Grading

Contract Grading

Writing is never done – a written product can be improved, and a writer can continue to develop. To progress in your writing, you need to invest in your development by engaging with meaningful learning activities. Consistent engagement with the processes of writing, research tells us, fosters the development of stronger, more flexible academic writers.

In this class, we honor that effort and engagement through a grading system known as contract grading. This means the grade you earn reflects largely on your engagement with the work. You will have complete autonomy to decide what grade you will earn in this class. This means planning ahead, thinking about all of your obligations and responsibilities this quarter, and also determining what grade you want or need in this course.

Below I present the different categories of assignments in the course, including the purpose each type of assignment serves in your development as a writer. Then I provide a list of the requirements for each letter grade.

Assignment Categories

In-Class Activities

In-class activities include discussions, individual tasks, and group work. These activities are meant to help you understand course concepts and develop ideas for writing projects. Each class period you will submit an in-class handout as a record of your participation in these in-class activities. These handouts are graded on a Complete/Incomplete basis and contribute to your overall grade in the course. This means that regular attendance to the course is important for both your learning and your grade.

Homework

Homework assignments include Reading Tasks, Learning Logs, and Writing Conferences. These assignments are meant to help you dig deeper in your learning, think critically about course concepts, and make tangible progress on writing projects. Homework assignments will be submitted online through Canvas.

Peer Workshops

Active participation in all peer workshops is required to receive a passing grade in the course. Participating fully means submitting a complete first draft, providing respectful peer feedback, using peer feedback to make a revision plan, and revising your project before submitting the next draft. These workshops are meant to help you become critical and constructive revisers of your work.

Writing Projects

Writing Projects are more in-depth composition tasks that help you explore your literacy strategies and practices. Submission of final drafts of all writing projects is required to receive a passing grade in the course. Submitting a complete draft means responding appropriately to the assignment prompt. These projects are meant to help you practice undertaking complex assignments and demonstrate your achievement of the course Student Learning Outcomes. We will complete four writing projects, with more details to be presented during the quarter:

WP1: Reader Profile (case study on the reading practices of a partner)
WP2: Language Literature Review (synthesis of past and current conversations surrounding language use)
WP3: Literacy Report (self-study of reading and writing practices in and prior to UWP 7)
WP4: Reflection (final exam reflection).

First and final drafts of writing projects will be submitted online through Canvas.

Weekly Check-ins

Each week, you'll complete a short check-in on Canvas. This assignment is an opportunity to update me on how things are going for you academically and/or personally; you're welcome to share as little or as much as you like. I use these check-ins to build our communication together and get to know you better. I strongly encourage you to complete these assignments; however, they are optional and thus do not count towards your grade in the course.

Enrichment Activities

Enrichment activities do not ask you to engage in a new writing project. Rather, they are opportunities for you to continue developing, polishing, and engaging with your existing writing projects and/or in-class activities. You will have various options to complete the enrichment activities, and they generally begin after you complete your final draft and receive instructor feedback. More information will be provided in later weeks.

*Note: Completing enrichment activities is only required if you wish to receive an A grade in the course. However, even if you are not contracted to receive an A grade, you can still complete enrichment activities to compensate for incomplete work (in-class handouts and/or homework) and boost your grade within your contracted grade (e.g., completing an enrichment activity could bring a B- grade to a B).

Letter Grade Requirements

*Again, please note that enrichment activities are only required for an A grade. I fully acknowledge and respect that an A grade may not be every student’s ambition. I respect the student who only needs a C, who has other obligations that preclude doing all of the requirements to earn an A in the course, and who contracts for the C and carries out the contract perfectly.

Understanding Your Grade

Most of you may not be familiar with contract grading, and unfortunately, Canvas is not well-equipped to keep track of your grade under this grading system. Therefore, I will post your updated grade at several points throughout the quarter, including information on how to raise your grade should you wish to do so. I anticipate providing grade updates approximately Week 4, Week 8, and Week 10.

ELWR Fulfillment Reminder

The entry level writing requirement (ELWR) is a way to ensure students get literacy support right away upon enrolling at UC Davis so they can be successful in their classes. ELWR fulfilling courses provide college reading and writing strategies, emphasizing how college writers work with source materials in particular. Completing this course with a C or higher fulfills the ELWR. Students who opt to take the course P/NP will not be able to use the course to fulfill ELWR.

Other Grading Policies

Complete/Incomplete Work

There are two categories for grades for in-class handouts and assignments: Complete or Incomplete. Work that meets minimum requirements and is submitted on time is considered complete. An activity/assignment/draft is considered incomplete if it does not meet the minimum requirements of the assignment. If you miss work, consider completing one or more enrichment activities to compensate for that missed work.

Rubrics for what constitutes Complete/Incomplete grades will be provided with each task and assignment. For some tasks/assignments, further detailed explanations of your grade and work quality will be provided should you request it.

Graded Work

The four Writing Projects of the course will be graded using a three level scale (Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, and Does Not Meet Expectations) to give you a sense of the quality of your writing. The evaluation will take into consideration the thesis, organization, development, sources, style, mechanics, format, revision, and reflection quality of each Writing Project. A standard rubric is provided on Canvas and with each Writing Project.

If you are unsatisfied with the grade you receive on a Writing Project, you are welcome to resubmit a revised version for a new grade. Any attempted revision with considerable changes earns at least one level higher grade. I will use your highest grade on each Writing Project to determine your overall grade in the course.

Word Requirement

Students will write a minimum of 5,000 graded words in order to fulfill the Entry Level Writing Requirement. This word requirement will be distributed across our the Learning Logs and Writing Projects (WPs):

Learning Logs (~200 words each, 8 in total): 1600 words
Reader Profile (WP1) 700 words (minimum)
Language Profile (WP2) 1000 words (minimum)
Literacy Profile (WP3) 1200 words (minimum)
Student Profile (WP4, final exam) 500 words (minimum)

Late Passes

Things happen in life, so I will provide some wiggle room in late tasks and assignments. You are allowed two late passes to submit late Homework or Writing Project Final Drafts (no more than 48 hours).

If you are going to use a “late pass,” you must indicate that in a comment on the assignment in Canvas by the original due date. For late Writing Project final drafts, but sure to contact me via email or office hour in advance of the due date to make arrangements. NOTE: late passes cannot be used for peer response workshop drafts or workshops. You cannot use a late pass to skip submitting your own draft on time. You cannot use a late pass to skip providing feedback to a peer’s draft on time.

Sharing Your Work

All of our work will generate class discussion and might be shared with your peers. Knowing this, please do not write about subjects that you do not want to share.

The Actual Contract

By the end of the first full week of the quarter, each of you will sign a contract committing to a letter grade. Should you wish to revise your contract at any point during the quarter, we can have a conference to discuss the possibility. The contract will consist of the following information:

Your Contract Grade
Your Name
Signature
Date
Witness Name
Witness Signature
Co-signed by Instructor
Date

Making a plan for your grade will help you organize and prioritize the time and energy you devote to this course and will help me understand your goal so I can help you achieve it.

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