Still Looking: Continuities of Knowledge in the Information Age
Library Computing & Media Internships
The Evergreen State College
2004-2005
Program Covenant
Successful participation in Still Looking requires commitment to the content of the internship's planned curriculum and the conditions of this covenant. The conditions spelled out in this covenant include the academic goals, focus and direction of the internship program, internship work supervision and relationships, conditions for the award of credits, and the responsibilities of faculty, field supervisors and students in building and maintaining a humane and dynamic learning community.
ACADEMIC GOALS:
• To use learning materials from library science, history, social theory, media literacy and information technology to explore the impact of computers on learning and higher education in ways that lie outside the competence of these disciplines alone.
• To develop advanced computer skills in digital imaging and web design through participation in organized weekly computer instruction and practice.
• To integrate academic learning and insights with the acquisition of technical computer skills in a single, dynamic exploration of how web presentation of information shapes knowledge and the acquisition of knowledge.
• To maximize the engagement and personal responsibility that students take in structuring their own learning and academic development.
• To increase students' general educational level through acquisition of knowledge and improvement of their reading, writing, analytical and information technology skills.
INTELLECTUAL FOCUS:
The primary intellectual focus of this program is on using the college library and its various work divisions as a laboratory to explore and assess the quality of web based information and knowledge in critical, cultural and epistemological terms.
LEARNING DIRECTION:
The direction of our learning in this group contract is forward. In our study of library science and research methods, we go from simple ideas and skills toward the more complex. In our study of history and social theory, we begin at certain points in the past and move across time in our discussion and study toward the present. In our study of media literacy and information technology, we increase the sophistication of our critical analysis of computer-based information as we deepen our own computer skills.
INTERNSHIP WORK SUPERVISION AND RELATIONSHIPS:
This group contract structures working relationships among faculty, field supervisors and students. Faculty provide general supervision of the internship and academic sponsorship of students. Faculty direct and evaluate student academic progress. Field supervisors as staff members of the college provide practical instruction and day to day supervision of the work students undertake in their internship duties. Field supervisors direct and evaluate intern work performance in their specific areas of the library. The library dean serves as ombudsman to the internship program.
Faculty and field supervisors function as a teaching team, designing intern work tasks to integrate student acquisition of practical experience and skills with academic learning. Students refer any work place related grievances first to their faculty sponsor. In the event the grievance is not resolved by faculty, students take the problem to the library dean as ombudsman. All parties may refer any serious grievance or violation of the Social Contract to the Student Code of Conduct- Grievance Appeals Process (WAC 174-120-010).
AWARD OF CREDITS:
Students receive credit for fulfilling program requirements and meeting college-level performance standards. At Evergreen, it is possible for a student to attend regularly yet receive reduced credit because of unsatisfactory performance or missing work. Assessment and award of credit will be based on faculty, field supervisor, and self-evaluations of student written and oral work, participation in seminar and group projects, internship work performance, and portfolios. Students who accumulate more than two unexcused absences from class or work per quarter, or who exhibit a pattern of absence from any scheduled activity, can expect some loss of credit. Students with any pattern of missing assignments may lose credits. In instances of excused absences (pre-notification of faculty or field supervisor for illness, etc), students must initiate negotiations for make-up activities.
FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• To prepare for and lead workshops, exercises, seminars, and lectures that present for student assessment and integration the materials and themes of the academic syllabus.
• To convene and assist students in learning academic content and applying their learning to their work in class discussions, formal assignments and internship duties.
• To read, comment upon, and return in a timely fashion students' written work turned in for review.
• To warn students in the 5 th week of the quarter if they are in danger of losing credits.
FIELD SUPERVISORS RESPONSIBILITIES:
• To schedule, assign and supervise student interns for work tasks appropriate to their skills and interests.
• To provide practical instruction and training that prepares student interns for their work duties.
• To assist students in applying academic learning to their work duties.
• To respond reasonably to student requests about the content, pace, or organization of work duties or schedules.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
• To accept personal responsibility for reporting to class and to work when scheduled.
• To complete required readings and syllabus assignments, as well as assigned work tasks, competently and on time.
• To respond to field supervisor and library patron requests in a timely and respectful manner.
• To demonstrate substantial progress in learning syllabus content in the completion and quality of assignments.
• To demonstrate substantial progress in applying academic syllabus content to the completion and quality of work assignments.
• To initiate negotiations with faculty and/or field supervisor for any make-up activities that may become necessary due to unavoidable absences or delays.
COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• To prepare for, attend, and participate fully in all scheduled classes and group meetings, when not ill or absent for professional or agreed-upon activities.
• To read and respond to group contract related emails and attend group meetings.
• To provide notice as soon as possible when absence or delay becomes unavoidable.
• To refrain from drug or alcohol use in any on- or off-campus internship activity.
• To maintain absolute academic honesty.
• To adhere to the college Social Contract and provide classroom and work environments free from any kind of harassment, intimidation or discrimination.
• To discuss fully, promptly, and openly any disagreements or complaints within the community mutually and with care and respect.
• To engage any serious grievance or violation of the Social Contract through the Student Code of Conduct- Grievance Appeals Process (WAC 174-120-010).
