Grading Policy
Every week, you will need to complete either a writing project or an assignment by the due date listed in the Schedule.
A complete assignment, or Lesson, consists of:
2 Weekly Comment Question responses 2 pts/ea. = 4 pts
Discussions question(s) + replies to 2 students’ posts 0.5 pts/ea. = 1 pt. 5 points/week
- OR -
1 Writing Project 5 points
Your OVERALL GRADE in the class is based on:
Your First Assignment 2
9 Lessons @ 5 points ea. 45 points
6 Writing Projects @ 5 pts ea. 30
Research Paper (Final Version) 23
TOTAL 100 points
There is no midterm or final exam. Instead, you will either answer questions on the readings (Lesson) or complete a writing project every week, and write a 6-8 page (minimum 6 full pages) research paper.
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 65-69
F Below 65
Assignments are due every Saturday by 11 pm, unless otherwise noted in the class schedule (see Schedule for due dates). All students have an automatic extension on one week's worth of missed assignments--no questions asked (though I always appreciate an email letting me know what's going on). Just be sure to get your missed assignment (either a writing project or a Lesson) in no later than the next week's deadline - the next Saturday by 11 pm. If it is turned in after that deadline, you won't receive credit. Note: this policy doesn't apply to the final paper- see below for the policy on late papers.
After your first late assignment, late assignments will not be accepted. If you think that you will not be able to hand in an assignment on time, contact me immediately to make an alternative arrangement. If you miss four consecutive Lessons or Projects, I will drop you from the class.
Final papers are due on the date and time indicated in the Schedule. Late penalties will apply as follows: up to 2 hrs late: -2 points; more than 2 hrs to 5 hrs. late: -4 pts. No papers accepted past 8 pm on the due date.
Plagiarized assignments and exams will receive a zero. Shared assignments and assignments copied from other students’ assignments will result in zeroes for all parties involved. If you are using ideas or phrases that are not your own, such as cutting and pasting from a website or textbook, you must cite the original author. When in doubt, it is always better to cite. See Plagiarism for examples of how to cite something correctly.
AI such as ChatGPT is not allowed in this course and students are urged to avoid using it. It is expected that all submitted work will be the student’s own, original work created without the aid of any artificial intelligence or other supports. If an assignment is flagged for AI content once, you will receive a zero on that assignment. If a second assignment is flagged as AI-generated, the assignment will be marked zero, a formal report will be sent to the Vice President of Student Services, and further penalties may apply.
The Turnitin software that is used to check your paper checks for plagiarism, including the use of AI, so be sure to quote and cite correctly.
Posting a blank, nonsense, or incomplete response in an attempt to override the “post-first” system settings for the Discussions boards will result in a zero on the assignment. Posting your Weekly Comments in two posts instead of one may result in your assignment being marked down. If you are unsure what to write, contact your professor or refer to the “Grading Guidelines and Ideal Posts” document in Helpful Guides on Canvas.
Students may do one additional peer review for up to +1 point of extra credit. If other opportunities become available, students will be informed via a general announcement that will be posted in Announcements and emailed to students. For more information about peer review, see Writing Project #6 in the Schedule and in Modules on Canvas.