Grading Rubric for Major Assignments

English 65LP/Theater 94
Teaching Assistant: Patrick Mooney, Department of English
Summer 2016

Wherever you are, even in California, nothing is more demoralizing than being there and nowhere else. One of the pleasures of travel is to dive into places where others are compelled to live and come out unscathed, full of the malicious pleasure of abandoning them to their fate. Even their local happiness seems tuned to a secret resignation. It never compares, at least, with the freedom to leave. This is when you sense that it is not enough to be alive; you have to go through life. It isn't enough to have seen a town; you have to have gone through it. With an idea, it isn't sufficient to have thought it; you have to have gone beyond.

—Jean Baudrilliard, Cool Memories II: 1987-1990, p. 43

Overview

Your paper is expected to respond in a specific, focused manner to a specific assignment. (You are encouraged to carefully re-read the assignment prompt both right before you begin writing your paper and before you begin editing your final draft.) You are absolutely welcome to speak with me about your topic before you begin working on it, or at any stage of your writing process. Your paper must represent your own original work; any borrowings from anyone else's language or thought require proper academic attribution. Your paper should strive to conform to the MLA standard for academic papers in the humanities as much as it can (though the content of your paper is more important than its formatting).

Your paper should consist of a defense of a specific claim, rather than merely being a generalized set of observations. Most likely, if you are on task, you will argue that a specific, particular idea is correct (or incorrect). You should relate your argument to specific points in the text(s) with which you are working. Your paper should be analytical in nature, rather than simply explaining what happens in your chosen text or being a set of claims about it, and should elucidate some aspect of the text(s) with which you are working, rather than simply cataloging your responses to it (or them).

Always retain a copy of your paper until you have received a final grade for the quarter. Never give me (or GauchoSpace) the only copy of an assignment that you have put work into.

I do not accept work more than two weeks late, or less than two days before grades are due to the University registrar, except in genuinely extraordinary circumstances. One implication of this policy is that failing to turn in a paper within this time frame guarantees that you will receive a non-passing grade for the course, as it is necessary to complete all assignments in a timely fashion in order to receive a passing grade.

Technology problems are not normally an acceptable excuse for late work. It is not safe to assume that your equipment will automatically continue to be reliable throughout a writing process. Let's face it: technology breaks. Batteries die, power cords fray, hard drives crash, printers break or run out of ink, network connections go down, Internet services become unavailable, files become corrupt. These are not considered emergencies: in our technologically oriented society, they are part of the normal production process. You need to protect yourself by managing your time and backing up your work. (If you need suggestions about how you can do this effectively, please let me know! I am happy to discuss this with you.)

I am available after lecture, during my office hours, and by email to answer questions that you may have about any of these requirements. I do not perform pre-evaluations of drafts, but would be happy to discuss specific questions, talk about outlines, or help you with issues that arise as you go through the writing process. Please realize that I am likely to receive many emails shortly before each paper is due, and that (although I will respond as quickly as possible) it is unwise to email me at the absolute last minute and expect an immediate reply.

Specific meanings of grades

The grade that your paper receives is based on which of the following categories best describe it:

A-range papers: Papers in this range provide a genuine illumination of both the broader issues of the course and the specific text with which they engage by (among other things) providing a perceptive reading of that text. Rather than simply instantiating an argument from lecture or section in another format, an A-range paper takes interpretive risks and demonstrates a payoff for those risks.

A+: In addition to displaying all of the virtues of an A paper, an A+ paper is wonderful in every imaginable way.

A: Fully addresses the assignment prompt by providing a nuanced reading of the text involved and articulating a solid understanding of it in a way that directly, fairly, and perceptively addresses a central claim that the paper advances. An A paper goes beyond the interpretations articulated in lecture and section to make a contribution to our understanding of the topic as a whole: it not only shows that the position it takes is correct, but articulates an understanding of why its position is meaningful or important. An A paper will anticipate and head off potential major objections to its interpretation of the text in such a way as to convince the reader that its textual interpretation is solid and reasonable in addition to being perceptive. Grammatical and usage errors are nonexistent, or very very close (and, if they exist, are minor: they do not affect the reader's ability to understand and appreciate any aspect of the paper). The paper conforms in all substantial ways to the MLA standard for academic papers in the humanities, or deviates only rarely, and only on genuinely small matters.

A-: Addresses the question fully. Demonstrates a solid understanding of the text(s) involved and their relationship to the major thematic issues of the course. Provides genuine illumination on the topic in the manner of an A paper, although it often does not fully resolve all of the difficulties that it sets out to resolve. Still, an A- paper demonstrates a solid, perceptive, non-trivial illumination of genuine issues in relation to its topic and the broader themes with which the course is concerned. Grammar and usage errors, if any, are rare and do not impede the reader's ability to appreciate the argument in any way. Conforms substantially to the MLA standard for academic papers.

B-range papers: Papers in this range illustrate that the writer has a generally firm understanding of the ideas and text that the paper addresses, and is able to put together an argument supporting his/her ideas, but may not fully articulate that argument in a comprehensive and entirely satisfying way, or may not be digging deep enough into the material to provide genuine illumination in the manner of an A-range paper. In some cases, the paper-writer may be confused on some relatively minor point(s) of interpretation or relevance; in other cases, the paper may need to put more attention toward the mechanics of constructing an argument. Grammar, punctuation, and structure are generally solid, but not inspired, and some of these aspects of the paper may have occasional (comparatively minor) problems.

