Assessment Criteria of Written Work

One aim of the History Department is to develop in our students those skills that go beyond the narrow field of the classroom, skills which are cross-curricular, e.g. the ability to use evidence in discussion or argument, to be able to see key points within a source or evidence, to identify vital and over-arching concepts, to accumulate appropriate data , to discriminate between what is and is not relevant to an essay, argument, legal brief, or company report, and to reduce accumulated information to manageable proportions. In other words, the skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation must be taught. Along with the development of these skills go, of course, a widening of vocabulary and syntax, as well as the development of study habits and skills appropriate to students engaged in higher education. While the most visible and frequent assessments are seen in the history portion of the General Education program, this department is also assessing its entire curriculum to be sure that it meets these aims. Since an inherent part of all history courses is the development of critical reading, writing, and thinking skills on the part of all students, they should expect to commit a significant portion of their studies to written work in the form of essays, research papers, and other such exercises. While each instructor is responsible for his or her own grading, the listing below reflects the general standards of the overall history curriculum.

Criteria for the award of grades:

A-/A+:  Excellent critical and conceptual analysis. Comprehensive survey of relevant issues. Well argued. Well presented- grammar/syntax/spelling/organization, etc. Relevant reading effectively incorporated. Complete mastery of stated skill objectives Complete understanding of relevant content .

B+/A:  Good critical and conceptual analysis. Good survey of relevant issues. Satisfactory presentation. Relevant reading effectively incorporated. Complete mastery of stated skill objectives. Complete understanding of relevant content.

C/C+/B:  Rather more descriptive than critical and conceptual. Analysis lacks clarity in places. Presentation weak. Evidence of relevant reading, but not always effectively used. Average to above average mastery of stated skill objectives. General understanding of relevant content.

D+/C:   Perfunctory. Largely descriptive. Poorly presented - evidence of little care. Narrow in conception. Poorly argued. Limited mastery of stated skill objectives. Little or no understanding of relevant content to task assigned.

D-/D:   Perfunctory. Almost entirely descriptive. Very poor presentation - little care taken whatsoever. Narrow in conception. Poorly argued. No evidence of mastery of stated skill objectives. Little or no understanding of relevant content to task assigned.

F:   No evidence of understanding. Little evidence of serious attempt. Lacks all fundamental academic skills.