Wharton Learning Agreement

Preamble

The Learning Agreement serves as a set of ideal standards for both students and faculty to create a world-class educational experience. Our collective goal is to create and enjoy an engaging classroom environment with diverse views and centered on knowledge applicable to our students’ future careers. It is our shared responsibility to help each other in the learning process, and we are expected to hold each other accountable to the standards set forth in this Learning Agreement.

I. Student Standards

Classroom Conduct

  • Arrive on time, ready to begin, and minimize disruptions throughout the session.
  • Display a name tent if appropriate or requested.
  • Turn off and put away your phone. If you must keep a phone on by reason of a personal emergency, you should inform the instructor before class begins.
  • Do not use your laptop or tablet unless for educational purposes as permitted by the instructor.
  • Maintain classroom cleanliness.

Preparation and Interaction

  • Be prepared to engage fully in each session through the completion of required work before the session, and your focused attention and active involvement during the session.
  • Respect the classroom as an inclusive learning environment where diverse points of view and experiences can be shared to facilitate everyone’s learning.
  • Maintain the privacy and intellectual property of everyone in the class by, for example, not sharing recorded images or audio of student or instructor interactions, or course content.

Teamwork

  • Contribute your fair share.
  • Hold teammates and yourself accountable to team goals and assignments.
  • Support and encourage your teammates.
  • Appreciate the diversity of knowledge, skills, and abilities within the team.
  • Be honest and transparent in your evaluation of teammates.

Ethics

  • Adhere to the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity.

II. Instructor Standards

Classroom Conduct

  • Select course content that motivates student interest, develops subject mastery, and highlights relevant business applications.
  • Engage students to promote the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class material.
  • Lead the class to foster an inclusive learning environment that respects the diversity of knowledge, experience and culture among the students.
  • Begin and end class on time.

Syllabus

  • State the learning objectives for the course.
  • Be clear about who students may collaborate with and what materials they may use.
  • Delineate how each component of a student’s grade is evaluated.
  • Indicate when deliverables are due and when assessments will occur.
  • Identify course materials and the degree to which they are required.
  • List your office hours or how you can be contacted outside of the classroom.
  • Make the current syllabus available prior to the beginning of the course.

Student Support

  • Commit to timely grading and submitting of final grades.
  • Respond to student requests and inquiries in a timely and respectful manner.
  • Provide students with feedback on their work, as well as an indication of their standing in the course.
  • Communicate how students can improve if learning objectives are not met.
  • Make course materials available in advance to foster course preparation.
  • Support your students’ wellness through openness to their concerns and awareness of helpful university resources.