Prof. Steve Mark/Publications Workshops

Grading for Horizons Staff Writers
Breakdown of Course Grade

Publications 1 (COM* 116)

• Issue 1: 25%
• Issue 2: 30%
• Issue 3: 35%
• Final Team Reporting and Writing Project: 10%

Advanced Publications (COM*216 and Advanced Independent Study)

• Supplement or Perspective news story: 15%
• Issue 1: 25%
• Issue 2: 25%
• Issue 3: 25%
• Final Team Reporting and Writing Project: 10%

Grading Criteria for Each Issue

(Some of the information below was adapted from the University Interscholastic League's Press Program)

(Editors are graded based on different criteria.  Click here to see the grading criteria for editors.)

You will receive a grade for each of the issues we publish this semester based on the criteria below and the percentage assigned to each category. 

For each issue, staff members are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in each of the first three categories, with 5 being the highest rating. In the fourth category, Informal Writing, you earn your grade based on the amount of assignments you complete according to the guidelines given in class.

Publishable Drafts (60% of Issue Grade)

5. Excellent: Well-developed, focused and well-organized article(s), carefully proofread and properly formatted.

4. Good:  Overall, well-done article(s) but at publishable draft stage, still in need of some additional revision, further development, a clearer focus, or proofreading to achieve excellent quality.

3. Satisfactory: Article(s) acceptable for publication but lacking in quality, development, or organization. May require significant copy-editing. 

2. Poor: Article is significantly lacking in some way, and may or may not be publishable in its current form.

1. Unsatisfactory: Work is completely unsatisfactory, of little or no use to the newspaper.

Initiative and Professionalism (20% of Issue Grade)*

Basic Requirement: Generally, with the exception of the first issue of Perspective, in order to receive a "satisfactory rating" in this category, for each issue, all staff writers must meet deadlines and propose and write at least one HCC-specific story that requires the significant use of at least two outside sources.

As you evaluate yourself in this category, consider:

• Did you help to distribute or promote the paper?
• Did you take photos or provide useable graphics for articles?
• Did you take on a particularly complex or in-depth story that required more than 3 sources?
• Did you take on more than one story assignment?
• Did you save and submit articles and graphics correctly according to the guidelines?
• Have you followed all of the policies of the newspaper? 

5. Outstanding: Actively seeks out, accepts, and fulfills additional assignments or duties or does in-depth stories beyond the basic requirements of the course, on time and according to guidelines.  Dependable and trustworthy in all situations, meeting all deadlines.

4. Good: Readily volunteers for and fulfills assignments as needed and contributes in other ways that go beyond the basic requirements of the course, on time and according to the guidelines.  Consistently dependable, meeting all deadlines.

3. Satisfactory: Accepts basic required number of assignments and follows instructions adequately in carrying them out.  Consistently dependable.   (OR Accepts more than the basic required number of assignments and does not meet deadlines for all articles.)

2. Weak: Accepts basic required number of assignments or more, but fails to carry them out according to deadlines or instructions  OR Does not meet basic requirement.

1. Unsatisfactory: Does not fulfill assignments.

*NOTE: Meeting the basic requirement (above) in this category will earn you a “3.” Not meeting the basic requirement or not meeting deadlines will knock your grade down to a “2”

Class Participation* and Teamwork
(10% of Issue Grade)
(Note that habitual lateness will lower your grade in this area.)

What is Class Participation and Teamwork?

• In general, active class participation means completing the assigned reading and other homework on time, staying focused on the work at hand, and asking questions about anything in the readings or discussion that is unclear to you, making claims and responding to classmates' claims about course concepts. 
• You should also offer thoughtful, constructive feedback about your classmates' writing and the published newspaper as called upon to do so. 
• You are also expected to make meaningful contributions to team exercises, each of which will be assigned a particular point value.  Missing these activities in class will lower your class participation.  They cannot be made up.
  

5. Outstanding: Nearly always participates actively in class discussions, in-class exercises, peer critiques of other students’ stories, and critiques of published newspaper with an eye toward overall improvement of the publication. Nearly always attends class meetings, generally arriving on time.  Communicates effectively with editors and advisor.

4. Good: Often engages actively in class discussions, in-class exercises, and critiques of published newspaper. Regularly attends class meetings, generally arriving on time.    Generally communicates effectively with editors and advisor. 

3. Satisfactory: Regularly participates in class discussions, in-class exercises, and critiques of published newspaper. Sometimes attends class regularly and on-time.  Generally communicates effectively with editors and advisor. 

2. Weak: Occasionally participates in class discussions, in-class exercises, and critiques of published newspaper. May attend class regularly or occasionally.

1. Unsatisfactory: Rarely or never participates in class discussions, in-class exercises, and critiques of published newspaper. May attend class occasionally or rarely.

Informal Writing, Including Drafts
(10% of Issue Grade)

This category includes any writing other than final drafts of articles that you are called upon to do in or out of class, including story ideas posted according to the guidelines, exploratory writing or in-class exercises designed to help you to better understand course concepts or draft your articles, your rough drafts of articles (submitted on the due date and according to the guidelines), and written critiques of classmates' articles and the published newspaper. 

You are given a grade in this category based on the number of assignments you have completed according to the guidelines. Most individual assignments will not receive individual grades; full credit will be awarded to those assignments that meet the guidelines laid out in class. This writing may not be made up or handed in late.

Copyright 2009 by Steve Mark