Grading in this course will be slightly unorthodox. Every student will begin the semester with a point total of 0. Then, every assignment that you complete in the areas of homework, daily check-ins, weekly quizzes, exams, and written responses will add points to your total. Your point total across all categories at the end of the semester will determine the semester grade that you receive, and you get to decide what combination of assignments and assessments will get you to your desired final grade. You choose the grade that you want, and you are in control of drawing your own pathway to get there.
Because there will be a number of pathways to get to the minimum point total for an A (950 points), every assignment is optional. This includes everything: homework, daily check-ins, weekly quizzes, exams, and written responses. As such, if you don’t submit an assignment by its indicated due date, I will simply assume that you have opted not to complete it and I won’t chase you down for it. If you intend to complete an assignment but anticipate difficulty in meeting its deadline, please be proactive and contact me before it’s due. I am flexible with granting extensions, especially in the current pandemic atmosphere, but I can’t grant an extension that isn’t asked for! I reserve the right to deduct points from or not give credit for any assignment submitted late without prior notification or discussion.
All assignments combined will add up to a possible maximum of 1000 points throughout the semester; any extra credit opportunity points will be added to the pool but they are not necessary to get to an A. The following list indicates the point ranges for semester-end grade levels:
| Grade | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| A | 950 | 1000 |
| A- | 875 | 949 |
| B+ | 800 | 874 |
| B | 750 | 799 |
| B- | 700 | 749 |
| C+ | 650 | 699 |
| C | 600 | 649 |
| C- | 550 | 599 |
| D | 500 | 549 |
| F | 0 | 499 |
Grades ending in .45 or greater will be rounded up to the nearest whole number; grades ending in .44 or less will be rounded down to the nearest whole number.
As college students, you are responsible for managing your time effectively and keeping track of deadlines across your courses and extracurriculars. Every assignment deadline for this course is listed in the course schedule below. At the start of the semester, please make sure to read through the course schedule and take note of times when there are assignments due that may come during crunch times (e.g., in the week before Spring Break or in the last weeks of the semester).
If you have a sense that you will not be able to complete an assignment on time but would like to complete it for full credit, please email me before the assignment is due to ask for an extension and offer a date by which you can submit the assignment. I am very happy to grant any and all extensions on assignments except for exams, but I am less inclined to accept assignments after their due dates without that prior permission.
I reserve the right both to deny the submission of late work and to accept late work but penalize its grade, at my discretion.
If you are absent on a day in which a homework assignment, a check-in, or a quiz is distributed or due, you must email me prior to or within 24 hours after your absence to acknowledge your absence and gain permission to submit your assignment either at the next class that you attend or via alternate means. If you do not email me within 24 hours, you will not be allowed to submit or make up the assignment.
If an emergency or university-sanctioned event (e.g., sports travel) prevents you from coming to class on an exam day, you must email me prior to or within 24 hours after your absence so that we may make plans for you to take the exam on a different day. Please note that “emergency” is here defined as a sudden physical or mental crisis that requires immediate attention. Absences on an exam day for any other reason than an emergency or a university-sanctioned event will be considered unexcused.