Have you ever thought that grades are arbitrary? Me, too. If I look back to the time I took a Shakespeare class in graduate school, what does that mean? What does that "B" say about what I learned (or did not learn) in that course?

I have some thoughts about Shakespeare and that "B," that I don't want to bore you with, but one I'll say is this--I wish I could remember more about that class than that damn "B." My hope for you is that in this class you'll remember ideas (from other scholars and yourself), as well as writing choices and skills that will showcase your voice and perspective. That's why in this class, we will do some version of UNGRADING, which means that we will not assign letter or number grades to our assignments. Instead, we will mark assignments as COMPLETE or INCOMPLETE, based on the assignment prompt and/or rubric. If an assignment is marked as INCOMPLETE because it does not meet the requirements of the prompt, you will be given FEEDBACK and have a chance to revise it so that it can be marked as COMPLETE.

But you, Profe, will have to assign me a grade at the end of the semester, correct? Yes, and that grade will be based on the number of your COMPLETED tasks, which you will see in your Assignment Checklist. There are a few assignments you will be able to miss and still PASS this class. Some assignments may be made up (see Agreements Page for details). However, some assignments, like most of our class projects, will be required to pass the class or earn a "B" or an "A."

When I've done some version of Ungrading, especially along with Project Conferences and Student Hours, students and I have had a more successful relationship as writer and reader--and our conversations have been less about grades and more about writing and the ideas we are trying to express through it.

To learn more about Ungrading Practices, check out these these resources:

• https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/blog/2022/09/what-is-ungrading/

• https://www.jessestommel.com/ungrading-an-introduction/

Please make a copy of the checklist below and save it in your PUENTE Drive and in your ENGL 100 folder. You are responsible for updating it as you complete each assignment. This is how you will know your standing/grade in the class. I will ask you to submit this document at various times of the term. 

The document below details the specifications that will help you get the grade you want. 

To get an "B" in this class, for example, you must COMPLETE:

• 10 Discussion Activities (DA), 

• 11 Writing Activities (WA),

• The 3 Class Writing Projects,

• 2 Writing Center Visits,

• 2 Project Conferences,

• The Service Learning Reflection, and

• The Writing Portfolio