This is a proposed contract between students and instructors. It is to be negotiated during the first weeks of the semester before the final contract will be approved by a majority of students. The approved contract will be posted to the course website for reference.

General Student Responsibilities

Be responsible. Check the course website for regularly. Arrive to class prepared. Use your technology to aid learning and discussion rather than to distract. Contact your instructor before being absent or leaving early. In emergencies, contact your instructor as soon as possible. Email assignments if you are absent.

Be generous. Acknowledge that we are together responsible for the quality of in-class discussion. Share your ideas, experiences, and viewpoints. Help create a class where people feel welcome and encouraged to share and be vulnerable. Vulnerability often exposes injustice, reveals insecurity, and shows the political contexts of a personal problem. Provide attribution when possible. Give people the benefit of the doubt.

Be adventurous. Speak up in class so everyone can hear. Ask questions. Do a quick web search when something catches your attention and share the results with the class. Try using words you’ve just learned. Disagree with your instructor and don’t let her off the hook until you’re satisfied.

Be Deliberate. Copy-edit final revisions of main assignments until they conform to the conventions of edited, professional English.

General Instructor Responsibilities

Be fair. Treat students with respect. Evaluate based on agreed upon criteria. Explain decisions. Be consistent.

Be reliable. Teach class on time and with purpose. Respond to emails within 48 hours. Return assignments within a week (with exceptions for late work or revisions).

Be helpful. Provide thorough, practical feedback for improvement on written work. Follow-up on questions that can’t be satisfactorily answered in class.

Be relevant. Relate the material to other contexts and classes. Post materials that intersect with discussions. Seek student input when class doesn’t seem successful.

Responsibilities by Grade

For an A Grade (Excellent):

Produce essays of at least A-level quality regardless of the number of drafts required (see Writing Expectations);
Turn in all homework on time;
Participate in all classroom activities, with the exception that one (1) day of unexcused non-participation is okay;
Be on time to class, with the exception of being more than five minutes late (5 min.) no more than once (1).

For B Grade (Good):

Produce essays of at least B-level quality regardless of the number of drafts required (see Writing Expectations);
Turn in all homework on time, with the exception that one (1) unexcused missing or late homework assignment is okay;
Participate in all classroom activities, with the exception that two (2) days of unexcused non-participation is okay;
Be on time to class, with the exception of being more than five minutes late (5 min.) no more than twice (2).

For C Grade (Good):

Produce essays of at least C-level quality regardless of the number of drafts required (see Writing Expectations);
Turn in all homework on time, with the exception that two (3) unexcused missing or late homework assignments is okay;
Participate in all classroom activities, with the exception that three (3) days of unexcused non-participation is okay;
Be on time to class, with the exception of being more than five minutes late (5 min.) no more than three times (3).

Contract