ENG 101 Learning Contract

Sign and submit the following to the Unit 1 Assignments folder by the first Thursday of class.  No work in the course will be graded until this learning contract is signed.

I understand and accept the following expectations for work within our course:

1. I recognize that the course has both a schedule and syllabus. From the outset of the class, I am responsible for accessing either document for any updates, policies or due dates.
2. A professional approach to complex subject matter means I will use appropriate language to discuss the assigned material.
3. Failure to submit an on-time rough draft—defined as a paper of the same minimum length and citing at least the minimum number of required sources—means that my final copy will not earn passing credit. Also, I will earn failing credit within the discussion.
4. No further work will be accepted until and unless each major assignment gets submitted.
5. I realize that annotation, or the marking up of the texts, is a college-level survival skill.
6. MLA style must be used for all Assignment area work, which is to be submitted as a Word file using Times or Arial 10-12-point font. No other fonts are accepted for scoring.
7. I will only use academic sources of information. Nonacademic sources may only be used if I submit an email with both the URL and an explanation of why a nonacademic source is valid for use in the paper.
8. My punctual and consistent work habits are necessary for course success, so that the first post is required within forty-eight hours of any board’s opening.
9. I know that participation requires me to do more than the minimum. I will lose one-third of the total participation points in a board for each gap in activity of seventy-two hours or more (three days), and that my posts must be varied so that I am not posting every two days and twenty-three hours.
10. I will quote any used words; unquoted quotes can be evidence of plagiarism even if cited.
11. I am aware any extended absence from course work must be communicated—as it nearly always can—as soon as possible to an event requiring me to be away from the course.
12. I will write a short sentence for every posting subject, as adult learners appreciate the information being presented in this manner.
13. My formatting choices impact my credibility as a writer. When citing to show credit, I will place the period only after the parenthetical citation.  I know to avoid basic MLA errors such as adding extra spaces between double-spaced paragraphs, failing to reword and reorder completely when paraphrasing, or putting “pg.” before the page number.
14. Inactivity of two weeks or more means I have abandoned the course, earning a Y grade.
15. I know that late work is only accepted with prior permission.
16. When completing homework, I will use my own wording rather than the wording of the question, making it clear what I am answering and citing specific details in MLA style.

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Student Signature