Regulating Citizenship Student Contract

Student Contract

Regulating Citizenship

Political Science 56

Spring 2011

 

My participation in Regulating Citizenship is contingent on my agreement to the following rules governing this course:

 

1. Attendance to all sessions is required (except for illness or emergency situations)

 

2. Amherst students will not bring into the correctional facility or its surroundings the following items, weapons, illegal drugs, medications of any kind, alcohol, cigarettes or any other tobacco products, maps, chewing gum, cell phones, beepers or car alarm remotes, wallets, pocketbooks or money, umbrellas, food or drink, and miscellaneous personal items (i.e., make-up, lip balm, hand lotion, aspirin, Advil, cough drops, etc.)

 

3. Amherst students will abide by a dress code; according to this code they cannot wear clothing that reveals skin inappropriately (including sleeveless shirts or dresses, backless shirts, blouses or dresses, spaghetti strapped tops or dresses), dresses or skirts, excessively tight or low cut outfits, overalls/coveralls, hats, Tee shirts that could be considered obscene, jewelry (including body piercing), watches, metal clothing items sensitive to metal detectors, hooded sweatshirts, halter tops, tank tops, tube tops, see-through clothing, white tee-shirts, bandanas, hair ornaments/hair ties, colored shoelaces, caps, coats or outerwear, and open-toed shoes or sandals.

 

4. No Amherst student may bring anything inside the facility to give to an inside student

 

5. No Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction (HJHC) student may give anything to an Amherst student

 

6. HJHC students may not ask Amherst students to bring in anything for them

There can be no contact between HJHC and Amherst students beyond the classroom, including after the course is over. This restriction includes letters, emails, telephone calls, and visiting. The regulation is fundamental---and must be understood by everyone involved in the course.

 

7. There can be no displays of physical affection between HJHC and Amherst students. Warm handshakes, sometimes with an arm grasp, are acceptable. Hugging is not.

 

8. No personal information can be exchanged, such as address, telephone number, prison number, or any other contact information

 

9. We all must recognize that we are not in the correctional institution to study the inside students, to “help” the inside students, to find out why the inside students are incarcerated, or for the inside group of student or the outside group to “teach” the other group. We are simply here to learn together.

10. Students must behave appropriately during class, and all rules of the College, including “respect for persons” apply. There also can be no flirtation, inappropriate body language, etc.

 

11. There is no loaning of pens or pencils, no sharing of items, even something as trivial as a newspaper article. All items of this nature must be handled by the instructor with the approval of the HJHC administration.

 

12. There must be no passing of notes between students or private conversations

 

13. Notebooks can be labeled with first names only and no other identifying information and papers are submitted with first names only.

 

14. The discussions in the class are strictly confidential: what is shared in the classroom stays there. Not only can it not be shared with anyone outside of class in a way that could identify the speaker, but it must not be a topic of further discussion or e-mail communication among students who are enrolled in the class.

 

15. All members of the class (except the instructor) will be known by their first names only. No last names will be allowed in the classroom. This rule is important to prevent contact, outside of the classroom, during and after the semester, to protect HJHC students from disclosure of damaging information, to protect Amherst students from problematic relations or harm, and to improve the comfort level for both inside and outside students.

 

16. If problems, difficulties and concern arise, about the issues in this contract, or more generally, students are expected to bring them to the attention of the Professor. The Professor will assist in resolving the issue in a fashion that is both true to the integrity of the program and respectful of the student.

 

I, the undersigned, hereby state that I have read, understand, and agree to follow the above rules.

 

Name (printed) ________________________________                                                      

 

 

Signature______________________________________

 

 

Date__________________________________________