Course Policies
Major Assignment Grading: In grading the major assignments, I use the following general criteria:
A "C" level grade denotes average college-level writing and achievement. The essay is a competent response to the assignment: it meets, to some degree, all the assignment requirements, and demonstrates that the author has put significant time and effort into communicating his/her ideas to his/her targeted audience. It has a thesis, presents some support, and moves from point to point in an orderly fashion; sentence-level errors do not significantly prevent comprehension. Essays that do not meet these criteria will not earn a "C."
A "B" level grade highlights a strong example of college writing and thinking. In addition to meeting the "C" level requirements, such an essay goes further in some way(s): it demonstrates some insight into the "gray areas" of the topic, provides original or very thorough support that is tightly woven into the overall argument, reads smoothly at both the sentence and paragraph levels, and/or exhibits a personal "voice" or style. It has few sentence-level errors.
An "A" level grade marks an essay that engages the reader in a provocative conversation. Even more than in a "B" essay, its author anticipates and responds to possible reader questions, uses a wide range of supporting evidence, engages the reader in a provocative conversation, provides unexpected insights, and/or uses language with care and facility.
"D" and "F" level essays do not meet the basic expectations of the assignment.
The Minor Assignments (Blackboard Discussions) will be graded at the end of the course, not individually. If you post to every discussion forum and regularly comment on other posts, you will receive full credit for the discussions. You should post to every discussion, and comment on other's posts when appropriate.
I calculate final grades by converting the letter grades to a 100 point scale using the following values:
A+ 97.5 – 100 |
A 93 – 97.4 | A- 90 – 92.9 |
| B+ 87.5 – 89.9 | B 83 – 87.4 | B- 80 – 82.9 |
| C+ 77.4 – 79.9 | C 73 – 77.4 | C- 70 – 72.9 |
| D 60 – 69.9 | F 0 – 59.9 |
Completion Policy: Students must earn a C (73%) or higher to fulfill the ENGH 302 Mason Core requirement; students must complete all major projects to earn a C (or higher).
Beginning Fall 2018, there is a limit of three graded attempts for this course. A "W" (Withdrawal) does not count as a graded attempt. Please see AP. 1.3.4 in the University Catalog and consult with your academic advisor if you have any questions.
Midterm Grades: You will receive a midterm grade based on the work of the first half of the semester, which you can view in PatriotWeb. The midterm grades' purpose is to help you understand how well you are doing so that you can make any adjustments necessary. It is not meant to predict your final grade, as the work in the second half of the semester may be weighted more heavily
Late Assignments: Unless you make prior arrangements with me, late assignments will lose 5% (1/3 of a letter grade) per day. The grade penalty cannot be made up by revision.Plagiarism: It is expected that students adhere to the George Mason University Honor Code as it relates to integrity regarding coursework and grades: ”To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and fairness among all members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the University Community have set forth this: Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal and/or lie in matters related to academic work.” More information about the Honor Code, including definitions of cheating, lying, and plagiarism, can be found at the Office of Academic Integrity website at http://oai.gmu.edu
Mason’s Composition Program recognizes that appropriately attributing sources is a learning process. This class will include direct instruction in source integration, documentation, and citation strategies in a range of rhetorical situations, and follows the CWPA Best Practices for Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism. Instructors in the Composition Program support the Mason Honor Code, which requires them to report suspected instances of deliberate plagiarism to the Mason Honor Committee.
Students should also be careful to avoid self-plagiarism, the practice of re-using their own academic work in two courses or projects. If you wish to use your research or writing from another course or project in this section of 302, please speak to me first. The instructor needs to approve every instance in which previous research and portions of previous writing might be used in two different courses. Failure to consult with the instructor might result in a failing grade for the assignment and/or a referral to the Academic Integrity Office.
Students with disabilities: Disability Services at George Mason University is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students by upholding the laws that ensure equal treatment of people with disabilities. If you are seeking accommodations for this class, please first visit http://ds.gmu.edu/ for detailed information about the Disability Services registration process. Then please discuss your approved accommodations with me. Disability Services is located in Student Union Building I (SUB I), Suite 2500. Email: ods@gmu.edu | Phone: (703) 993-2474.
GMU Nondiscrimination Policy: George Mason University is committed to providing equal opportunity and an educational and work environment free from any discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, pregnancy status, or genetic information. George Mason University shall adhere to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity/affirmative action statutes and regulations.
GMU Email: Students must activate their Mason email account and check it regularly. For privacy reasons, all class-related email will be sent only to students' official GMU email addresses.
Tech Policy: As this is a hybrid section, the use of a computer is required for the online portion of the course. All course materials will be available via BlackBoard. Major assignments must be uploaded as file attachments (pdf, doc, docx, odf are all acceptable formats).
The in-class sessions will be conducted in a technology-enhanced collaborative classroom. To make best use of this space, students are encouraged to bring laptops or tablets to class meetings.
Class Participation: A Hybrid course requires both online and classroom participation. The online participation will consist of the discussion posts, and feedback on Assignments. In class participation will consist of class discussions, small group work (including peer reviews), and other class activities.
Inclement Weather/Cancellation Policy: Since this is a hybrid section, class cancellations are usually not much of an issue. If classes are cancelled, we will try to make up the work online. If you cannot come to a class session due to inclement weather, you should be able to make up the work online.
Help with the Course: Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about assignments, grades or policies. I can be reached via email, during office hours, and of course in class.
If you are having trouble with an assignment, please let me know. We can schedule a conference (in person or online). Please do not wait until the last minute to reach out. Don't procrastinate, but if you do, don't panic. If you need an extension on an assignment, let me know as soon as you can.
You should also be aware of the various resources available for writing and research help: The GMU Writing Center and the GMU Library, both of which we will be using in the class.
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