Grading Standards

Multiple-Choice Exams

• Grades on multiple choice exams will be determined as follows:
  • 90-100% of highest score = A
  • 80- 89% of highest score = B
  • 70- 79% of highest score = C
  • 60- 69% of highest score = D
  • 0 -59% of highest score = F

Participation and Preparation

• Discussion ( in class and chat room ) will conform to the standards of polite conversation. Respect and tolerance for the views of others and a willingness to engage in meaningful debate is required. Disrespectful comments or language will not be tolerated.

Homework

• Written homework will be grammatically correct and free of spelling and punctuation errors.

Essays

• There are four formal writing assignments in this course. Due dates will be announced in the Schedule. No late essays will be accepted.
  
  

  • Writing Standards

    All formal writing must conform to the standards of edited standard written English (ESWE).
    
    

  • Goal:

    The purpose of these assignments is to teach you how to write critical and argumentative papers effectively.
    
    

  • Format:

    All essays must be typed or word processed, double-spaced, with 1.25" margins all around using 10 or 12 point type, in either Times or Palintino font.
    
    

  • Grading Criteria

    The following grading scale describes a variety of reasons for the grade assigned.
    • Grade = A: The paper adequately states and defends an argument and answers the counterexamples and counter arguments suggested by: the lectures the reading assignments common sense.
      
    • Grade = B The paper states an argument on the appropriate topic, clearly supported by relevant premises and evidence, but : counter arguments and counterexamples are not mentioned or answered. counterexamples and counter arguments are mentioned but not adequately answered. evidence for main premises is either incorrect or missing or not specific supporting premises either unclear or missing counter arguments and counterexamples are bogus ("straw man")
      
    • Grade = C: The paper states an argument or thesis, but supporting premises or evidence are: missing incorrect or anachronistic irrelevant not sufficiently specific all or partly obscured by errors in language or usage.
      
    • Grade = D: The paper simply lists, narrates, or describes the reading or lecture and includes several errors makes no serious attempt to frame an argument or defend a thesis. The paper states an argument or thesis, but one that does not address the questions posed.
      
    • Grade F: The paper is dishonest. The paper completely ignores the questions set. The paper is incomprehensible due to errors in language or usage. The paper contains very serious factual errors or errors in reasoning.