COMM 400 Week 2 Learning Team Charter

HI Team!

I would like to give you some requirements on how to complete a winning team charter. I will use these criteria to grade your charters, so please read carefully and reply to this thread with questions or comments about learning team requirements.

Please note (I am using red to emphasize the seriousness of this issue):   I consider participation in learning teams a very serious matter. There is nothing that bothers me more than a learning team member that does not pull his or her weight. I understand that life throws us curve balls when we least expect them, so sometimes deadlines cannot be met. It is up to the team to decide how to handle this, and how you will handle it should be put in the charter, in detail.  The team project in this class is a big one and should not be left up to one or two people and have the whole team earn the credit. I will work with you to make sure this does not happen, but I need everyone’s input to make sure this does not happen.

Please be mindful that the team charter is a contract between the 4-5 members of the Learning Team. Basic contract law requires all parties to the contract agree on its contents to make it valid.  The same is true for the Learning Team Charter. Most often teams write their content as individuals and simply “cut and paste” the contents together. That is not what I consider a contract.  When I read the charter, I my perception should be that everyone has read and agrees on the terms.

Please add anything that you all feel is relevant.  After the final draft is completed, please have everyone on the team “sign off” on the final contract. All font styles and fonts should be the same and please check spelling and grammar. Here are some tips for you based on the new Learning Team Charter (posted in the materials tab under “Learning Team Toolkit”):

Team Ground Rules and Guidelines

What are the general expectations for all members of the team?

List the expectations you all have of each other regarding teamwork. There should be no “I” sentences.

Expectations for Time Management and Involvement

(Participation, communication with the team, accessibility, etc.)

Agree upon time frames, checking into the team forum, what you will do if someone cannot complete their task in the timeframe listed. How will a leader be chosen?

Ensuring Fair and Even Contribution and Collaboration

What strategy will you use to ensure that all team members are contributing and collaborating appropriately? Describe the communication strategy you will use if a team member is not contributing and collaborating effectively. How will the team manage conflicts between team members?

This is a little different from the section above. How will a non-producing member be handled? How will disagreements be handled? You should have a summary of a process on which all of you agree.

Special Considerations

What do you, as a team, agree will make this team experience different from past team experiences?

Again, make this a collaborative statement. Thank you for completing the Charter as a team.