In this course, you will write at least eight and probably as many as ten papers. I will grade each of these papers in six categories: Content, Support, Organization, Grammar and Mechanics, Diction and Style. I'll grade your paper on a grid that looks like this. Notice that in each category, you will receive a grade of 1 through 5; these numbers are equivalent to the letter grades "F" to "A." If all of the grades for the first four categories receive a grade of C or better, you will receive a letter grade of A, B, or C on your essay. If even one of the grades in these four categories receives less than a 3, your paper will receive a letter grade of X.
No, an X does not men you flunked. It means that your paper is not proficient in one of the four major categories. Because of this, the paper can not be used in your portfolio. It is important to learn from your X papers. If a paper received a 2 in organization, but a 4 in all other categories, that means that you wrote a paper that would have earned a B had it been more carefully organized.
"X-rated" is a term that refers to serious grammatical and mechanical errors. These are: sentence fragments, subject-verb, verb Form errors, fused sentences, run on sentences, and comma splices. Any one incident of these errors in your writing will result in a grade of 2 or lower in the category of grammar and mechanics and a grade of X on your essay. For more information go here.
Yes.
How do my grades on the essays contribute to my course grade?
At the end of the semester, we will review all of your essays and select your three best. Each of these must have received a grade of C or higher. One of these must be a multiple draft essay, one must be an impromptu essay and one must be written in response to a text. Note that an given essay might fill two of these requirements, but you still have to provide three essays. I will convert the number grade on each essay to a letter grade and then take the average of these three grades. This average will count 75% of your final grade.
What does my reading journal have to do with my course grade?
yYour journals count 25% of your course grade. If you have assembled a proficient portfolio, I will average the grade you receive on your portfolio (75%) with your journal (25%). The journal grade can raise your course grade above your portfolio grade. For example, if you have a C+ average on your papers and receive an A on your journals, your course grade will be a B. For more information on how I grade the reading journals, go here.
What is a proficient portfolio?
A proficient portfolio contains three essays, each of which received a grade of C or higher. One of these must be a multiple draft essay, one must be an impromptu essay and one must be written in response to a text. These essays will be collected in a manila folder and submitted to the chairperson of the English Department as evidence that you have proved yourself as a college-level writer. These portfolios will be available to your English 112 teacher, should she or he have questions about your writing skills.
What happens to me if I don't finish a proficient portfolio?
You will still submit a portfolio of your three best papers to the English department. However, you will receive an X grade for the course. Please remember that X is not the same as an F. It stands for "conditional incomplete." It means that you must repeat the course next semester. While you will not receive credit for the course until your complete it with an A, B or C grade, your GPA will not be adversely affected by your grade.
This all sounds very tough. Does anyone pass this course? What are their secrets?
Yes, usually at least 2/3's of the class goes on to English 112 in the Spring. Typically, these are the students who take the class seriously from day one. Several former students of this type have provided this advice. Do note that some students, through no fault of their own, enter college without adequate skills. Such individuals may need an extra semester to complete English 111. We do now wish to penalize these students and for this reason we assign the X grade so that attempt the class again without having been assigned a failing grade.
All English 111 teachers at Georgetown College use this grading system. It was developed by the department as a whole. Different teachers use different methods and text books, but we are all striving to meet the same standard of proficiency.