TOP Attendance Evaluation Measures Error and Length Penalties Grade Determination ENG 300W: Writing for the Professions, Melvin J. Hoffman, Summer 2008 Dpt. Xtt.: 5416/7; Dpt. Fax: 878-5700. E-mail Webpage I do not consider punctuation a minor mechanical concern. Repeated punctuation-error patterns reflect deficiencies in word order, modification, "sentence sense," and fluency. I strongly stress and severely score punctuation. If you find it difficult to cope with this emphasis, consider dropping Attendance Policy: Attendance begins after drop and add. Absences cause penalties. NO DISTINCTION IS MADE BETWEEN EXCUSED and UNEXCUSED ABSENCES. I give no examinations. Beyond written work, I require only attendance for professional-writing lectures. LECTURES DO NOT DUPLICATE TEXT. Lectures treat contexts, research, and tasks outside the text: audience, local, national and global writing venues etc. Absences may be unavoid- able, but innocence is not attendance. Two summer-session absences cover advisement, registration and work conflicts; court appearances; family crises; field and team-away trips; funerals; illnesses; jury and military duty; religious holidays, vehicular failure, and weather delays etc. Two absences exceeds 14% of the sessions meetings. Students disliking this policy should take another course or section. After add day, I take attendance at the start (and sometimes, without notice, at the end) of class. Prenotified departures, result in no or varied, deductions, depending on time lost. Students leaving class early, unannounced--without telling me in advance--lose points listed below Points lost for whole absences beyond the above: 3 points Points lost for Unannounced Departures: 2 points (Fractions, resulting from notified departures, are Rounded Off) TOP Format: Do all assignments, except the four figures, on computer. The college provides access to Windows in most computer labs. Paper size should be close to 8 1/2 x 11. Draw figures by hand on blank or graph paper--no lined paper please. Use lids or compasses for circles & straight edges or rulers for lines. Computer-generated figures are welcome, not required. DON'T REVISE ON COMPUTER. Make INK OR PENCIL corrections on original print-out. Put "revision" on the draft where I have made my notations, & correct on that draft; DON'T CORRECT ON DISK OR ONLINE. If you find errors & can't correct work before you hand it in--I will accept SPARING black-pen & whiteout corrections. Charts, graphs & résumé have no fixed word length. Evaluation Measures The 10 longer assignments, 8-pts. for originals & 2-pts. for revisions, total 100 pts. Visuals & résumé, each 2-pts., total 10. The sum totals 110. Your lowest 8-pt. assignment & lowest revision, 2-pts., drop, for a maximum possible score of 100, assuming no deductions for absences. TOP ***************************************************************************************** No bibliographies are necessary. No graphics are necessary except for assignments F, G, H & I. A S S I G M E N T C A L E N D A R M JUNE 23 NONE T 24 A ORIGINAL W 25 B ORIGINAL R 26 C ORIGINAL F 27 D ORIGINAL M 30 A & B REVISION T JULY 1 C & D REVISION W 2 E ORIGINAL R 3 F, G. H. I (GRAPHS) F 4 - - - - - - - - - - - M 7 J ORIGINAL T 8 K ORIGINAL W 9 L ORIGINAL R 10 E & J REVISION F 11 K & L REVISION M 14 M ORIGINAL T 15 N ORIGINAL W 16 O (RÉSUMÉ) R 17 M & N REVISED F 18 CEP Please note that assignments do not follow in strict webpage order All Assignments will occur on pages reached by links on the following webpage: Online Textbook. Technical Description A. How: Examples: links on above webpage Remarks: No graphics required Topics: (List under "tough technical topics") Extended Definitions B. How: Examples: link on above webpage Remarks: No graphics required Topics: (Choose from word list on this site) Instructions C. How: Examples: link on above webpage Remarks: No graphics required. Topics: (Although examples are given under the name "process analysis," the examples actually are "instructions" for the most part.) Classification D. How: Examples: link on above webpage Remarks: No graphics required Topics: Comparison E. How: Examples: links on above webpage Remarks: No graphics required Topics: Bar Chart OR Table F1. How: F2. How: Line Graph G. How: Pie Chart H. How: Organization Chart OR Flow Chart I1. How: I2. How: Topics for Inquiry Letter, Complaint Letter, and Adjustment Letter can be found Topics in links under the "Examples, Cases and Models: Index" respectively. Inquiry Letter J. How: Examples: links on above webpage Topics: See Above Complaint Letter K. How: Examples: links on above webpage Topics: See Above Adjustment Letter L. How: Examples: link on above webpage Topics: See Above Order Letter M. How: Topics: (I do not think anyone needs any suggestions about merchandise to order.) Application Letter N. How: Examples: link on above webpage Topic: You Résumé O. How: Examples: links on above webpage Topic: You Essays A, B, C, D, E have a minimum word length of 400 words Letters J. K. L. M. N have a minimum word length of 250 words. Graphs and the Résumé have no specific length requirement Prepare all 4 figures from you own resources, from webpage instructions. Use no lined, only blank or graph paper. If working by hand, not computer, use a ruler for straight lines. Use a compass, jar lid or similar object to draw the pie-chart's circle. ***************************************************************************************** Error and Length Penalties a. I count only 3 errors for the same punctuation error repeated in the same assignment. b. I count only 3 errors for the same word mis- spelled twice or more in the same assignment c. I count only 6 errors in one category in the same assignment such as spelling, punctuation, agreement, modification, parallelism, idiom choice etc. Relation of Errors to Points: For Originals 0 Errors 8 Points 1 Error 7 Points 2 Errors 6 Points 3 Errors 5 Points 4--6 Errors 4 Points 6--7 Errors 3 Points 8--9 Errors 2 Points 10-11 Errors 1 Points 12+ Errors 0 Points For Revisions: Few or no Errors 2 points Must be Redone 1 point For Figures or Résumé: 0-2 Errors 2 points 3-5, Revision Necessary 1 point Not Handed In or Unacceptable 0 points No Late Papers will be accepted after the CEP TOP Grade Determination: I curve total adjusted scores (after absence deductions) among students for grades which may have a plus or minus. I round off Fractional Final Scores. TOP End of Semester Conferences during the CEP: Student conferences replace final examination/term paper/review etc., from which I excuse those who finish on time. Students can't excuse themselves; I must excuse them based on my records. I may err; students may err. (Keep all returned papers; minus other evidence, my records stand.) Unexcused students must show up, sign in, hand in outstanding papers, and be prepared to revise them, if necessary. Casting papers onto my desk, under my door, or into my mailbox does not excuse or substitute for missing the conference. An unexcused CEP absence is still an absence Without corrected drafts, students can't revise; each revision is 2% of the grade. Also, we can't address differences between our records. I will be in the scheduled CEP room all period or until I meet every unexcused student. If the latter, I will be in my office, until the end of the CEP period. Limitations on Score Adjustments: If you think I have erred, my score is open to review until the next original work is due, after which, mine stands. At semester's end, only the last work is open to review. I will not review prior works. Without time to review all students' papers, it would be unfair to reassess for one or a few. Disrespect or rudeness to anyone based on age/race/religion/color/national origin/gender/sexual orientation /disability, or marital/veteran/socioeconomic status and other behavior--which the instructor finds disrupts the classroom-- may result in the instructor's having students removed from the classroom and in charges brought against them pursuant to Buffalo State College's Procedure Regarding Disruptive Individuals IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY OR SUSPECT THAT YOU HAVE A DISABILITY THAT REQUIRES ANY KIND OF ACCOMODATION TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS COURSE, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AT 878-4500 Homepage Syllabi