Initializing RA Agreement document

docs/RAships/Agreement.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# MEDLab RA Agreement
+
+Dear {Student},
+
+Welcome to a research assistantship with MEDLab! I hope this will be a productive and creative semester, in addition to being a chance for us to invest financially and concretely in your education. The purpose of this letter is to clarify our shared expectations. If you have any questions or concerns about anything here, let's discuss them immediately to avoid any misunderstandings.
+
+Being an RA is part of a collective commitment. Our RAships are only possible, first of all, through commitments of funds from the university or external funders. MEDLab leadership has expended time and energy to secure those funds for you. We commit to supporting you and continuing to invest in your growth. Meanwhile, we expect that you invest back in us—that you bring not only time and labor, but also imagination and leadership. We hope that you will take co-ownership over this role, just as our lab seeks to support democratic co-ownership of the online economy.
+
+## Expectations
+
+Here are some of the basics of your RAship:
+
+- Period: {Date}
+- Hours: {Hours/week, etc.}
+- Supervisor: {Supervisor}
+- Funding source: {Funder}
+
+All funded members of the MEDLab team are expected to contribute in the following ways:
+
+- Attend weekly lab meetings
+- Attend MEDLab events
+- Coordinate work independently with your supervisor and collaborators
+- Be active and attentive to the Matrix chat and other collaboration tools on the MEDLab Cloud
+- Conduct at least one interview for the podcast, in consultation with the producer
+- Organize your dedicated hours and schedule to accommodate these responsibilities, and communicate clearly when adjustments are necessary
+
+We expect that the tasks and goals you'll be working on may change during the RAship, and we should have ongoing discussions about them. Our goal is for your MEDLab work to align as much as possible with your own interests and research, although that may not be entirely possible. At this stage, this is how we currently envision your role:
+
+- {Specify focus and deliverables for the period}
+
+You are responsible for establishing a rhythm of meetings with your supervisor and collaborators that enables you to accomplish your goals. Our lab often prioritizes directing funding to students over supervisors, so please keep that in mind and be judicious about your needs for supervisors' time.
+
+Be sure to discuss these in detail with your supervisor so you fully understand them.
+
+## Accountability
+
+Accountability is both an important theme in MEDLab's work and in how we work together.
+
+Plan to maintain an ongoing dialogue with your supervisor about mutual expectations. At minimum, your supervisor and you should discuss your progress and performance—as well as the supervisory relationship—at the midterm of a given appointment.
+
+In the event of egregious or unprofessional behavior, or consistent under-performance in agreed-on duties, RA roles may be subject to termination or reassignment. MEDLab will seek to pursue all possible opportunities for repair, consistent with meeting our commitments to collaborators and protecting the safety of our community.
+
+According to the Graduate School Appointment Manual, in the event of intractable disagreements, students or supervisors should raise them first with the direct supervisor, and then with the Director of Graduate Studies, and if neither of those interactions produce a resolution, with the Graduate School.
+
+## On-boarding
+
+If you have not already, please review the MEDLab Handbook and especially follow the guide on the On-Boarding page.
+
+Welcome aboard!