Everything grades

Yep -- the grading in this course is different. It's better. You're in control of your learning, and I'm here to provide feedback and help you stay on track.

The idea is simple: You get to decide how much effort you wish to invest to earn whatever grade you want. At the end of the semester, you will evaluate yourself against the general expectations below.

You are expected to keep up with the course readings, according to the schedule. Everyone will complete their own Semester Project and an Impact Statement.

Everything else is at your own discretion. We have a WIDE VARIETY of things to explore for your learning activities (look at them all in the Content Library); you get to choose where you focus your curiosity and attention. Each will give you more information about the Big Three Goals listed on the homepage.

Once you've completed all course work, you'll take a few minutes to fill out a form and assign yourself a grade. (Here's an example of that form.) This is important. I'm relying on you to provide a self-assessment of your learning. I'm less interested in assigning a grade based on output than I am in assigning a grade based on learning. But to do so, I need your help.

Incomplete grades

In addition to the usual A-F grades, Chattanooga State uses something called an "incomplete" grade (I) when extenuating circumstances made completion of the coursework difficult in the space of a normal semester. Incomplete grades are meant to be rare and only assigned when a student could have passed the course had something extraordinary not happened.

If you believe you need an incomplete grade to extend your deadline, you must request an incomplete by sending an email to the instructor before the last day of class. This email should explain why an incomplete grade is needed. From there, I'll send you the incomplete grade form and we'll work on a plan to ensure you complete the course with a passing grade.

To review the ChattState policy, see details here.