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Dr. Mark Jordan ~ ENGL 1301:
Composition & Rhetoric
Course Syllabus
Method of
Evaluation
The grade levels I use apply in
slightly different ways to both individual assignments and
course grades. In the Odessa College grading system
pertaining to overall course grades for this and most
courses, the standard range is A ~ B ~ C ~ D ~ F, as shown
below. See the Student Handbook for information on such
unusual grades as "Incomplete" and others. In computing
GPAs, Odessa College uses a four-point system as also shown
below:
90-100 = A = 4.0
gradepoints
80- 89 = B = 3.0
gradepoints
70- 79 = C = 2.0
gradepoints (the lowest
transferable course grade)
60- 69 = D = 1.0 gradepoints
(a passing course grade, but
usually not accepted by most colleges and universities to
which you might wish to transfer)
Below 60 = F = zero
gradepoints
In my evaluation of individual
assignments, I use a similar range as shown above from "A"
to "F," where "A" = 95, "F" = 55, and so forth.
Additionally, a grade of A, B, C, or D may be shown with a
minus (-) or a plus(+) with the minus equaling a "2" and the
plus an "8". For example, a "B+" on an assignment equals 88
points; a "B" equals 85 points; a "B-" equals 82 points. The
A, C, and D ranges work the same way. I also on some
occasions may give the following grades:
Below 55 = F- (may be given when an assignment is turned in
but in such a condition that even the most generous
evaluation cannot justify giving even 50 out of 100 possible
points; used rarely. The actual point value may range
anywhere from 10 to 50 points, at my discretion.)
Zero = No points (when an assignment is not turned in at
all).
Course
Requirements
- Several (4 to 6)
thesis-driven essays normally of about 1000 words, typed and
sent as email attachments; if faxed or submitted in
hardcopy, assignments should be double-spaced. These
essays will be written in response to topics assigned by
me or developed during class discussion. The essays
should involve several drafts and careful proofreading.
See the Assignments page for my specific grading criteria and
a general description of the type writing I expect on
these documents. (grade
weight of essays = 60% total, with later essays
outweighing earlier ones) Exact percentages can only be determined
when it becomes clear whether the class will write four,
five, or six essay-length documents, which I normally
decide after the second or third essay, depending on how
much time we have spent on these.
- Class
participation will count
10% of your course
grade. This will be
judged on several factors chosen to reflect not only
quantity of participation but quality as well. Criteria
may include such factors as number of days participating,
number of messages sent, amount of pertinent questions
asked, amount of topics or persuasive points introduced
in discussion, and general imaginativeness and focus
demonstrated.
- Error logs consist
of sentence-by-sentence
correction of grammatical errors I mark in your formal
essays. I prefer to focus on grammar in this way, rather
than using tests or exercises. Specific instructions on
how to do these error logs can be found in
the Errorlogs web link. These error logs, when combined with other
minor assignments (e.g.,
peer critiques, website critiques, partial drafts, etc.),
will count 10% of your
course grade.
- The final exam
will also be an essay similar to the previous ones, and
counting 20% of your
course grade. At my
discretion, I may choose to permit students to do final
exam essays at home, like the other essays, or on the
other hand students may be required to take an on-campus,
timed final just as my traditional 1301 students do. For
students living at a distance, this requirement, if
necessary, can be handled by arrangement with the
student's own college testing center or other similar
secure testing environment.
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