KPU has policies governing attendance and performance contracts (ST1 and ST11) which set limits on when they can be used and what can be included in them. They should only be used in individualized continuous intake courses or courses that have been specifically designated as falling under this policy in the KPU academic calendar. These contracts can be appealed through the academic appeals committee.
Learning contracts are frequently used in mastery-graded courses such as Nursing placements. A learning contract should be a co-operative learning tool to help struggling students get back on track by clarifying exactly where a student is performing below the mark and what they can do to get above it. In mastery courses, this can sometimes mean doing work that was not on the course presentation as an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge or skills that were missed earlier. However, it is unfortunately common for faculty to present these contracts as an ultimatum, based on previous conversations with other faculty members and program staff. A good learning contract can be an opportunity for a student and instructor to work together to get the student back on track, but a bad learning contract can be very difficult for a student to work through. In that circumstance, consider consulting KPU counseling and/or the Student Rights Centre, and start carefully logging your interactions.