Adoption of a Learning Contract in Higher Education

Abstract

This disguised case features a marketing major, Susan Lafleur, who presented Professor Higgins, the Department Chair, with a dilemma. She needed a petition signed to enroll in a capstone course while simultaneously taking a prerequisite course. She received an employment offer from a prestigious overseas corporation, which required a baccalaureate marketing degree. Higgins informed Susan that the prerequisite courses had never been waived previously. Further investigation revealed that Susan had a marginal academic record. Higgins’s quandary involved maintaining academic standards, College policy, and compassion for the student. Decision making, motivation, and psychological contract research were applied. What should Higgins do?