This class will focus on writing as a process, including multiple revisions before your Final Portfolio. Therefore, up until the Final Portfolio, all assignments will be graded on a check system, with the focus on completing all required parts of the assignment.
I want you to focus on doing the work, learning the concepts, and developing your academic writing voice. In order to do these things, you'll need room to take risks. The grading policies in this class are built to support this by focusing on meeting general requirements instead of focusing on the quality of the writing.
If you complete the requirements and turn in all the required parts of the assignment, you will get full credit. Missing requirements will lead to partial credit, or if several requirements are missed, no credit.
Weekly Writing and other smaller assignments will be graded on a partial check system ✓+, ✓-, or NC.
These scores will be marked in the grade book as 2, 1, and 0 accordingly.
Major projects will be graded on a full check scheme ✓+, ✓, ✓-, or NC.
These scores will be marked in the grade book as 3, 2, 1, and 0 accordingly.
The Final Portfolio is the culmination of your work in the class and will be graded on a rubric of 100 points.
A full explanation of the check system can be found under "Grading Scheme" below.
I do not accept resubmissions of work that has already been graded in any circumstances.
I do not review work before it is submitted for a grade since feedback on the writing progress is part of the course design.
In other words, I will not review your work over email before the assignment is submitted. There will be opportunities during class throughout the semester to get feedback on your brainstorming and writing, along with draft feedback as a part of the writing process.
For additional feedback on your writing, I strongly recommend making an appointment with a writing tutor at the Academic Success Center.
Check Plus (✓ +) Full credit
Meets requirements. Assignment meets the required length, prompts, and any other requirements on the assignment sheet.
Check minus (✓ -) Partial Credit
Missing a requirement (or two, if both are minor). The assignment mostly meets the requirements but may be under the length requirement or does not address a required item on the assignment.
No Credit (No Credit)
Assignment is missing two or more requirements or is substantially under the length requirement.
Check Plus (✓ +) Full credit
Meets length, style, formatting, and prompt requirements. Complete, well organized, generally well written and thoughtful.
Check (✓ ) Partial Credit
Missing one item from the requirements, under page requirements, ideas are not fully developed, not detailed, or missing support or other requirements.
Check minus (✓ -) Partial Credit
Missing two items from the requirements; such as: ideas not fully developed, under page requirements, and/or haven’t addressed all prompts in a writing assignment.
No Credit (No Credit)
Missing three or more items from the requirements, did not complete the assignment (writing about something other than the topic, missing quite a bit of the assignment), and/or substantially under the page length requirements.
Note: if the assignment significantly doesn't meet the requirements, such as is completely off-topic or substantially under the length requirement, it may receive a "no credit" on that alone.
The final portfolio will be graded on a rubric, which can be found in the assignment on Canvas.
Grades are “weighted” in this class, which means that each category is worth a certain percentage of the grade. You may see your Canvas final grade change drastically throughout the semester. I recommend using the Canvas feature that allows you to input theoretical future grades to get a better sense of how you need to perform to receive a particular grade.
The point distribution chart, which explains how much each assignment group is worth, can be found on the class syllabus on Canvas.
An Incomplete (I) grade may be granted only in exceptional circumstances and is not guaranteed. In this course, an Incomplete is reserved for students who have been consistently performing well throughout the semester and experience an unexpected, documented emergency near the end of the term that prevents them from submitting the final portfolio.
To be eligible for an Incomplete:
The student must have completed all major assignments leading up to the final portfolio.
The student must be passing the class at the time of the request.
The final portfolio must be the only outstanding work remaining in the course.
The student must contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss the situation and provide appropriate documentation.
If an Incomplete is granted, a written agreement will outline the timeline and requirements for submitting the final portfolio. Failure to meet the agreed-upon deadline may result in a failing grade for the course.