LAEC 330 Grading System

Spring, 1997 -- Small and Youngs

MAJOR CATEGORIES The major grading categories are: Attendance (20%), Quizzes & Assignments (40%), Cumulative Journal (20%), and Research Paper (20%). Additionally, there is a Class Participation category calculated strictly as extra credit (up to 5% of your class grade).  

ATTENDANCE CATEGORY

It is important that you attend class regularly. Your attendance will be recorded for the twenty class meetings. You will receive a "1" if you are present, and a "0" if you are absent. The grading software is programmed to drop one low score; i.e., you may miss class once, unexcused, and still receive a 100% for this category. Please inform us if you have an excusable absence--in this case, your grade sheet will show a letter "e" in front of the "0" for that day, and that "0" will not factor into grade calculations.

QUIZZES AND ASSIGNMENTS CATEGORY

You should stay on top of the reading assignments and classroom presentations. We will have short quizzes testing you on these matters. Usually these tests will include extra credit sections--allowing you to score above 100%. Some weeks there will be a "laboratory thought exercise" instead of a quiz, and will be graded in the same manner as the quizzes. The grading software is programmed to drop one low score.

• The quizzes and assignments will occur at least once a week -- dates will be announced in class.

CUMULATIVE JOURNAL CATEGORY

We want you to think carefully about the course material, develop your own ideas, and do mini-research projects (such as locating World Wide Web sites or reporting on current course-related news). To that end, 20% of your grade will be based on a cumulative journal that you keep during the course and handed in periodically (five times during the quarter).

• Journals are due on 4/9/97, 4/23/97, 5/7/97, 5/21/97, and 6/4/97

RESEARCH PAPER CATEGORY

You should be able to develop your ideas in a research paper on the individual and the natural world. This paper will not be due until the end of the quarter, but you will have preliminary assignments (such as describing your subject and your sources) beginning by the middle of the quarter.

• Paper is due on 6/10/97

CLASS PARTICIPATION CATEGORY

Your ideas are important to this class. We will have many discussions of the material and if you contribute effectively to these discussions, you will earn extra credit in this category.

EXTRA CREDIT

It is possible to earn extra credit in the Class Participation and Quizzes & Assignments categories. Thus, it is possible for you to achieve an average of over 100%. A percentage over 100 is maintained within the grading scheme, and will definitely benefit you!

GRADE SCALE

Mid-quarter intermediate grades will be computed using the following scheme. Final grades will be fine-tuned; i.e., a 97 will correspond to a 3.7, a 98 to a 3.8, a 99 to a 3.9, etc. You will receive intermediate grade reports on April 21, May 12, and June 2, 1997.

4.0 = 100 & above
3.7 = 97 - 99
3.4 = 94 - 96
3.1 = 91 - 93
2.8 = 88 - 90
2.5 = 85 - 87
2.2 = 82 - 84
1.9 = 79 - 81
1.6 = 76 - 78
1.3 = 73 - 75
1.0 = 70 - 72
0.7 = 67 - 69
0.0 = 0 - 66