English 110 | Fall 2023
For this course, we will use a Grading Contract, a system of grades that are based primarily on your labors and efforts. That means that your final course letter grade will be the result of your participation, attendance, and completion of homework, assignments, and revisions. Thus, your grade will not be based on a subjective evaluation of your final assignments in comparison to the writing of your peers, which is how grades are usually assigned in writing and other courses.
Grading contracts are valuable for several reasons, including the fact that they:
- Offer you the opportunity to take risks, rather than only producing writing that is thought to be “correct” or doing exactly or only “what the assignment requires” or “what the teacher wants”
- Value the time, effort and, labor you decide to commit to the class
- Provide you with a clear understanding of your grade throughout the semester
- Do not unfairly penalize or reward you for how much experience with writing and language you have prior to entering our class (all students have the same potential to earn an A)
- Privilege students who invest time, energy, and effort into their learning
While grading contracts focus on quantifiable outcomes (attendance, participation, completed work), quality matters too: you will benefit from carefully writing and revising your writing assignments to meet certain goals and criteria. Grading contracts function on the belief that quality writing is the result of one’s efforts at drafting, getting and understanding feedback from others, and revising.
General Terms of Agreement
- Attendance & Lateness. It’s important that you attend required classes and are on time. Being a few minutes late a few times in a semester is understandable, but we may need to talk if lateness becomes a problem. Please reach out to me if you need accommodation.
- Participation & Collaboration. You are invited to participate in ways that best fit you and that are most appropriate for each day’s goal (by actively listening, taking notes, asking questions, offering comments, etc.). You will have the opportunity to work cooperatively and collegially in groups, to share your writing, to listen supportively to the writing of others, and, when called for, to give full and thoughtful assessments that help your colleagues consider ways to revise.
- Homework & Assignments. It will benefit your grade if you turn all homework and assignments in on time. All should be completed fully and meet all assignment requirements. Again, if you need any accommodations, please reach out to me. If you are absent, you are still responsible for submitting on time any work that’s due. The following guidelines apply to all assignments, including homework, drafts, and final assignments:
On-Time Assignments: An assignment is “On-Time” when it is completed fully and submitted before the deadline. Your assignments are due 30 minutes before class time (1:30 PM). If you need more time or are having issues keeping up with deadlines, please reach out to me so we can come up with a plan that will help you reach your goals.
Late Assignments: An assignment is “late” when it is turned in after its initial deadline, but submitted within two days (48 hours).
Make-up Assignments: An assignment is a “make-up” when it is turned in at some point in the semester but after the 48-hour window.
Ignored Assignments: Any assignment not done at all, for whatever reason, is considered “ignored.” Even one ignored assignment will prevent you from earning a B or higher in the course (see chart below).
IMPORTANT: Drafts of major essays cannot be submitted late. If drafts are submitted late, they will be considered “ignored.” PLUS, if an assignment is not completed fully, it may be marked as “ignored.”
Completion
Projects will not qualify as “complete” unless they have achieved all of the goals of the assignment as discussed in class or explained on handouts. This means that projects are not just to be “done” but “done in the manner discussed.” If I find that a given project is not “complete,” I’ll schedule a meeting with you and we’ll discuss how to move forward.
Improvement
While you do not have to worry about anyone’s judgments or standards to meet the grading contract, your grade will depend on your ability to carefully listen to and consider your colleagues’ and my comments. Feedback is essential to improvement. In this class, each major essay and project will be substantially reshaped, extended, or complicated based on the feedback you receive.
You will also have the opportunity to hone your copy-editing skills. I certainly do not expect error-free texts, but I do encourage you to take an active role in developing your language uses. If too few revisions are made to your drafts over the course of the semester, I’ll schedule a meeting with you to discuss what we can do to keep you on track to meet your goals.
| # of Absences | # of Late Assigns. | # of Make-up Assigns. | # of Ignored Assigns. | # of Extra Assigns. | |
| A | 3 or fewer | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| B | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 7 | 6 or more | 4 or more | 3 or more | 0 |
“A” Grades
Grades of “A” are earned by those who go above and beyond in this class. These are the guidelines if you’re seeking an “A” for this course:
- being absent three times or less
- having three or fewer “late” assignments
- no “make-up” or “ignored” assignments; and
- completing extra assignments.
These are the “extra assignments”:
- Extended Phase 2 Essay: Rather than writing a 2-3 page Peer Profile (Part 2), you will write an extended version that is 4-5 double-spaced pages.
- Extended Phase 3 Essay: Your Phase 3 essay will be extended by two pages and will need to include a peer-reviewed research article as one of seven sources (see assignment prompt).
“B” Grades
In a way, “B” is the default grade for this class. You earn a “B” if you put in good time and effort and do all required work in a “complete” and satisfactory fashion. Grades of “B” depend on you having four or fewer absences, having four or fewer “late” assignments, no more than one “make-up” assignment, and no “ignored” assignments. No extra assignments are required for a “B.”
Grades Lower Than “B”
I hope no one will aim for lower grades. If you miss more than four classes, turn in more than four “late” assignments, turn in more than one “make up” assignment, or have any “ignored” assignments, your grade will drop below a “B.” Thus, the quickest way to slide to a “C,” “D,” or “F” is to miss classes and/or not submit assignments. See the “Breakdown” section above to see the specifications for each grade below a “B.” Again, I want you to succeed in this class. Please reach out to me if you need help with understanding assignments, deadlines, or anything else.
+/- Grades
+/- grades will be assigned at my discretion. You’ll be notified if your final grade will have a + or -.
Pleas
As I hope I’ve demonstrated, I am here to help you reach whatever goals you have for this course. As such, you are welcome to make a plea to me once during the semester to change your progress in the course. For instance, you might plea to get a late or missed assignment removed from your record so that you may still meet requirements for the grade you want, etc. For a plea to be granted, you may be asked to complete an extra assignment, such as researching and writing about a course-related topic or meeting with a consultant at the Writing Center.
Accommodations/Inclusivity
The goal of the Grading Contract is to meet you where you are in your reading and writing experience and to support you in growing as a critical thinker, reader, writer, communicator, and collaborator. Additionally, the purpose is to ensure students are having the opportunity to work in a just environment that adapts to their needs and equally supports each student’s learning. Thus, when necessary, I will work with individuals on a case-by-case basis to determine how best to accommodate your needs as a learner and the course’s learning outcomes.
University, Religious, and Military Obligations
Any absence due to a university-sponsored group activity (e.g., sporting event, performance, band, etc.) will not count against you, as stipulated by university policy, as long as you FIRST provide me a written request a month before the class you need to miss. This same policy applies if you have mandatory military-related absences (e.g., deployment, work, duty, etc.) or if you have religious holidays that are not honored by our school calendar. This will allow us to determine ahead of time how you will meet assignments and our contract, despite being absent.
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Grading contracts in the field of rhetoric and composition originate from researchers like Dr. Peter Elbow and Dr. Asao Inoue who have sought more equitable and just grading practices. This grading contract has been adapted from their work, as well as from the contracts of Dr. Missy Watson, Dr. Nicole Howell, and Dr. Kate Navickas.
