Grading Criteria

It's important to remember that in college, as opposed to high school, "C" really is supposed to mean "average." Earning a "B" on a paper means that you have done more than the bare minimum. There is nothing "wrong" with a "B" paper. On the contrary, "B" means "very good." Work which receives an "A" is truly superior.

So here's the basic run-down.

F

Work earning an "F" has not done the assignment, nor has attempted to do so. An "F" paper or report may have redeeming qualities, such as good spelling or a nice tone, but is completely off-topic. "F" papers are usually filled with grammatical and technical mistakes, improperly formatted, and sloppy.

D

Work earning a "D" shows an effort to do the assignment, but fails. Again, there may be good qualities in "D" work, but those qualities are not involved in answering the assignment. Work may also earn a "D" if it does address the assignment, but is so riddled with technical and grammatical errors that it's unreadable.

C

"C" work does the assignment. It answers the questions asked and does so with very few technical or grammatical errors. "C" work follows the instructions, follows the proper format, provides all the information required, and communicates clearly. "C" work is not confusing, provides examples and explanations, and can be easily checked against the Internet for sources.

B

"B" work does the assignment really well. A "B" paper or report answers the questions asked in the assignment in a personal, logical fashion that shows that the author has put some real thought and care into what they're saying. "B" work provides conclusions that aren't the first, most obvious conclusions available and does research above and beyond the minimum required. "B" work has almost no technical or grammatical errors, is well-organized, and supports its points with appropriate tone and diction. "B" work is a pleasure to read.

A

Work earning an "A" does the assignment and more. "A" work completely answers the questions posed by the assignment as well as questions the author has come up with on their own in developing their response to the assignment. "A" work avoids obvious, overly simple conclusions and provides a satisfying and personal response which at least appears to take more effort than the assignment strictly calls for. "A" work does all the research needed not only to support what's said, but also to follow up on personal ideas or unexpected avenues of thought which may or may not be used. "A" work is virtually free of technical and grammatical errors, is structured to show off the content to greatest advantage, supports its points with appropriate tone and diction, and is pleasurable to read. An "A" paper surprises the teacher, at least a little bit, with fresh, well-developed thoughts and superior writing/research skills.