Assessment

All assignments are required. I encourage you to discuss your assignments and your grades with me while the course is in progress.

In each assignment, I am looking for evidence of thoughtful engagement and reflection on course readings, lectures, workshops and discussions. I invite you to carefully consult the assignment descriptions and assessment rubrics that I have developed to guide your work and to support your understanding of the expectations for each assignment.

Attendance | Attendance at every class is required. In the event that you are unable to attend class for a substantive reason, please contact me PRIOR to that class to arrange an excused absence. A pattern of unexcused absences will result in a pattern of reduced FINAL grades. (One grade for each unexcused absence, i.e. from A to B)

For the Fall 2021 semester, class will be in-person. Based on recent information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), if you are vaccinated and properly wearing a mask while in class it is improbable (though not impossible) that you will contract the COVID-19 virus.

Still, this is a pandemic and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assessment of the situation could change. Until it does, everyone is expected to wear a mask and to meet in our classroom.

If you refuse to wear a mask properly, I will insist that you leave the classroom immediately.

Late Assignments | Submitting assignments after the assigned due date will reduce the grade for that assignment by one letter (i.e. from A to B). However, PRIOR to due dates alternative arrangements can be made for late submissions. A final grade of “I” (incomplete) may be awarded upon request and pending approval.

Academic Honesty | I cannot stress enough the significance of ALWAYS giving credit where credit is due.In all that you do, you are expected to cite any and all resources that you use in the construction of any and all work. Print sources as well as electronic media must be cited. Any work submitted for evaluation must either be original work or cited work. Plagiarism is absolutely unacceptable. The University’s policy regarding academic honesty as stated in the John Carroll University Undergraduate Bulletin will be adhered to.

Assessment Rubric | For each assignment, I have designed a unique assessment rubric. I invite you to visit the both the Assignment and Assessment drop down menus above and to consult each assignment and rubric. Additionally, from the Assessment menu, there is a link to the Educational Foundations Grade Sheet for your section. On this page, you will find your name with a password protected link to your assessment grade sheet where you can review the numerical grades you’ve earned for each assignment.

Grading System | Students are evaluated by their understanding of substantive information, insight regarding the synthesis and transformation of this information into knowledge, capacity to apply this knowledge to new situations, and the ability to communicate this knowledge.  I use the John Carroll University four (4) point grading scale.  In my interpretation of this scale, the number adjacent to the letter grade indicates the highest number possible for that letter grade.  For example, while a 3.7 is an A-, an assessment earning 3.7001 grade points and above is an A.

A	Outstanding scholarship. 4 quality points.
A-	3.7 quality points.
B+	3.3 quality points.
B	Superior work. 3 quality points.
B-	2.7 quality points.
C+	2.3 quality points.
C	Average. 2 quality points.
C-	1.7 quality points.
D+	1.3 quality points.
D	Lowest passing quality. 1 quality point.
F	Failure. No quality points.