Patrick Mooney, TA
Eng 104A, Prof. Maslan
2 March 2011
Overview: I expect that your papers will respond specifically to one of the questions on Professor Maslan's paper prompt unless you arrange otherwise with me in advance. Your paper must represent your own original work; any borrowings from anyone else's language or thought require proper academic attribution. Your paper should conform to the MLA standard for academic papers in the humanities.
Always retain a copy of your paper until you have received a final grade for the quarter. Never give me the only copy of an assignment that you have put work into, even if you have uploaded another copy to GauchoSpace.
Failure to turn your paper in on time will result in automatic reduction of your paper grade, according to Professor Maslan's policy, unless you have either made prior arrangements with me (at least 24 hours in advance) or have a genuinely serious and unavoidable emergency (family death, serious injury, natural disaster, etc.). If you turn in a late paper, you should both upload it to GauchoSpace and put a printed copy in my box in the Sankey Room (South Hall 2623) as soon as possible.
I am available after section, after lecture, during my office hours, and by e-mail to answer questions that you may have about any of these requirements. I do not give feedback on 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 e-mails shortly before the paper is due, and that although I will respond as quickly as possible, it is unwise to e-mail me at the absolute last minute and expect an immediate reply. Please also note that my afternoon responsibilities on campus may mean that I do not check my e-mail during the last few hours before the paper is due.
This is (approximately) what each grade means:
A-range papers: Papers in this range provide a genuine illumination of both the broader issues of the course and the specific text or texts with which they engage by (among other things) providing a nuanced reading of those texts. Rather than simply instantiating an argument from lecture or section in another format, an A-range paper takes 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: Answers the question fully by providing a nuanced reading of the text(s) involved and articulating a solid understanding of them. Grammatical and usage errors are nonexistent, or very 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). An A paper goes beyond the interpretations articulated in lecture and section to make a contribution to
ourunderstanding of the topic as a whole. 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.A-: Answers the question fully. Demonstrates a solid understanding of the text(s) involved and their relationship to the major thematic issues of the course. Grammar and usage errors, if any, are very rare and do not impede the reader's ability to appreciate the argument in any way. Provides a genuine contribution in the manner of an A paper, but without fully resolving all of the difficulties involved. Still, an A- paper demonstrates a solid, perceptive, non-trivial illumination of genuine issues in relation to the assignment and the broader themes with which the course is concerned.
B-range papers: Papers in this range illustrate that the writer has a generally firm understanding of the ideas and texts involved in the paper, and is able to put together an argument supporting his/her ideas, but may not fully articulate that argument in a comprehensive and satisfying way. The paper-writer may be confused on some relatively minor point of interpretation or relevance. Grammar, mechanics, and structure are generally good, but may show occasional minor problems.
B+: Answers the question entirely and demonstrates that the writer has a clear and solid understanding of the text(s) involved. Makes a solid connection between textual material and the writer's argument in a relevant and engaging way. Goes beyond interpretations offered in section and lecture to advance an original line of thought, although this argument may not be tied to the text(s) involved as closely as it could be. Often, B+ papers take risks in the manner of A-range papers, but without fully demonstrating solid payoffs for those risks in the manner that an A-range paper does.
B: Answers all or nearly all of the question. Demonstrates that the writer has a clear and solid understanding of the text(s) and issues involved, although that understanding may not be exhaustively 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(s) with which the writer engages. Grammar and mechanics are mostly solid, although there may be rare and/or minor problems.
B-: Answers most of the question, but leaves important points of the question unconsidered or otherwise unresolved. Generally articulates important course themes and presents some attempt to connect specific passages in the text(s) with the questions on the paper prompt, but in a way that fails to be entirely 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 impede an understanding of the essay.
C-range papers: These papers address the text(s) involved, but without addressing core issues related to the question. The writer may be failing to demonstrate a solid grasp of important course themes and/or making 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 fail to draw a 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 make interpretation difficult in a few places.
C+: This is the highest grade that a paper with persistent, non-trivial grammar or mechanical problems can receive, regardless of the quality the paper in other areas.
C-: A C- means that the paper just barely meets the absolute minimum standards for a college-level essay.
D-range papers: Papers in this range demonstrate at least one fundamental problem that keeps it from being an appropriate analytical paper 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; 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 analytical papers about the text(s) we are examining, please see me! I am happy to discuss how you can better succeed at the task of analytical writing.)
F: A plagiarized or otherwise dishonest paper. Note that plagiarism may result in penalties beyond simply receiving an F on the paper.
Receiving a lower-than-expected grade is not necessarily a reason to freak out. Writers of B-range papers often have a good understanding of what's going on in the course, and may be able to demonstrate this in section, on exams, or on a second paper well enough to pull their grades up. Students who write papers that receive lower grades can often receive better grades on subsequent work by correcting the problems that I note in my comments. I would be happy to discuss how you can better succeed in constructing an argument about a text in my office hours (and am happy to meet students outside of my office hours if they are at inconvenient times for you). Students who are having problems with grammar, structure, or other matters related to writing and its mechanics may also benefit from the assistance of Campus Learning Assistance Services.
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, along with a copy of your paper that has my comments on it. We will then schedule an appointment to discuss your grade. If you are still not satisfied with the grade you received, you should talk to Professor Maslan.
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 or schedule an appointment with me if you would like to discuss any of these topics.