NEW COURSE PROPOSAL FORM
PROPOSED BY: GREGORY HILLIS
PROPOSAL DATE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2011
I. COURSE INFORMATION
1. Course Title: The History of Christianity II: Protestant Reformation to the Present Number:
___THEO 311_______________
You may propose a course number on the title line if you wish
Number assigned by Registrar
2. Department of the Course: Theology
3. Course Level (circle one):
FR (100)
SO (200)
JR (300)
SR (400)
GRAD (500+)
Rationale for Course Level: The course deals with complex theological issues and requires in-depth
research of primary and secondary sources.
4. Credit Hours: 3
If this course deviates from the standard course schedule and credits (3hrs per week, 14 weeks, 3 credits),
you must provide a rationale.
Rationale for Credit Hours: ________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Prerequisites and/or Restrictions (e.g. majors only), if any:
THEO 200
6. Describe the method of delivery (e.g. lab, online, etc): Lectures, Small group discussion
7. Course Fee, if any: ___________________________________________________________________
Note: course fees are set annually and apply on an academic year cycle beginning in fall.
8. When will this course first be offered? 2012
9. Instructor:
Gregory Hillis
Attach instructor’s CV for first-time, part-time faculty.
10. Frequency (e.g. every spring): As required
11. Typical Section Size (how many students): 25
12. Is it graded on the A-F grading scale, or is it Pass/Fail only? A-F
13. Is the course repeatable as an elective (e.g. is it a topics course)? Yes
14. If this course can be cross-listed, indicate dept and number of other course: _____________________
15. Catalog Description: A survey history of major doctrines, movements, and personalities in
Christianity from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first century. The course includes studies in
Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions.
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II. RATIONALE, CURRICULAR IMPACT, AND ASSESSMENT
1. Rationale for the introduction of the course: At present THEO 310 is intended to cover all twenty
centuries of Christian history. This is very difficult to do in an academically responsible and
pedagogically beneficial manner. Splitting the history of Christianity course into two courses
allows for more in depth exploration of each time period, and makes it possible to cover all twenty
centuries of Christian history. At present, it is simply not possible to cover the material within one
course. Most theology/religious studies departments at other universities split the history of
Christianity courses up in a similar manner
2. Procedures used to establish that this course avoids substantial duplication with other courses:
Examination of the catalog
3. List all departments or programs affected by this addition (include descriptions of communications
with chairs/directors of these depts): None
4. How will the instructional costs of the course will be covered (Is another course being dropped from
the schedule? Will the course require a new hire? Are student enrollments sufficient throughout this
department’s curriculum to justify the addition of another course?)
n/a
5. New resources needed (library holdings, technology, equipment, materials, etc): None
6. Does the course fulfill a General Education requirement?
√ YES ________NO
 If yes, which Gen Ed requirement? Study of theology
 Which of the Gen Ed learning objectives does it address? 2, 9

(Refer to the end of this document for the list of objectives)
7. Can the course fulfill a requirement:
 for the departmental major?
√ YES ________NO
 for the departmental minor?
√ YES ________NO
 for requirements in other depts/programs?
√ YES ________NO
Include a specific explanation if “yes” for any (e.g. it fulfills an upper-level major elective requirement, or
it is a required course for the minor, or it is required for pre-med, etc):
- Fulfills an upper-level major elective requirement
- Fulfils an upper-level minor elective requirement
- Provides an upper-level elective requirement for the General Education requirement
8. How does this course address the department’s stated learning outcomes? It furthers understanding
of major areas in the discipline of Theology – historical and systematic theology
9. Does this course address the learning objectives of the QEP? ________YES √
NO
If yes, describe how, making reference to the outcomes noted on the last page of this document:
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III. REVIEWS AND APPROVALS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Department Action:
_____Approved
_____Not Approved
Department Chair Signature:
_______________________
Date
__________________
Proposal must be reviewed by the Registrar and Library Director before submission to the
College or School (an email can be attached in lieu of these two signatures).
Registrar Reviewed
Library Director Reviewed
Signature/Date:__________________
Signature/Date:__________________
College/School Action:
_____Approved
Dean’s Signature:
_______________________
__________
__________
_____Not Approved
Date
__________________
Faculty Council Coordinating Committee Action:
_____ Forward to Undergraduate/Graduate Ed Affairs as an informational item only.
(circle one)
_____ Forward to Undergraduate/Graduate Ed Affairs as a voting item.
(circle one)
Coordinating Committee Chair Signature: ___________________
Date
___________
As stated in Chapter 2 (University Governance System), all course, program, and curricular issues, having
first been sent to the Faculty Council Coordinating Committee after School approval, will be sent to the
Undergraduate Affairs or Graduate Affairs Committee.
5.
Educational Affairs Committee Action:
_____Approved
_____Not Approved
Signature:
Undergraduate/Graduate Ed Affairs Chair:
OR
____Info Item Only
___________________________
(circle one)
Date of Ed Affairs Committee Action:
___________________________
***Ed Affairs Chair will forward final proposal to the Registrar for permanent archival***
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THEO 311 – The History of Christianity II: Protestant Reformation to the Present
Gregory K. Hillis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Theology
Email: ghillis@bellarmine.edu
Office:
Office Phone:
Office Hours:
Alumni Hall 106
272-7800
Catalog Course Description
A survey history of major doctrines, movements, and personalities in Christianity from
the sixteenth century to the twenty-first century. The course includes studies in
Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions.
General Education and Department of Theology Learning Objectives
This course seeks to meet, at least partially, many of the goals and expectations of the
general education program as well as that of the theology department. The following
list outlines the specific general education program objectives (listed on pp. 36-37 of the
2009-2011 Bellarmine Catalog) this course seeks to meet in full or in part:



