Policies
1. Written work:
a. Except for work in Arabic done by students in Arabic 111, all work to be handed in must be typewritten and printed. Staple, clip, or fold papers to hold pages together. Save digital copies to your folder on the Virtual Desktop. Work in Arabic must be in long-hand (never typed) and written in dark (blue or black) ink on lined paper.
b. Work submitted late earns no higher than C+. Illness, backed up by an excuse from the infirmary (for day students, too), is the only ground for extension. Infrequently I may grant extensions for other reasons if approached 24 hours ahead of the deadline, but do not count on my saying yes. The purpose of deadlines is to assure that all students are treated fairly and that the instructor can meet his own deadlines.
c. It is your responsibility to keep up with assignments and classroom work missed due to any absence.
d. Major Essays (and Term Essay Reports in upper class electives) earning less than C may be rewritten for a higher grade. You must receive my prior approval if you wish to rewrite. Bring your paper to me with a plan of action and we will discuss it. With rewrites, your grade either goes up or remains the same if no improvement has occurred. Rewritten work must be accompanied by all previous versions.
Back to How to Write Major Essays.
e. You are expected to be familiar with assigned texts from day to day. This includes bringing to class texts, notebooks, and other materials from which reading or written assignments are due that day. As part of this, you are expected to write Reading Responses to all assigned reading. Go to How to Write Responses to Assigned Readings for details.
2. Classroom:
a. Attendance: You are expected to attend every class.
b. Lateness: If you are late to class three times, you will be charged one absence point. When you are late, it is your responsibility to see me after class time to explain why you were late, and to make sure I have removed your name from the absence list for that day.
c. Participation: Class participation (listening as well as speaking) is a significant part of your grade.
d. Please come to class equipped with everything you will need (tissues included) to insure you will not have to get up and leave the room before group breaks.
e. It is distracting, disruptive, and ill mannered to get up and leave the room during discussions. No one may leave the room while someone else is speaking. Always ask permission. Emergencies, of course, are excepted, but please excuse yourself. I will give a short break halfway through the class to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water (remind me if I forget).
f. Extra Help Office hours by appointment. See me before or after class to set up a time. SWIS is often the fastest way to reach me.
g. Note on Civility: Please review the "Statement of Personal Commitment" on page 62 of the School Handbook, especially the following:
"All members of the community, whether on campus or off campus, are expected to demonstrate respect, civility, and honesty...It is expected that classrooms will be places where ideas can be freely exchanged..."
Evaluation Criteria
1. Command of the material (content and versatility of use).
2. Awareness of the larger picture the material is part of (context).
3. Effective organization and clarity (presentation).
4. Insight, creativity, imagination, and persuasiveness (engagement).
Scales:
A range (93-100 points) -- work that fulfills the four criteria above and stands clearly out from and above other good papers, reflecting extraordinary understanding and command of the material (including the abilities to identify, articulate, synthesize, and apply themes running through disparate parts of the material and to compare and contrast them with one another), creative and imaginative use of the material, and the capacity to apply it or utilize it in new settings or with new problems. N.B. this does not mean simply "getting all the answers right" as on a math test; it means that your work is literally "outstanding" relative to all other honors level papers. In other words, it "stands out" from the crowd of all other good papers.
B range (83-90 points) -- work that indicates fulfillment of the four criteria listed above and contains a spark or two of promise that it could become 'A' work. Work that deserves to be honored.
C range (73-80 points) -- work that indicates a satisfactory representation of the material in spite of some errors, and in spite of less than complete commitment to the task (meaning, you could have tried harder). Work that contains mechanical errors that substantially hinder clarity, persuasiveness, or presentation.
D range (63-70 points) -- work that indicates evidence of some recollection of material, but, otherwise contains serious deficiencies in knowledge, comprehension, effort, communication, or the ability or willingness to apply or use the material in new settings.
F range (below 59 points) -- work that fails to show that you understood what was asked of you, fails to show that you were in command of the material you were asked to work with, fails to show that you can communicate satisfactorily about it, and otherwise fails to demonstrate adequately the knowledge or skills being examined.