Program Covenant
From booktorrent
Contents |
Learning Community
Covenants at Evergreen serve as learning agreements between faculty and students in lieu of conventional grading arrangements. This covenant establishes Book Torrent as a learning community based on mutual inquiry and spells out academic goals, program responsibilities, award of credits, and other matters. Good faith compliance with this covenant is an academic requirement of Book Torrent.
Mutual Inquiry
The inquiry and experiences designed for members of this program include mutual commitments to the tasks ahead and to one another. Our progress will rest on the shared, reciprocal, and thoughtful contributions of each and every one of us. We enter a common agreement and commitment to do the assigned work, participate in all program activities, and bring to our common inquiry a respect for our individual ideas. We base our understanding and commitment to mutual inquiry on Evergreen's Five Foci of Learning and strive to reach its Six Expectations of an Evergreen Graduate.
eReaders
We will be sharing and exchanging eReaders from week to week, in order to experiment and trouble shoot the seminar experience conducted across hardware platforms. By accepting possession of an eReader, we agree to the terms outlined on the Book Torrent eReader Borrower's Agreement, as well as the generic policies and procedures of Library and Media Services Media Loan].
Academic Goals
- Use learning materials from history, library studies, and media theory - in ways that lie outside the competence of these disciplines alone - to explore the role of communications in social movements.
- Integrate academic learning with internship duties into a single, dynamic exploration of how digital media are affecting publication and organization of knowledge in popular literacy, libraries, and the humanities and fine arts.
- Increase students' general educational level and skills for analytical reading, writing, thinking, and digital technology usage.
- Maximize students' engagement and personal responsibility in their lifelong learning and academic development.
Student Responsibilities
- Complete all assignments to the best of ability and on time.
- Demonstrate substantial progress in learning and in the quality of completed assignments.
- Maintain a spirit of public service and work discipline in library duties.
- Follow through on obligations made to others in teamwork situations.
- Communicate in a direct and timely way about absences, problems, changed plans, misunderstandings, etc.
- Arrange disability accommodations through Access Services at the start of each quarter, if appropriate.
- Take responsibility for any make-up activities that may become necessary due to unavoidable absences or delays.
- Write a self-evaluation and attend an evaluation conference at the end of the quarter.
- Write a faculty evaluation at the end of the program.
Faculty Responsibilities
- Present the materials and themes of the academic syllabus.
- Provide leadership and support for student learning.
- Review and return student work in a timely manner.
- Be available to meet during office hours or by appointment.
- Treat students equally, including refusing late student work.
- Warn students in the 5th week of the quarter if they are in danger of losing credits.
- Respond appropriately to any contacts from Access Services about student disability accommodations.
- Schedule evaluation conferences and write evaluations for students at the end of the quarter.
Shared Responsibilities
- Participate fully and faithfully in program activities.
- Be prepared and arrive on time for program activities.
- Stay informed about the program and its schedule, including active monitoring of e-mail and the class listserv and regular checkbacks to program websites.
- Refrain from unjustifiably offensive behavior or language, including coming to class impaired by drugs or alcohol.
- Refrain from using strongly scented products.
- Show respect for the ideas, work, and conclusions of others.
- Abide by the principles of, and resolve any disputes through, Evergreen's Social Contract.
Award of Credits
Students receive credits for fulfilling program requirements and showing progress in college-level learning and performance. In Book Torrent, it is possible for a student to attend regularly yet receive reduced credit because of lack of progress, unsatisfactory performance, or missing work. Assessment and award of credits will be based on faculty- and student self- evaluations of student written work, participation in seminar and group projects, and online publications. Students with any pattern of missing assignments may lose credits. Students who accumulate more than two unexcused absences from class, or who exhibit a pattern of absence from any scheduled activity, can expect some loss of credit. In instances of excused absences (pre-notification of faculty or field supervisor for illness, etc), students must initiate negotiations for make-up activities.
