Group Member Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

  • You have the right and responsibility to select meeting times and locations that are convenient for all members.

  • You have the right to contribute to the formation of group goals, the dividing of the work among group members, and the setting of deadlines.

  • You have the right to expect all group members to do their fair share of the work and you have the right to confront group members who are not doing their fair share. You have the responsibility to complete the work assigned to you.

  • You have the responsibility to be an active participant in the group process. And you have the right to expect active participation from other group members.

  • You have the right to expect feedback from the group on work you complete for the group and you have the responsibility to provide constructive feedback on the work of other group members.

  • You have the right to expect group meetings to begin and end promptly and that the group will follow an agenda that outlines the tasks it expects to accomplish during the meeting. You have the responsibility to help the group fulfill these expectations by getting to meetings on time and helping the group develop and follow the agenda.

  • You have the right to participate in a group that works cooperative and handles disagreements constructively.

  • You have the right to ask group members to limit the amount of time devoted to socialization or the discussion of extraneous topics. You have the responsibility not to engage in excessive socialization or to bring up extraneous topics. You have the responsibility to help the group stay on task.

  • You have the right to expect that group members will listen to you respectfully and you have the responsibility to listen to all group members respectfully.

Adapted from a study group bill of rights developed by D. G. Longman and published in The Teaching Professor, 1992, 6 (7), 5.