THE CONTRACT

Contract is a maze. I’m currently an RA, charged with enforcing the rules and regulations of “the contract.” I’ve been trying to figure out all year what exactly this document is, and the only conclusion I’ve been able to come up with is that it is an infinite maze.

Upon applying, all students must sign the statement of agreement (found here) which I believe is generally considered “contract” which refers prospective students to the student handbook (found here) which is a 56 page document.

How many students are able to remember the contents of a 56 page document? Beyond that, these 56 pages are filled with items such as earthquake procedures, bomb threat procedures, fire escape plans (including the plan for the old Horton) &c.

All this trivial information detracts from the distinctives that Biola’s contract uses to set itself apart from other institutions (such as APU). As an RA, I am technically required to write an incident report on a resident for not carrying his ID card at all times just as much as I am required to report someone smoking during an orgy in their room during non open hours.

In order to increase the relevancy and opinion of the contract, I would advocate dramatic simplification of the document. Schools like Oral Roberts University are able to have a one-page contract (found here) yet still say more in that one page than in all 56 pages of Biola’s student handbook.

I’m not saying things like public safety aren’t important. Those things have their place, but if Biola’s contract is truly to be a true distinctive of the institution, then make those requirements distinct. Alex and I will lobby and hopefully collaborate with the administration to create a one-page contract that would be simple to understand, simple to remember, and simple to live by.

Simplification of contract in this manner would be yet another way in which the spirit of RECAPTURE will prevail.