Foreword
The two faculty in this program are artists and professors; they are not religious leaders, nor do they intend to proselytize or defend any specific faith or article of faith. Instead, they hope to foster an environment of respect and curiosity with regard to religion and the performing arts.
Introduction
This document discusses your responsibilities as a student in this program. Please read it carefully, because being a part of this program assumes that you both understand and agree with these responsibilities. Our goal, for you and your classmates, is to provide an optimum learning environment and to be clear about the expectations of this program.
Be mindful and aware of others in the program, respecting diversity in gender, race, age, ethnicity, class, religious and political affiliation, sexual orientation, learning styles, and emotional, mental and physical condition. For faculty to consider your disability (in giving extra time on assignments, for example), it must be documented by the access services director and you must notify your seminar faculty in writing by the second class. Cologne or perfume should not be worn at all, and if you smoke, be polite about it.
Please help create an optimum learning environment for our class community. Show respect when a faculty member, guest speaker, or another student is talking to the class or listening to the speaker. Talking, whispering, eating, text messaging, cell phone ringing, or using laptops is disruptive to the speaker and to those listening. Raise your hand, and wait for an appropriate moment. If you have questions, ask the speaker and not someone else. If you are late for a class, please have your books out and coat off when you enter the classroom or studio. Enter silently and find a place to sit.
Read and follow the Students Rights and Responsibilities page on the College website. It includes the Evergreen Social Contract, the Student Conduct Code, and the Campus Sexual Harassment Policy.
Attendance is required at all class sessions. Excuses for illness must be verfied with a doctor’s note including a diagnosis, prognosis, and date of doctor visit. If you are ill or must miss a class for any reason, check in with your class “buddy” for handouts, notes, and announcements. If you miss 3 classes in a row, e-mail your seminar faculty and leave a brief message before the start of the third class. If we do not hear from you, we must call the dean who will call your parents or the police to begin a search. (If you marked “confidential” on your enrollment, federal regulations prevent us telling anyone besides law enforcement that you are even a student here.) The first few minutes of each day may involve important announcements such as a discussion of the assignments or changes to the syllabus, so being on time is essential. Please note that four absences = one lost credit. Every two absences after that = one lost credit. The experiential nature of this program means that missed classes cannot be made up by other means.
Bring all appropriate books and other materials to class on the correct day, including pen and paper every time. The faculty may ask you to show us your book(s) for that day during seminar. Good seminar discussions depend on frequent citations to specific page numbers in the book.
If there is snow or inclement weather, first call 867-6000 to check on campus closure. If the campus is closed, class will not meet. If the campus is open, but there is heavy snow or flooding, call 867-6623 to check Sean’s outgoing message after 8 a.m.
If you wish to bring a relative or friend to class, please inform the faculty.
All forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating, fabricating, and plagiarizing are reasons for dismissal from the program with zero credit. Know the difference between plagiarizing (literary thieving) and appropriate referencing. See one or two plagiarism websites if you require further clarification. In particular, see the pages on plagiarism at the Purdue on-line writing lab (OWL). While visiting the OWL, notice some of their other excellent web pages on writing such as the grammar page.
You are expected to create musical sounds and to move your body. Please do so when asked.
Writing
All college work includes writing. In this particular program, you will sometimes have short responses to assigned questions that will function as a “ticket for entry” into seminar during some weeks. We will keep track of who is participating and who brought in a paper. You will also have one medium-sized and one larger writing assignment this quarter, in addition to a final presentation. This, too, is normal college-level work.
No late papers will be accepted. In college, as in real life, a deadline is a deadline. Being able to write at a college level requires you to pay careful attention to writing mechanics; this means that the inclusion of typos, incomplete sentences, slang, texting-style writing, and poor punctuation will hold you back at a 7th grade level. Never turn in the first draft of a paper; we expect your best work, every time.
Your name and date should be at the upper right of all homework assignments, and multiple pages should be numbered, stapled together and have smooth edges. We have a strict policy of no late papers, and we in turn will give you back your work in a timely manner. Fair is fair.
Movement-Specific Expectations:
Injury Prevention
Due to its physical and kinetic nature, there is always the risk of injury when studying dance. Technical dance includes progressive strength-building and stretching exercises combined with precise movement in space. Undertaking a progressively focused exercise regime intermittently or irregularly places you at risk of injury. Improvisation requires throwing oneself fully into new and unfamiliar movement patterns, leading to risk of injury. Moving in groups involves close physical proximity and contact, not only between teacher and student but also between students. Do not wear jewelry while dancing; keep your hair tied up and secure. Jewelry and long hair can lead to injuries while moving.
Dance Studio Decorum
No street shoes are ever allowed on the studio floor; dancing and movement happen only in bare feet. No foods or liquids are allowed on the studio floor. Wear comfortable, unrestrictive clothing. Full Functional Capacity/FFC means fulfilling your design potential in space, time, shape, and range of motion in each exercise, whether technical or theoretical.
Seminar and Workshop Expectations
Be Kind
See points 1, 2, and 3 on the first page of the covenant. Treat others with respect. It is fine to question someone’s statements or reasoning but do so in a kind, mature, and professional manner. Support each other’s efforts to work on their music and dance skills.Be Mature
If you have not read the book, don’t talk. Be aware of your behavior. Listen actively. If you talk frequently, choose silence sometimes. If you don’t talk often, choose to participate sometimes. (It is your responsibility to participate in the discussion at least once per class. You can even read your writing.) Silence is OK. It gives us all time to think and it gives time for those who aren’t as aggressive to speak. When you are doing music or moving your body, you or your classmates or teachers may well make mistakes. That’s fine. We all do. No need to be mortified.
Be Professional
Refer to the text frequently during the discussions! Take notes on the discussion. Try to tie your comments to those that went before. Learn and use the names of those in your seminar and workshop group. Learn to express your ideas clearly by observing yourself and your peers. Hone your critical thinking skills by reading actively and striving for the author’s evidence and main points. This is about your art and your understanding.