Assessment and Grading

Your grade in this class is based on the quality of your participation and performance on written exams, essays, and in-class assignments. This course does not include extra credit opportunities. The ability to read, synthesize, and write cogent analyses of materials previously unfamiliar (i.e., culturally or historically disparate from personal experience) is critical to your success as both a student and a professional. I will evaluate your assignments from this perspective. Read (or view, if films) the assigned primary and secondary resources carefully and prepare your assignments professionally. Written work containing errors in spelling, grammar, and usage will suffer serious score reductions. You cannot pass this course without completing all essays and exams.

I will assign grades on the basis of a weighted average of all work completed in the course; I will then adjust individual averages as necessary according to penalties for excessive absences or missing work. Assignment weights are listed in the Assignments list below. The Grading Scale shows the point scores that determine letter grades. I use general standards and criteria to assess the class assignments and activities.

I will provide written feedback on all writing assignments completed for this class. Written comments will address matters of content, adherence to the assignment, and presentation. I expect you to apply feedback to the improvement of subsequent written work. You are responsible for preserving all work you do for this class until after the conclusion of the course. To receive a grade of C or better on any written work for this class, you must successfully meet all assignment criteria for content, length, format, presentation, research and proper source citation, and submission requirements including deadline. Your work should demonstrate careful attention to polish and should be mostly free of usage, grammar, and spelling errors. The work must demonstrate your careful reading of the assigned text under consideration. Submitted work that fails to meet any of the above-listed criteria earns a grade of D or F. Submitted work that exceeds at least several of the above-listed criteria earns a grade of B or A. More detailed Guidelines for each assignment and the criteria for identifying an A paper, a B paper, etc., are posted on Blackboard.

See here for an Assignment Breakdown with respective Course Grade Weights.

See here for a Grading Scale.

See here for the English Essay Grading Rubric.

See the Class Schedule for a list of all assignments and due dates.