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.