B+: Addresses the assignment prompt by identifying a meaningful issue, then addresses that issue by constructing a focused, thoughtful, fair argument. Demonstrates that the writer has a clear and solid understanding of the text involved. Makes a solid connection between textual material and the writer's argument in a relevant and engaging way. Goes beyond interpretations offered in lecture to advance an original line of thought, although this argument may not be tied to the text involved as closely as it could be, or the argument may not be articulated with enough depth or specificity to raise the paper into the A range. Often, B+ papers take risks in the manner of A-range papers, but without pushing their interpretive insights far enough (or in a sufficiently developed manner) to fully demonstrate solid payoffs for those risks in the manner that an A-range paper does.

B: Fairly addresses all or nearly all of the issue that the paper identifies, and is on-topic for the assignment. Demonstrates that the writer has a clear and solid understanding of the text and issues involved, although that understanding may not be exhaustively and articulated in the paper itself. May be shaky on (relatively) minor points of interpretation. Still, there is a clear argumentative thread, and an honest (and mostly successful) attempt to ground that argument in the text with which the writer engages. Grammar and mechanics are mostly solid, although there may be rare and/or minor problems.

Note: Papers with substantial problems conforming to the MLA standard cannot receive a grade higher than a B, regardless of the quality of the paper in other respects. (Proper document formatting is far from being the most important aspect of your paper, but it demonstrates that you have taken care with the presentation of your ideas. Besides, it will be a useful professional skill for virtually everyone after graduation.)

B-: Produces an argument related to the assignment prompt, but leaves important points of the issue that it identifies unconsidered or otherwise unresolved. Generally articulates important course themes and makes some attempt to connect specific passages in the chosen text with the assignment prompt and the central issue that the paper claims to address, but in a way that is not entirely satisfying and/or convincing. Writing and structure may be elementary and/or not effectively support the writer's argument. Often, there is no genuine contribution to the overall understanding of the topic. Grammar and mechanics may exhibit some occasional problems, although none substantial enough to make it difficult to tell what the essay is claiming.

C-range papers: These papers address an appropriate text and attempt to produce an argument about it that is in some way related to the assignment prompt, but neglect to address core issues related to their claims, have substantial problems with their interpretative or other basic methodological approaches, and/or have fundamental problems with the basic mechanics of writing. The writer may have significant points of confusion regarding the text with which he or she is working, may be performing an analysis whose relevance is questionable, and/or may make other types of significant interpretive missteps. One of the more common problems with papers in this range is that they do not sufficiently examine the presuppositions that the writer makes, or play too much on interpretations that the writer considers obvious. In some cases, writers of papers in this range do not make satisfying connections between their argument and the text(s) with which they are working. In other cases, writers of C-range papers do not draw a sufficiently clear line between analysis and the expression of personal likes/dislikes. Despite these problems, the paper is engaged with the material, and demonstrates some grasp of basic issues. Writing may have persistent problems with grammar or structure that interfere with the reader's ability to interpret the paper in a few places, though never seriously enough to make the paper's overall point(s) unintelligible.

C+: This is the highest grade that a paper with persistent, non-nitpicky grammatical or mechanical problems can receive, regardless of the quality the paper in other respects.

C-: A C- paper just barely meets the absolute minimum standards for a college-level essay.

D papers: Receiving a D on a paper means that the paper has at least one fundamental problem that keeps it from being an appropriate analysis that deals with the question at a satisfying basic level. Often, one or more of the following is true: the paper suggests fundamental problems with understanding and/or analyzing the material; the paper is unclear and/or disorganized to the point of causing interpretive difficulty for the reader; the paper has frequent, severe grammatical/mechanical problems, or severe problems with conforming to the MLA standard; the paper does not take an analytical approach to the text(s), but consists of disconnected observations or other types of responses; the paper's relevance to the content of the course as a whole is questionable. (If you have questions about how your paper does not meet basic standards for a piece of analytical writing, please see me! I am happy to discuss how you can better succeed at the task of analytical writing.)

F: A plagiarized or otherwise fundamentally dishonest paper, or one that is a profoundly and pervasively inappropriate response to the writing assignment. Note that plagiarism will definitely result in penalties beyond simply receiving an F on the paper.

In conclusion

I will return your paper to you with comments that try hard to address both the things that (I believe) you have done effectively and the things that (I believe) you would benefit from working on in future pieces of writing. My comments will often focus specifically on how you can effectively develop your writing for your next assignment in this class, so it is wise to read and consider them, and to make sure that you ask for clarification if anything I say is unclear. (Remember, too, that reading and commenting on student writing takes a substantial amount of time, and I do not say things in your paper comments that I do not believe to be reasonable responses to your writing that will help you to develop as a writer and thinker.) If you believe that the grade you received is not a fair assessment of your paper and would like to dispute it, you should write me a letter explaining specific reasons why the grade I gave you is not a good match for the paper you wrote, basing your argument on the grading rubric above. Note specific discrepancies based on my comments and passages from the paper. You should turn the letter in to me; we will then schedule an appointment to discuss your grade. If we cannot come to an agreement about what grade your paper fairly deserves during that discussion, you should then speak to Professor Kearney or Professor Appel.

You are of course welcome to talk to me about your paper even if you do not believe that the grade is unfair. I would be more than happy to elucidate comments, go further into material that you found interesting, or discuss how future papers can better achieve an exposition of your ideas. Please feel free to come to my office hours or schedule an appointment with me if you would like to discuss these, or any other, topics.