The following is intended to give the student some idea of my expectations concerning performance in classes.  I consider letter grades to be an indication of how students are performing 1) in relation to their peers at Wake Forest, and 2) in relation to nationwide standards for college students at selective institutions.

 Regular attendance is expected.  A pattern of absences may affect a student’s final grade.  I realize that a student sometimes must miss class for legitimate reasons.  I would appreciate prior notice of absence when possible.

Grade

A:

 The “A” range of grades will be assigned for excellent work.  Such work is thorough, well-organized, and largely free of mistakes of fact and/or presentation.  The product shows that the student has consulted an array of sources, resulting in an obvious command of the subject under consideration.
 

B:

 The “B” range of grades will be assigned for work that is good.  Such work is similar to the “A” category in terms of ambition.  However, lapses in organization, understanding, presentation or research scope reduce the impact of the product.
 

C:

 The “C” range of grades will be assigned for work that is satisfactory.  Such work meets the requirements of a given assignment or exam, but does not aspire to address problems in much depth.  For example, work based on a single source of information, uncritically re-presented, is “C” work.   A systematic pattern of small errors within an otherwise acceptable product will also result in a grade in the “C” range.
 

D:

 The “D” range of grades will be assigned for poor work.  Such work has some serious problem(s) of fact or presentation that compromises its coherence and impact.
 

F:

 The grade of “F” will be assigned for work that fails to meet the assignment, or for work that is not completed by a stated time.

A word about web sources.

Like everyone these days, I use web sites for an initial overview of a given topic. Most web sites fall more in the realm of "opinion," while others have been created or reviewed by people with expertise on the topic. I have received paper submissions that are a pastiche of web sites that are themelves pastiches of various information sources, some accurate, some less so. When I receive a paper like this, the highest grade I assign is a C-. Often, I turn the paper back if there is time for reconsideration of the student's approach. The problem with the "pastiche of pastiches" product is that the indvidual(s) who has actually done serious work on the topic is conmpletely invisible to the student, even though the student might actually be restating that person's ideas veiled by layers of reuse. It is our goal to be critical thinkers, and intelligently to cut through "opinion stated as fact."