattributed copying) may result in total loss of credit for the term.

The TESC student conduct code forbids the use of alcohol or drugs at any college function (the exception is the use of alcohol at events that have a beverage banquet permit). The use or possession of drugs or alcohol at any program session or field trip will be considered a violation of the student conduct code. The offending student(s) will be asked to leave, and a grievance procedure will be initiated.

II. Commitments of the Faculty to the Students:

We agree to:

• Prepare for, participate in, and guide learning through lectures, research workshops, seminar text discussions, field trips, group and individual projects;

• Read, evaluate and return your work with reasonable dispatch;

• Respond to students’ questions and concerns about the material, pace, and/or organization of the program;

• Be available through “office hours” or scheduled meetings for individual student concerns;

• Keep students informed about their progress and notify students by the end of the fifth week of the session if their work is not satisfactory;

• Be aware of our own needs as scholars and human beings, reserving the right to reevaluate and adjust the pace of the program should it be deemed necessary to achieve personal and program goals;

• Provide a written evaluation of each student’s work at the end of the term following the guidelines of section 7.620 in the Faculty Handbook.

III. Faculty Expectations of Students:

We expect a high degree of personal commitment from you – to your own learning, to group work, and to the class as a whole. The basic assumption of this course is that learning results from a continuing process of rational discourse. Within the course there are both opportunities and responsibilities. You have opportunities to learn about food systems and research methods, and to apply your new skills to a topic of your choice connected to food systems. Your responsibilities are to maximize your learning in the course, contribute to your classmates’ learning, and to apply what you have learned.

IV. Student Responsibilities:

1. Carefully read all written material passed out or assigned. If you have questions or something is unclear, ask.

2. Attend all lectures, seminars, workshops and field trips. The class is structured around interactive discussions, activities and research. Your presence is crucial, for both yourself and your classmates. Come on time!

3. Participation in seminars is mandatory. Please read all seminar texts before the start of seminar. Lack of participation could result in a loss of credit. We realize that some students feel shy in large seminar groups; we will try to vary seminar format so you will have a chance to work in smaller, less formal groups. However, learning how to discuss and support your ideas in group settings is one of the most important skills you can learn in college; thus, even shy students must participate, i.e. contribute to seminar discussion, to get full credit.

4. Complete all written and oral assignments. Assignments should follow the guidelines and instructions we give. Do not expect to receive credit for work that ignores the basic goal of the assignment. All assignments are due on time. You should not expect the faculty to read or comment on work received late. Plagiarism is a serious violation of this contract and may result in loss of credit or expulsion from the program.

5. Discuss any problems or issues with the involved parties as soon as possible. Please do not let problems or issues that affect your progress and learning to fester. If another student is involved, discuss the situation with him or her. If you and not reach a mutually agreeable resolution, or if a faculty member is involved, please come talk to us ASAP. We will try to resolve any problems you have with the faculty as a faculty team; if necessary we will ask a Dean or mediation specialist to help us.

6. Show a positive, cooperative attitude towards the faculty, other students, and the program as a whole. This is of primary importance in this program, especially since many students will come from different backgrounds and will have different strengths and weaknesses.

7. Write a detailed, thoughtful self-evaluation that reflects your achievement in the program at the end of the term. This evaluation is due when your portfolio is turned in.

V. Evaluation Procedures

Students will be evaluated at the end of each quarter. Evaluations will be based on the expectations detailed above, and on the quality of completed work. Before their evaluation conference students will present a draft self‑evaluation, and turn in their program journals, which should be a documentation of the work of the term (a portfolio). This documentation is to consist of all of the student's work and all the information conveyed during the term (syllabi, handouts, notes, etc.) organized in such a way that the information can be easily retrieved in the future.

The faculty will prepare a draft evaluation of the student for discussion during the evaluation conference. Each student must, in turn, write an evaluation of each faculty at the end of the program. This may be turned in to the program secretary, or brought to the evaluation conference, and will be put in the faculty's portfolio.

In case of a disagreement or conflict between a student and a faculty member, the student should first try to resolve the conflict by meeting with the faculty member in question. If such a meeting does not resolve the problem, the student may request a meeting with the faculty team. We also expect students to resolve disagreements with other students in responsible and respectful ways. Faculty are available to help mediate disagreements, when asked, if students have trouble resolving difficult issues. In addition, students are encouraged to use the college's Mediation Services (x6656) to help resolve any conflict related to college life.

VI. Continued registration in the program requires that the student has read, and has agreed to be bound by, this statement. Please sign this and put it in your portfolio.