Community-Based Course Student Agreement – Center for Civic Engagement

Please complete the form below if you are currently a student in a community-based or service-learning course.

Your Name(Required)

First Last

Your K Email(Required)

Course Name that this agreement is being filled out for.(Required)

Professor's Name(Required)

First Last

Professor's K Email(Required)

Civic Engagement Agreement Student Course Contract(Required)

I agree to the Student Course Contract below.

I understand that community members, my instructor, and fellow students depend on me to fulfill my responsibilities in order to ensure the success of this partnership between Kalamazoo College and the community site that I will be participating.

I therefore pledge to:

Learn about the concerns and priorities of the organization with which I’m working, in accordance with the principles and best practices of both this course and socially just community engagement.
Adhere to the schedule that I establish with my instructor and the staff of the community site at the beginning of the quarter. I understand that these agreements are in effect throughout the ten weeks of classes. I agree to fulfill my commitment to the course and community site unless there is a family emergency or I am ill.
Be on time and consistent in my attendance. I understand that if I have unexcused absences, I may be terminated from this project. Acceptable absences are illness, family emergency, or other commitments that are cleared with my instructor in advance. I am responsible for communicating with my instructor and on-campus or off-campus collaborators if I have to miss any scheduled classes or activities for an excused absence.
Attend a mandatory orientation for my project and other class sessions that address necessary background information.
Respect the private lives of the individuals with whom I work including other K students and members of the Kalamazoo community.
Gather knowledge about local communities with which I am working, and the policies and systems that shape them, in order to understand the context in which food insecurity occurs
Fill out an end-of-quarter written evaluation as requested by my instructor and the Center for Civic Engagement.
Respect others’ traditions and differences, and consider and honor rules of etiquette in dress, conduct, and speech.
Be honest, and have open, timely communication with program staff and my faculty member regarding concerns with the community site and/or its staff.
Discuss and inform the appropriate individuals – the K College instructor and/or student leader(s) and/or Center for Civic Engagement staff – if the circumstances of my placement are unsatisfactory.
Remember that I am perceived as a representative of Kalamazoo College.

I have read the expectations above and agree to the principles therein. I understand that failure to fulfill this agreement may have consequences for my involvement in the civic engagement program and/or course in which I participate.

Signature(Required)

Date Signed(Required)

COVID-19 Waiver of Liability(Required)

I agree to the Assumption of the Risk and Waiver of Liability Relating to Coronavirus/COVID-19

PREFACE: The novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a result, federal, state, and local governments and federal and state health agencies recommend social distancing, use of face masks, and have, in many locations, prohibited the congregation of groups of people. The Kalamazoo College Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) in and our community partners have put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, we cannot guarantee that you will not become infected with COVID-19. Kalamazoo College requires that all students and staff are completely vaccinated as of Sept. 2021. Kalamazoo College cannot ensure that everyone at a community site that you may interact with is vaccinated. Our community partners have signed an agreement stating they support on their site all other COVID-19 protocols required by K College, which includes mandatory masking indoors for everyone regardless of vaccination status and mandatory reporting if experiencing symptoms or known exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

By signing this agreement, I acknowledge the contagious nature of COVID-19, that I understand and will abide by best practices to reduce its likelihood of transmission, follow all protocols of the College and community organization and voluntarily assume the risk that I may be exposed to or infected by COVID-19 while working in a CCE program, which requires in-person contact with community members and that such exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, and death. I understand that the risk of becoming exposed to or infected by COVID-19 while working in a CCE program may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of myself and others, including, but not limited to, community partner staff, other K students working in the program, and program participants and their families. I voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to myself (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that I may experience or incur in connection with my participation in a CCE community-based program. On my behalf, I hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless the CCE, Kalamazoo College, and the community partner organization, its agents, and representatives, of and from the Claims, including all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto.

Signature(Required)

Date Signed(Required)