Briefly, here are the major criteria I use in assigning grades. They should provide you with a better understanding of what I am looking for in your essay exams. I will begin with the grade of "F" since all students begin with the grade of 0.0 and work their way up from there.

F (0.0 - 0.9) The grade of "F" means that a student’s arguments suffers from any number of the following problems: the argument did not answer the question, has failed to show an appreciation of the material, lacked logical or sequential organization, parts are not woven together in any credible manner, and, more than likely, is burdened with any number of errors, contradictions or omissions.

D (1.0 - 1.6) The grade of "D" means that a student has addressed the question and has raised at least a few pertinent or interesting points. However, it is also marked by a lack of command over central ideas or concepts, lacks support for its views, has an illogical sequence of points, as well as obvious errors and internal contradictions.

C (1.7 - 2.6) The grade of "C" means that students have answered the question, shown a solid grasp of most of the ideas and concepts, and have offered some support and logic to their arguments. Such a level of academic achievement is satisfactory. However, it is normally lacking in internal organization, sophistication, grasp of details, or contains certain flaws or errors.

B (2.7 - 3.4) - The grade of "B" means that students have gone beyond a solid grasp of the material. They also reflect any number of the following: an appreciation of the more subtle ideas within the course themes, a substantial amount of work/research into a topic, a point well argued and well supported, a grasp of nearly all important points, and the ability to knit carefully together elements of an argument. Such students may miss a few larger points, may have saddled their argument with overly narrow approaches, may ignore some readings that do not conform to their assumptions, or may have errors in logic or organization.

A (3.5 - 4.0) The grade of "A" is a statement of superior, though not flawless achievement. These students present work that gives all of the basic points, most, if not all, of the secondary ones, and reflects a sophisticated understanding of them. Further, such a student has put forth the effort necessary to have mastered all the appropriate materials and applied them in a logical, organized and creative fashion to the argument at hand. Such a student often provides an argument that is both sophisticated and elegant, and it distinct elements have been woven together to create an intellectual tapestry that is greater than its individual parts.

Example of a final grade calculation.

I arrived at the final course grade by averaging the exam grades together with the participation grade. The final course grade was 3.0, or B. (Remember, to get your participation grade I average together your take-homes, quizzes, group projects and class discussion.)  If you still have any questions then feel free to contact Dr. Dennis Hart at 330-499-9600 or dhart@kent.edu.

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