The Science of Language

Faculty-Student Covenant
Creoles, Pidgins, and Minority Languages
Evening and Weekend Studies Program
The Evergreen State College
Fall, 2008

The following statements describe the procedures to be employed in the interactions between faculty and students and outline the faculty expectations of students in this course.

The Program: Together, we will examine a wide range of questions about Language. We will include as many types of descriptions and perspectives as possible, drawing from different scientific, cultural, and historical sources.

In exploring these question, our goal is to learn not only about Language, but also about how to think critically about the ideas we encounter during our explorations. Each student will learn how to define questions that produce more knowledge, evaluate scientific research, critically compare alternative arguments, and make interpretations. We will explicitly consider how each approach (e.g., evolutionary, genetic, nativist, constructivist, behaviorist, and social) relies on a distinct set of assumptions, which ultimately shapes how we view a developmental processes.

General Expectations: All students are expected to take personal responsibility for and be actively involved in their own intellectual development. All participants in this program should be socially responsible and enter into the program in a spirit of good will. This means, among other things, that they will be on time and come prepared for all their class (lectures, workshops, etc.); that they will consider the effects of their actions on others as well as themselves (for example, failure to participate actively in program meetings, workshops and study groups seriously undermines the effectiveness and morale of other students); that should problems arise, they will deal directly with the parties involved rather than simply complain to others.

Students are expected to work co-operatively in program activities except when otherwise directed. When reporting on collaborative efforts (as in workshop sections) students must give credit to their collaborators and indicate their personal contribution.

Evaluation and Credit: Students will be evaluated on their participation in group and workshop discussions, on their contribution to the course website, and on their papers, projects, and presentations submitted or presented during the quarter. Each student is required to complete a final self-evaluation for his or her participation in the program. This evaluation must be submitted to the faculty member in the evaluation conference, but it is the student’s decision to submit it to the registrar.

Incompletes: Incompletes will be granted only under extreme circumstances. Any incomplete must be resolved within two weeks after the completion of the quarter.

Evaluation Procedure: Students will be evaluated in writing at the end of the quarter by the faculty. The faculty member agrees to submit student evaluations to the program secretary in a timely fashion.

Personal Behavior: In general, it is expected that all participants (both students and faculty) will adhere to the Social Contract of The Evergreen State College.  In particular:

1. Students are expected to maintain a safe, respectful, collaborative environment at all times.
2. Students are expected to manage conflict situations in a mature and positive manner. Students may enlist the help of a mediator to assist in the resolution of any conflict that may arise as a part of the program.
3. Students are expected to honestly represent their own work and properly attribute the work of others.
4. Students have the right to appeal decisions made by the faculty to the Dean, using the normal college appeal process.