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Evaluation and Grading

As we explore different modes and genres for writing in health and medicine, each unit will reflect a particular sub-discipline or perspective related to health and medicine: the medical sciences, the social health sciences, and the health humanities. Additionally, at least one of these units will integrate an oral communication component, and at least one will integrate a digital literacy component.

This course will function on a simple point grading system. Further details and assignment handouts will be provided via Sakai for each major assignment, etc. listed below:

Note: There is no final exam for this course.

The assignment prompt for each unit (which contains instructions for the unit’s two feeders and the unit project) is on Sakai at Resources and then in a subfolder labeled for that particular unit. They are also posted to the appropriate pages on this website for each unit. The assignment prompt for your course blog post is on Sakai at Resources>Course Website Resources, but it is also posted to the Home page of this website. There is also an extra credit assignment prompt for writing in business (application materials for health/medical opportunities) as well as an extra credit assignment prompt for writing in narrative medicine (an illness narrative), both of which are on Sakai at Resources>Extra Credit Assignments. They are also both posted to the Home page of this website.

Feeders (and your course blog post) will be graded based on completion, prompt submission, and attention to assignment details. Unit projects will be evaluated by rubrics developed by the instructor according to Writing Program standards and individual assignment expectations. Each unit assignment prompt contains clear instructions and specific grading rubrics for each feeder and unit project for that particular unit. Refer to those to guide your work.

To calculate your overall participation grade, I record a daily participation grade for each student for every single class session based on the following criteria:

  • Attended all class sessions and conferences
  • Arrived on time and fully prepared
  • Engaged during class discussions and other activities
  • Actively participated in group/partner work
  • Completed all peer review activities
  • Displayed significant investment in the revision process
  • Note: If I notice you are not fully engaged or are engaged with non-class activities, your participation grade for the day will be severely lowered. Additionally, being disruptive earns an automatic participation grade of 0 for the day.

Whether we are doing group work, peer editing, having a class discussion, or taking a trip to the library, you should be alert and willing to participate in all activities. Not being on task, checking social media, failing to engage with the day’s material, or failing to bring a draft to class will significantly lower your participation grade. Participation grades may also be lowered for inappropriate or disruptive behavior during class.

Attendance is expected. Missing class will impact your participation grade. Disruptive behavior will earn you a 0 for your daily participation grade. An absence earns a 50 if you still submitted your work for the day, unless your absence is excused by the Dean of Students. Contact me ahead of time if you are experiencing an issue that might affect your ability to attend class, and we will discuss your options. For more information about the University attendance policies (and what to do if you feel you have extenuating circumstances regarding your absence), see https://catalog.unc.edu/policies-procedures/attendance-grading-examination/#text.

Final letter grades are determined based on the following scale:

A (93-100)       A- (90-92)       B+ (87-89)      B (83-86)         B- (80-82)        C+ (77-79)

C (73-76)        C- (70-72)        D+ (67-69)     D (63-66)         F (below 63)

I will use traditional rounding to determine grades that fall between whole values. Any mixed number with a decimal value of five tenths or higher will round up to the next whole number. (For example, 92.5 will round up to an A as a 93, but 92.4 will not.)

 

Late Assignments

Each assignment should be completed and prepared in the correct format for submission on the day it is due. This includes homework, drafts, presentations, and final drafts of feeder assignments and unit projects. Unless otherwise specified, daily homework assignments and larger projects will typically be due via electronic submission through Sakai by 12:00pm the day it is due. For instance, homework for class on Thurs. Jan. 21 should be submitted by 12:00pm on Thurs. Jan. 21. Late submissions of daily homework assignments will significantly affect your participation grade. Regarding graded assignments such as your blog post, feeders, and unit projects, I will typically not accept late submissions. Plan ahead to prepare for potential conflicts or submission/technical issues so you can avoid them. If your assignment is late or is going to be late, I urge you to communicate with me immediately and submit the assignment as soon as possible to see if we can determine a work-around to potentially minimize how much it hurts your grade.

Most drafts and assignments will be submitted electronically. Before your final submission of any assignment, double-check your work and make sure you’re submitting/posting the correct document. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your assignment was submitted/posted successfully, is accessible, and appears in the correct format, etc. I will not accept excuses involving “technical glitches” or “uploading errors.” It is your job to upload or submit your assignment and then click to open your submission (see what your audience is going to see) and double-check to confirm that the correct document was submitted and that it was submitted successfully, appears correctly, and is accessible to the appropriate audiences. Once the deadline for an assignment has passed, I will simply grade based on the document available from your submission. If you want to resubmit before the deadline but have trouble doing so, email me at paulblom@live.unc.edu.

Despite all of the above, I do recognize that life happens, and sometimes, extenuating circumstances may prevent you from completing an assignment by the deadline. If you feel you cannot complete an assignment by the deadline, speak with me, and we might be able to work out a reasonable timeline that accommodates you. I will consider granting extensions on assignments up to 48 hours before the due date. Do NOT contact me the night before the assignment is due and expect an extension. I will only consider granting extensions for reasons I consider valid.

 

Next syllabus item: What I Expect from You