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English Composition Grading Policy

Thomas Hart Benton The Ballad of the Jealous Lover of Lone Green Valley (1934) Oil and tempra on canvas, 107.3 x 135.2 cm. Spencer Museum of Art at The University of Kansas

Determination of Composition Grades

Essays –35% (Essay 1 –15%; Essay 2 –20%)

All essays should be turned in on time. Late papers will be penalized 1/3 letter grade for each day they are late. Any paper turned in after one week will receive an F. Essays must be typed, double-spaced, in a standard 12- point font, and stapled in the left-hand corner. You must complete all written assignments in order to pass the class.

Web Projects – 45% (15% each)

You will be creating 3 web projects in which you will research and interpret a person, place, event, work of art, piece of music, etc.

You will be expected to participate in the class in a professional manner, that is, be on time, meet deadlines, collaborate, and pull your load. Professionalism includes all of these as well as regular attendance (see “Attendance” below), willing participation in all facets of classroom life, and sincere effort to improve your own writing and that of your peers.

Attendance

You are expected to attend class regularly and be prepared. Since we have such a shortened semester, each class is vital to your success.

We will have a sign-in sheet to record attendance. The sign-in sheet will serve as the official record for attendance.

Anyone arriving unexcused after thirty minutes will be considered absent for that day.

Excused absences involve illness or emergency and require some form of official documentation (signed medical excuse, receipt from the doctor, an employer’s letter on letterhead, etc.) Religious holidays may also be excused if you submit notice to the instructor in advance of your intention to miss class for this reason.

If you attend all of our classes, you will receive an A as 10% of your final grade. The following penalties apply to the attendance portion of your professionalism grade: 1 absence = B; 2 absences = D. After 2 absences, you have missed the equivalent of two weeks of class time, and we reserve the right to drop you from the course.

Writing Consultations and Workshops

In addition, you are expected to have two (2) writing consultations or to attend writing workshops during the semester. Since we will be writing something each week, whether web project assignment or essay, you should always have something to discuss. Click on Writing Consultations and Workshops: Policy and Schedules.

Reproduction of The Ballad of the Jealous Lover of Lonesome Green Valley:

Benton, Thomas Hart. The Ballad of the Jealous Lover of Lonesome Green Valley. 1934. Online image. The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. 2004. 22 December 2005. <http://www.ku.edu/~sma/collection/europeanamerican/benton.html>