Covenant
From religionandsociety
Contents |
Faculty/Student Covenant
Introduction
Academic study is work we do both in solitude and together. As work we do in solitude, it requires consistent, sustained attention and effort. As work we do together, it requires making and keeping commitments to support each other’s best efforts, to listen carefully and speak sincerely to each other, and to offer and accept honest feedback in the spirit of helping each other learn and grow. This covenant is intended to guide us to do our academic work to the best of our abilities.
A Commitment to Respect
As participants in this program, we agree to act according to the following principles based on respect:
1. We will take responsibility for our own work, words, actions and responses.
2. We will listen and speak to people the way we would like people to listen and speak to us.
3. We will read and act in accordance with the Evergreen Social Contract, the Student Conduct Code, and the Sexual Harassment Policy.
4. We will abide by strong ethical standards in all our relations with members of other communities.
5. We will allow ourselves to luxuriate in single-focus activities, and do our best to create a haven from multi-tasking. In that spirit, we will keep off all electronic devices during class sessions in order to fully engage ourselves and others in class activities. This includes cell phones and laptop computers, unless needed for a documented learning disability.
Acceptance of Responsibilities (Students)
By participating in this program as a student, I also agree to abide by the following:
1. I will attend all class meetings. I will be on time and prepared to participate.
If extenuating circumstances force me to be late, I will try not to interrupt the program activity and I will make sure I learn what I missed from other students in my triad, not the faculty.
If I must miss a class due to illness or emergency, I will notify my faculty in advance by phone or e-mail. I understand that missed classes must be made up and that my make-up work must demonstrate that I have learned what I missed learning in class due to my absence. I also understand that it is my responsibility to develop a plan for my make-up work in conjunction with my seminar faculty. I further understand that if significant class time is missed and not sufficiently made up, I will receive reduced credit for the program. Missing and partial assignments may also result in lost credit.
I understand that, as a student in an eight-credit program, I am expected to put in an average of 20-25 hours of work, and as a student in a 12-credit program I am expected to put in an average of 30-35 hours of work into program attendance, activities and assignments each week. Some weeks will require more time, other weeks less.
2. I will complete and turn in all assignments on time. I understand that late work will not be accepted except under extenuating circumstances discussed with my seminar faculty.
NO WORK OR CLASS MAKE-UP WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DEADLINE GIVEN.
I will apply high standards of scholarship to all my work, including typing (double- spaced), proofreading and stapling multiple pages. As a college-level program, quality scholarship is essential.
3. I will not present others’ ideas and information as my own. I will acknowledge the ideas and information of others, whether published or those of my co-learners, when I incorporate them into my own work.
For example, I will include citations throughout my writings as appropriate and will clearly indicate when substantive ideas or language are drawn from a source; this might include quotation marks and/or phrasing such as, “according to Armstrong,…”
4. I will address conflicts and grievances promptly and with the individuals directly involved. If this does not resolve the conflict or grievance, I will then seek guidance next from my seminar leader. If the conflict is still unresolved I will speak to the faculty team. If all of these avenues have been exhausted, I will speak to the Dean of Evening and Weekend Studies (Allen Olson, 867-5485)
5. Since learning experiences are typically challenging, I will take initiative to ensure that my needs are met as the program unfolds. There are a number of means by which I might do this. These include:
- Being open to gaining from the unexpected or undesired
- Being flexibly responsive to changes
- Seeking out supplementary information as desired
- Seeking opportunities to work with other students
- Working with tutors
- Giving timely feedback and creative suggestions to faculty with respect and with the anticipation of being heard and valued
- Understanding that there may be more factors involved in the development, content and delivery of a learning program than I am aware of.
6. In order to create and maintain a safe learning environment free from distractions and multi-tasking, I will do my best to focus my attention solely on the academic work of the program. I will also turn off my cell phone and laptop during class so as to not distract others.
7. I will write a transcript self-evaluation, a faculty evaluation, and attend my evaluation conference, which will be scheduled during evaluation week of each quarter.
Acceptance of Responsibilities (Faculty)
By participating in this program as a faculty member, I agree to abide by the following:
1. I will do my best to create and maintain a high-quality program of learning opportunities. I will take full responsibility for my work, behavior, presence, and awareness, and allow others their own responsibility. And I will do my best to support the learning process of each student.
2. I will review and return homework in a timely fashion.
3. I will contact my program secretary, Sharon Wendt (x6588), in advance if an absence cannot be avoided and seek to make alternative arrangements for class activities.
4. I will advise students who are in danger of not receiving full credit during the fifth week of the quarter or when it becomes apparent. I will award each student full credit each quarter for doing college-level work, for good attendance, and for completing all assignments on time. I may award less than full credit for work that fails to meet these criteria, but will do so only after consultation with the student.
5. I will complete a written evaluation the program and myself.
6. I will be prepared for and attend weekly faculty team planning meetings focused on the facilitation of student learning. I also will work to support and encourage my teaching partner’s work in order to bring students the best of their scholarship and skills.
Credit and evaluation policy
Students receive credit for fulfilling minimum requirements: participating fully in program activities and completing all assignments at the college level. College-level work specifically means the ability to:
- Read, understand, and then summarize texts
- Learn from texts through discussion with others
- Analyze and pursue writing assignments
- Write coherent, focused, correctly punctuated prose
- Develop and defend a thesis
- Commitment to do all of the above reliably
We will inform you as early as feasible, and no later than the fifth week, if you are not working at the college level, and what you need to do in order to bring skills to the college level.
- Plagiarism or academic dishonesty may lead to total loss of credit. Credit may be reduced due to unsatisfactory attendance (missing more than one class is unsatisfactory — Saturday meetings count as two classes), missed or late papers, failure to submit a transcript self-evaluation, failure to attend a student-faculty evaluation conference during evaluation week, or unsatisfactory performance.
- The evaluation process is a central feature of education at Evergreen that allows students to learn by reflecting on their experiences. Students are required to submit transcript self-evaluations and faculty evaluations in order to receive credit for the program. Credit will be issued only after both these evaluations, as well as a full portfolio, has been turned in. Evaluations and portfolio are due on the last day of class. If not turned in by this date, a “no credit” will be issued to the student. The student may petition to have the “no credit” changed if the portfolio is turned in within one week following the last class date.
- Credit is not the same as a positive evaluation. It is possible to receive credit yet receive a poor evaluation.
Faculty will send around a covenant acceptance signature sheet during the first week of class. Your signature means you accept the above program covenant. Please see faculty for any questions or concerns regarding the covenant.
