Syllabus - Grading Philosophy

It’s my opinion that letter grades and subsequent grade point averages in no way represent an assessment of achievement of the goal and outcomes of this course. Grade inflation and behaviorism over the years have mutated what might once have been considered valid assessment of student achievement.

Unfortunately for you, I’m still required to give you a grade at the end of the semester, a grade that in some way, in one little letter, states your achievement, application, improvement and ability that you have demonstrated during that semester - an impossible evaluation. However, that’s what you’ve come to expect after twelve years of conditioning in our schools.

Since I’m required to give you a letter grade, it’s my philosophy that the grade will represent the following criteria:

A – The student surpasses the requirements of each activity, reaches above 90% on assessment and skill qualification rubrics, executes original critical thinking in the discipline, demonstrates achievement of the objectives evidenced in written and oral communication, and asks good questions and engages others, including the instructor.

B – The student meets the requirements of each activity, reaches above 80% on assessment and skill qualification rubrics, executes critical thinking in communication in the discipline, demonstrates understanding of the objectives evidenced in written and oral communication, and asks good questions and engages others, including the instructor.

C – The student meets most of the requirements of each activity and reaches above 70% on assessment and skill qualification rubrics, demonstrates identification of the objectives evidenced in written and oral communication, and asks good questions and engages others, including the instructor.

D – The student meets less than half of the requirements of the research activity, reaches but doesn’t exceed 60% on assessment and skill qualification rubrics, and acknowledges the objectives evidenced in written and oral communication.

F – The student’s apathy outweighed achievement.

Past students have expressed fears to me that this course could disrupt their current GPA and thwart scholarship opportunities. It’s my experience that we are driven by two basic emotions; fear and love.

Students who are afraid of their performance in this course will limit themselves and will consequently fear their evaluations. Students who love what they do in this course and discipline and embrace evaluation for their own amelioration transcend assessment criterion and have little worry or care about their grade. The outcomes are dramatically different.

It’s a choice, I promise.

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