Grading

Grading in this course draws on practices of specifications grading and labor-based grading, approaches that provide a transparent pathway to earning the grade you want to earn. This page explains the grading policy in detail and is the authoritative version of the policies. This PDF provides a simplified overview of the policies.

The Three Components of Grades in Tutorial

Basics: Attendance and Participation

Passing the course requires regular participation in the intellectual life of the class community.

• A passing grade requires completion of all of the major assignments and attending at least 75% of in-person class sessions.
• Earning a course grade of B or higher requires being consistently on time and prepared for class, as well as missing no more than two weeks of class sessions.
• Earning a course grade of A requires being consistently on time and prepared for class, as well as missing no more than one week of class sessions.

Much of the work of this course involves classroom work and discussion. Earning a course grade of B or higher indicates that you are regularly participating in that work--doing the in-class activities, listening to your classmates carefully and sharing ideas with them, and so forth.

Smaller assignments (40% of course grade)

The class has many smaller assignments that involve submitting a short piece of writing in advance of class sessions.

Earning a B for this component of the class involves the following:

• Missing no more than three smaller assignments of any kind.
• Submitting no more than six assignments late. This count includes missing assignments as well as other late assignments. (Every deadline has a 15-minute grace period for being on time. An assignment can be complete but late if submitted at least two hours before the next class period begins. After that point, the assignment counts as missing.)

Earning an A for this component of the class involves the following:

• Missing no more than two smaller assignments of any kind.
• Submitting no more than four assignments late. This count includes missing assignments as well as other late assignments. (Every deadline has a 15-minute grace period for being on time. An assignment can be complete but late if submitted at least two hours before the next class period begins. After that point, the assignment counts as missing.)

Larger assignments (60% of course grade)

The class has four larger assignments: the campus observation book, the illumination project, the final project presentation, and the final project.

Earning a B for this component of the class involves fully completing the standard version of all four larger assignments, including the submission form for each of them. (If the first submitted version of any assignment is not complete, I'll let you know, and you'll have a week to add whatever is missing.)

Earning an A for this component of the class involves fully completing all of the major assignments and the Extra Version of any two of these three assignments: the campus observation book, the illumination project, and the final project. Each assignment includes a submission form. The requirements for the Extra Version are explained on each assignment’s page. No more than one major assignment may be submitted late.

Every deadline has a 15-minute grace period for being on time. An assignment can be complete but late if submitted at least two hours before the next class period begins--or, for assignments due during finals week, at 3:00 on the Friday of finals week. After that point, the assignment counts as missing.