Course Grades and Requirements
Your course grade is based on frequent quizzes, five exams, six short written assignments, and class participation. All materials must be submitted to receive a grade.
Daily Assessment. Most class days will include a short assessment of your understanding of the reading and information for that day. It might be a multiple choice quiz, a short narrative question, or a group activity. There won’t be make-up assessments, but every student can miss up to three daily assessments without penalty (these are like your “sick days” or “vacation days” on a job). These daily assessments will add up to 250 points, or 20% of your grade.
Exams. Five exams ask you to integrate and apply the ideas from the course: textbooks, lectures, videos, handouts, and exercises. Exams consist of short narrative questions. The fifth exam, which takes place during finals week, is not cumulative – it is simply the fifth exam, equal in size to the others. Exams count for 500 points or 40% of your grade.
Students will complete four Short Written Assignments. These short exercises require you to apply the concepts of the course to specific situations. Options will be offered for some assignments. Papers will be graded based on clarity of thinking and both insightful and accurate use of the course material, with citation. These short papers will be submitted on Blackboard 9.1. Short written assignments count for 400 points or 32% of your grade.
Preparation, Attendance, and Active Participation are important in this class. Preparation and participation includes five phases:
- Read the assigned reading in the textbook, handouts, and online.
- Bring a question to class. It might seek clarification of something in the reading, apply it to an example or situation, or compare it to another concept.
- Select one quotation from the reading that is interesting, controversial, disagreeable, unexpected, unbelievable, or wonderful.
- Be prepared with notes or outlines to discuss the reading, to answer others’ questions, to apply the ideas.
- In class, contribute to discussion by asking & answering questions, sharing quotations, etc.
Preparation, attendance, and participation will be graded out of 100 points, or about 8% of your grade. Being present in class is worth 1 point; having a question or quotation on an index card ready to hand in is worth a second point; active listening and participation earn the third point.
Extra credit: Students may earn extra credit for attending, summarizing, and evaluating relevant events on campus or in Duluth. Extra credit reports must be handed on or before each Exam date to receive credit no more than one extra credit report will be accepted in each segment of the course. Each extra credit report is worth 5 points, for a total of 25 possible points (or 2% of your total grade).In summary, course grades will be based on the following:
| Daily Assessments | 250 points | 20% |
| Five Exams (7% each) | 500 points | 40% |
| Written Assignments (8% each) | 400 points | 32% |
| Preparation and Participation | 100 points | 8 % |
| Total | 1250 points | 100% |
Excellent work
93 -100% = A (4.0)
90 – 92.99% = A- (3.7)
Above average work
87 – 89.99% = B+ (3.3)
83 – 86.99% = B (3.0)
80 – 82.99% = B- (2.7)
Average work
77 – 79,99% = C+ (2.3)
71 – 76.99% = C (2.0)
69 – 70.99% = C- (1.7)
Below average work
60 – 68.99% = D (1.0)
below 60% = F (0.0)
The Grade of “Incomplete”
Incompletes are granted to individuals who are passing the course but encounter a situation (e.g., extended illness or a death in the family) that prevents them from finishing the course on time. An Incomplete will not be granted to avoid a low grade in the course.
If you cannot complete this course by the end of the semester, it is your responsibility to formally request a grade of Incomplete. You cannot receive a passing grade for Soc 2433 without completing all of the required components. If a grade of Incomplete is appropriate, you and I will sign a contract indicating
(a) the deadline by which the work must be submitted, and (b) what work remains to be completed. The contract will be submitted to the Registrar, with copies to you, me, and your advisor.
Grades of Incomplete show as an “I” on your transcript until the missing work is completed and the grade submitted, or the expiration of the deadline. By College policy, grades of “I” that are not finished by the 10th week of the next enrolled semester become a grade of F unless a new contract is submitted.
Daily Assessment – Most class days will include a short assessment of your understanding of the reading and information for that day. It might be a multiple choice quiz, a short narrative question, or a group activity. There won’t be make-up assessments, but every student can miss up to three daily assessments without penalty (these are like your “sick days” or “vacation days” on a job). These daily assessments will add up to 250 points, or 20% of your grade.
