Calculated Grade. The final calculated grade in this course is based on the students earned points as a percentage of all available points.The student's total earned points are the numerator. All possible points are added up during semester, and the total possible serve as the denominator. The result of the ratio of earned points to total points is the percentage that is used to calculate the student's letter grade in this course. If, for example, a student earns 95 percent of all available points, the student will have earned an "A" in this course. As the semester progresses, some of the points (in particular, quizzes and exams) are accumulated on the Blackboard system, and students may check their grades on Blackboard any time they wish.Points are Posted on Blackboard. You can check the status of your points at any time on Blackboard, in the "Student Tools" area. Points for quizzes are posted automatically upon proper and timely completion of quizzes. Points for exams are posted during the week or two after the exams are taken. Points for homework, the discussion board, and other tasks are posted at the end of the semester. Please respect this commitment by not inquiring about the points related to a task until the time noted here has elapsed. For example, please do not inquire about an exam score until after two weeks and one day (after the exam was taken) have elapsed.
Task Points. The student's earned "task points" (plus a maximum 50 "slack" points and the possibility of some extra credit points) comprise approximately one third of the student's grade. The allocation of points for these tasks (subject to some slight modification during the semester) is shown below. If, for example, a student earned 85 percent of all available task points from Homework, Quizzes, etc., the student will have effectively earned a "B" for that portion of the grade that is derived from these task points.
Item Task Point Calculation Method Approx.
TotalFirst Email Assignment* Five task points for timely submission of First Email Assignment in proper form. 5 Discussion Board Responses† One to three points per module, depending on timeliness (earlier answers earn more than later answers as a general rule), originality, clarity, and thoughtfulness. Clear, timely, original, thoughtful and articulate completion of the all assigned discussion board tasks, including generous and thoughtful follow-up discussion (in reply to other students entries) and analysis, can yield the full 30 points (so long as the Discussion Board intructions are followed). Discussion board points are posted at the end of the semester. Discussion board responses may be displayed, reviewed, and discussed during class. 30
Homework: Questions and Case Problems* Maximum of three task points for each module timely, clearly and competently completed on a MS Word document and Sent to the Blackboard Digital Drop Box in complete and proper form per the instructions for written homework. Grading: Three points for well stated, thoughtful responses in the student's own words (so long as all of the written homework instructions are followed); two points for reasonably stated, but not particularly thoughtful, answers; and one point for perfunctory answers, or answers that merely paraphrases general statements from the text. Points are lost (in fact, negative points can be earned) for not following the instructions (for example, for emailing homework rather than uploading it onto the Digital Drop Box), or for not providing clearly labelled answers in proper sentence form. Homework points are posted on Blackboard at the end of the semester. Written homework responses may be displayed, reviewed, and discussed during class.
33
Quizzes Twenty points per each quiz timely and properly completed on Blackboard prior to class. 220 Class Participation† Twenty five task points maximum, based on attendance, and overall participation in class discussions. Students who are absent when called upon, or whose class participation falls below the expected norm, will not earn all 25 points. 25 "Slack"† Every student who completes this course receives the full 50 slack points in the numerator of their calculated grade, but these 50 slack points are not added to the denominator. These slack points are designed to cover such contingencies and difficulties as: late registration, athletics, missed class, stolen purse or backpack, not understanding the Wayne State University academic calendar or the due dates in the syllabus, attendance at funeral, standing up in a wedding, missed quiz, student visa delay, computer problem, missed homework, financial difficulty in purchasing the textbook, car accident, hospitalization, mistakenly hit "Add" instead of "Send" on Digital Drop Box, air travel problem, jury duty, forgotten deadline, cross-border delay, problem with Blackboard, death in the family, broken bone, traffic jam, sports team obligations, ski accident, cancelled babysitter, power outage, difficulty in finding the classroom, conflict with work, sudden illness, pet emergency, etc. etc. These slack points also make it unnecessary to come up with excuses.
50
Approximate Total (subject to change during the semester). 313
Other Points. The above points are referred to as "task points." As noted on the Syllabus, additional points are earned from the Midterm Exam, the Case Briefs, and the Final Exam.
*Points for email assignments, homework on the Digital Drop Box, and midterm exams are posted by Prof. Spalding or his grader within two weeks of the due dates for these items. Please do not inquire about these points until two weeks after their due date and time have elapsed.
†Points for the Discussion Board, Class Participation, "Slack," and the final exam are assigned at the end of the semester. Please do not inquire about these points until one week after the final exam.