Instructors of Rhetoric 1302 are required to submit midterm grades for all first-year students and final grades for all students in each class they teach. Grade Rosters will be provided for reporting and submitting these grades. Midterm and final grades must be submitted by specified times and in the specified manner.

Information regarding Grading Criteria and policies should be included in your course syllabus.

Instructors of Rhetoric 1302 are required to submit midterm grades for all first-year students and final grades for all students in each class they teach. Grade Rosters will be provided for reporting and submitting these grades. Midterm and final grades must be submitted by specified times and in the specified manner.
Information regarding grading criteria and policies should be included in your course syllabus.

Midterm and final grades for Rhetoric 1302 are determined not from assessment of individual student work, but rather from their entire Learning Record online portfolio and the effectiveness of arguments written and presented by the students themselves for the grades they feel they have earned. Students are expected to summarize their learning, provide a solid case for the grade they argue for, and provide substantial proof/evidence from their Learning Record Online portfolio to support their claims.

Your evaluation of the effectiveness of these arguments, along with your assessment of student performance in light of other course assignments, against thecourse strands and dimensions of learning compared against the Rhetoric 1302 Grading Criteria (see below) will help determine all student grades.

In addition to the more quantitative assessment of students' learning in the course strands and dimensions, attendance and participation may be used as factors in assessing final grades. See the section on Attendance for more information.

Simply put, student attendance, participation, promptness, level of writing and revision, effective construction and use of argumentation, creativity, collaboration, sound rhetorical skills, and competent use of technology all contribute to determining students' final grades.

No grades may be posted or otherwise distributed in any way that would compromise any student's privacy. Official grades are posted on a University website to which each student has access via a unique identification. Students can check their grades online soon after you submit them. See the section on Student Privacy for more information.

The following grade criteria describe very general indicators that both students and instructors may consider when assessing individual work and progress in the course. Assessment of mid-term and final grades should be more detailed and specific and may include a "+" or "-" if the work tilts above or below the central grade for which one argues. The final interpretation and assessment of all grades, however, remains the responsibility of the course instructor.

A
Represents outstanding participation in all course activities (including attendance and promptness); all assigned work completed on time, with very high quality in all work produced for the course. Evidence of significant and sustained development across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands.

B
Represents excellent participation in all course activities (including attendance and promptness); all assigned work completed on time, with consistently high quality in course work. Evidence of marked and above average development across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands.

C
Represents good (but average) participation in all course activities; all assigned work completed, with generally good quality overall in course work. Evidence of some development across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands.

Here are links to sample "C" (average) papers:

"University Grading Policy"
This assignment, from The University of Pittsburg, features a "C+" paper. The reasoning for this grade is provided. The essay itself involves an argument about the university's grading policy, so it might be pertinent to show your students, especially if you are going to have them write a final essay arguing for their final grade.

"A Dry County or a Wet One?"
This is a very short essay from Arizona State University. A link to the instructor's evaluations is provided at the end. A total of ten instructors evaluated this essay. You may find this essay, and its evaluations helpful as the centerpiece of a short in-class workshop regarding evaluation of student writing and grading.

D
Represents uneven participation in course activities; some gaps in assigned work completed, with inconsistent quality in course work. Evidence of development across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands is partial or unclear.

F
Represents minimal participation in course activities; serious gaps in assigned work completed, or very low quality in course work. Evidence of development is not available.

Incomplete
Incomplete grades are not granted for Rhetoric 1302 classes. Any assignments not submitted as required will be counted against a final grade and may result in a failing grade. You should assure that all student work is collected and assessed before determining final grades.

Students will often ask that you change their final grades. Such appeals are often based simply on the fact that students feel they deserve a higher grade whether or not they have actually earned one. You may address these appeals as you see best, based on a comparison of the students' reasons with the evidence you have collected in order to determine final grades.
Generally speaking, changing grades is discouraged by the School of Arts and Humanities and is done only when there is clear and justifiable evidence to warrant the change. You should, therefore, be quite sure of the final grades you submit for each student.

UTD Grading Scale
LEARN more about the UTD Grading scale