ATTENDANCE

This is a class that depends on your being there. Your participation, readings responses, and quizzes cannot be made up. Therefore, you must be in class. You are allowed three absences. No excuses. No penalties. After three your grade will be dropped a letter per absence; you will be dropped from the course with a WF after seven absences. Excessive tardiness will also impact reading response averages and accumulation of absences.

All assignments must be completed to earn a grade in the course.

EVALUATION
FINAL GRADES will be based on the following scale:

Four essays – 100 points each = 400 points
Assigned Reading Responses – 6 each = 60 points
Participation – attendance, in-class participation – 100

TOTAL = 560

A=90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=GRADES BELOW 59

GRADE EXPLANATION 

The grading explanations below are fairly typical of most college and university courses. Please contact your instructor, if you have any questions or concerns. NOTE: You will lose 10% for each day an essay or assignment is turned in late. Therefore, after four days, the highest grade you can receive is 60%.

letter grade	A
characterization	Excellent
explanation	Student demonstrates a full understanding of the subject matter, has capacity to analyze, has demonstrated critical thinking, and shows evidence of creative thinking. Student is familiar with literature and previous work in area and demonstrates highly developed communication and presentation skills. The work is of outstanding quality according to the criteria established for evaluation.
range	90 to 100 percent

letter grade	B
characterization	good
explanation	Student shows solid comprehension of subject matter, evidence of critical and creative thought, familiarity with literature and previous work in subject area, and competence in communication and presentation skills–but none of the above to the degree found in the A category. The work is of very good quality according to evaluation criteria.
range	80 to 89 percent

letter grade	C
characterization	average
explanation	Student demonstrates some understanding of subject matter and can assimilate and communicate basic aspects of the subject matter. The work is of satisfactory or adequate quality according to evaluation criteria.
range	70 to 79 percent

letter grade	D
characterization	poor
explanation	Student has demonstrated minimal understanding of the subject matter, has poorly developed communication skills, demonstrates an inability to apply subject matter understanding in other contexts, and shows little evidence of critical or creative thinking. The work is of unsatisfactory but passable quality according to evaluation criteria.
range	60 to 69 percent

letter grade	F
characterization	failing
explanation	The student has inadequate understanding of subject matter, has failed to complete course requirements, has shown no critical thought, and demonstrates poor communication skills. The work is clearly of unacceptable quality according to the evaluation criteria.
range	below 60 percent

letter grade	I
characterization	incomplete
explanation	A grade of incomplete may be granted to students who have suffered serious personal illness or critical, emergency circumstances during the academic term, resulting in failure to complete all assignments by the end of the term. Please see the university catalog for additional information on incompletes.
range	no percentage

WRITING CENTER
The Writing Center located in 109 Gamble Hall can be a good resource for revising your essays if you would like a little extra help with your writing. It is a free service. Please consider taking advantage of it.

PLAGIARISM
All students at AASU must agree to abide by the Honor Code and Code of Conduct found in the appendix to the catalog. Be aware that plagiarism can result in dismissal from the university, failure of the course, or failure of an assignment. Cite any sources you use at any time in this class whether you are quoting directly or paraphrasing. See me or consult the Armstrong State University Handbook if you are ever uncertain about the issue. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, AASU provides appropriate and reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Documentation and services are available at the Office of Disability Services located in Student Affairs in the MCC.