Your Grading Contract

Due Date: September 3, 2021 | Submit Via: Upload to Github

Our course syllabus outlines the approach to contract grading that we’ll be using this semester. During the first two weeks of the class, you will develop your grading contact, which outlines the grade you are contracting for in the class as well as the agreed upon expectations for attaining that grade.

The grade you receive at the end of the class will be based on whether you did the work which you contracted for. Separately from this assessment, you will receive feedback on the qualities of your work.

A few guidelines for constructing your contract:

• Your learning contract will include the following baseline standard items in order to contract for a grade of “B”:
  • Class Interaction
    • Attend Class Regularly: Show up for course sessions before or on time, be absent from no more than three course sessions over the course of the semester. If you are unable to be present due to illness or other extenuating circumstances, please let me know before the course session in which you are absent, and I will consider excusing the absent.
    • Participate Actively: In addition to showing up to class sessions on time, you are expected to make thoughtful and informed contributions to our class community. This includes coming to class prepared and having completed readings, reflections and assignments. This also includes thoughtful engagement with course material, asking and responding to questions, and helping other students familiarize course concepts.
    • Be Visible: Due to necessary COVID-19 safety precautions, most of our synchronous course sessions will be offered via Zoom. Active participation in the discussion portions of our course ask that you engage with your camera on. If there are reasons you cannot meet this expectation, you may propose omitting or modifying this component of your contract.
    • Submit Work On Time: There will be three grade reconciliation periods in the semester. Each assignment will be due within a reconciliation period. Each assignment will also list a recommended due date. You are responsible for submitting your work by the end of the grade reconciliation period. Work due within a reconciliation period that is submitted within 48 hours of the conclusion of that period will be counted as late. Work due within a reconciliation period submitted more than 48 hours will be considered ignored.
  • Assignments
    • Place Selection Memorandum: You will select a place which your analysis will focus on over the course of the semester. In this memo, you will describe the basic characteristics of your place, and provide some initial thoughts on avenues for further analysis and exploration.
    • Place Background Memorandum: You will develop a deeper background study on your place by looking at existing analyses and policy questions in your place. Using these, you will develop a preliminary storyboard that will guide your subsequent analysis.
    • Population Memorandum: You will analyze population characteristics and distribution and prepare a memorandum that summarizes your analysis.
    • Policy Memorandum: You will analyze the impact of an existing or proposed policy on the neighborhoods present in your place, and will prepare a memorandum that summarizes your analysis.
    • Final Analysis: You will combine elements of your population memorandum and policy memorandum to produce a final place analysis.
• Contract Extensions and Deletions
  • You may propose contract extensions in order to contract for a higher grade.
  • You may propose contract deletions in order to contract for a lower grade.

After you submit your proposed learning contract, we will schedule a 20-minute one-on-one meeting to discuss your goals and contract elements. After that meeting (and after any agreed upon revisions are made), we will sign your contract and you will be held to contracted standards. You will have one opportunity to revisit the terms of your contract around the middle of the semester.