Writings will be graded as follows:

• Each Writing will be graded out of 3. Exceptional completion of a Writing will result in a grade of 3/3; adequate completion of a Writing will result in a grade of 2/3; inadequate completion of a Writing will result in a mark of 1/3, and non-completion of a Writing will result in a grade of 0/3.
• The cumulative Writings grade will constitute 25% of your final grade.
• Getting 3/3 will require your Writing to stand out in some way: intrigue us with something original, impress us with something insightful, or both. 3/3 Writings are those that warrant presentation back to the class, because they meaningfully contribute to the conversation. All 3/3 Writings will be clear, concise, coherent, and creative.

EXPECTATIONS

In order to successfully complete the Writings, it is important that you clearly understand our expectations for written work. Please review the following guidelines:

• It is your responsibility to submit work that is cogent and well organized. Remember that the primary purpose of the Writings is to demonstrate your understanding of the assigned readings and to meaningfully engage with the topics they raise.
• The Writings give you the opportunity to do two things. The first is to let us know that you have fully read the readings. To show this, it helps if you quote or paraphrase key concept from the readings. The second is to demonstrate that you have understood what you read. You can do this by explaining in your own words one or more of the concepts covered in the readings.
• We want the Writings to be more than just summaries of the readings. A summary merely states the highlights. Your written response needs to move beyond a summary to more fully discuss the details, ideas, concepts, and meanings that are covered. It is for this reason that we expect reference to a second text that is not prescribed: this provides you with a vehicle through which you can expand the conversation.
• In our advertising-saturated world, it is easy to fall into the trap of using inappropriate “marketing speak.” This is the kind of verbiage that overstates even the simplest of ideas and/or misstates basic facts. In formal written communication it’s important to state facts in a simple, straightforward way and avoid using overstatements, inaccurate superlatives (e.g., “best,” “greatest,” “smartest,” “complete opposite”) and emotional appeals (e.g., “realizing our full potential as human beings”). Please avoid “marketing speak.”
• The highest grades will be given to Writings that exhibit the “Four C’s” of writing: clear, concise, coherent, and creative. Your work will be graded partly on your ability to follow the rules of standard written English with regard to spelling, grammar, sentence construction. and usage. All of us are continually in the process of learning how to write more effectively, and your best work will usually be the product of multiple drafts and revisions. Allow yourself the time to refine and rewrite until your ideas come through clearly.

There is a writing center on campus where you can get additional help with your writing. To best use their services, it helps to have written a first draft so that they can explain to you the places where you’re having problems. This site provides more information: http://www.larc.uci.edu.