Knowledge of Christian theology and its ongoing dialogue with other religious
and intellectual traditions.
Critical thinking skills.
Facility in oral and written communication.
In addition to these General Education learning objectives, the following list outlines
the specific theology department learning objectives (listed on p. 323 of the 2009-2011
Bellarmine Catalog) this course seeks to meet in full or in part:


Students will be able to demonstrate familiarity with the variety of religious
experiences and traditions
Students will be able to demonstrate how religious morality and justice are
integrated with faith
Required Texts
 The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity, John McManners, ed. (Toronto: Oxford
University Press, 2001); hereafter referred to as Oxford
 Coursepack of primary source readings; hereafter referred to as CP
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Course Schedule
Dates
Topic


Readings
Course Introduction and Evaluation
The Sixteenth Century Crisis
o Rise of humanism
o The importance of the printing
press
o Late medieval piety and lay religion
o The crisis in its various European
manifestations


The Beginning of Modernity in the
Sixteenth Century
o Technological advances
o Social and economic changes
o Christianity and the emergence of
the new science
o The beginnings of expansion into
the ‘New World’


The Seventeenth Century: Christianity
and Reason
o René Descartes and rationalism
o John Locke and empiricism
o Deism

The Enlightenment in the Eighteenth
Century (Part I)
o Political and Economic Background
o The Enlightenment in Great Britain
The Enlightenment in the Eighteenth
Century (Part II)
o The Enlightenement in France
o The Enlightenment in the United
States
o Immanuel Kant
o Christian reactions to the
Enlightenment
Colonialism and Christianity’s Encounter
with Non-European Civilizations from the
Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century
o Expansion into North and Sound
America and encounter with
aboriginal civilizations
o Expansion into Africa
o Expansion into Asia
o Relationship between Eastern and
Western Christianity
o Relationship between Christianity
and Islam
The Growth of Science, the Industrial
Revolution, and Christianity in the late





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





Oxford: “The Late Medieval Church
and its Reformation (1400-1600)
CP:
o Erasmus: Excerpt from The
Praise of Folly
o Martin Luther: Excerpt
from On the Freedom of a
Christian
o The Schleitheim Confession
CP:
o Galileo Galilei: Excerpt
from Letter to the Grand
Duchess Christina of
Tuscany, 1615
o Sentence of the Tribunal of the
Supreme Inquisition against
Galileo Galilei
o Galileo’s Abjuration
Oxford: “Enlightenment: Secular
and Christian (1600-1800)”
CP:
o John Locke: Excerpt from
The Reasonableness of
Christianity
o Descartes: Excerpt from
Meditations
CP:
o David Hume: Excerpt from
Dialogues Concerning
Natural Religion
CP:
o Jean-Jacques Rousseau:
Excerpt from The Social
Contract
o John Wesley: Excerpt from
The Character of a Methodist
Oxford: “The Expansion of
Christianity”
CP:
o The Mayflower Compact
o Paul III: Sublimus Dei (On
the Enslavement and
Evangelization of Indians)
o Jean de Brébeuf: Excerpt
from A Letter of Father
Brébeuf to his Superiors in the
Jesuit Order in France
Oxford: “Great Britain and
Europe”; “North America”




Eighteenth to the Nineteenth Century
o Darwinism
o Higher criticism
o Christianity and the social and
economic ramifications of the
industrial revolution
Romanticism and Christianity: Late
Eighteenth – Nineteenth Century (Part I)
o Emergence and form of
Romanticism
o Romanticism in Britain
 Blake, Shelley, Keats,
Byron, etc
Romanticism and Christianity: Late
Eighteenth – Nineteenth Century (Part II)
o Romanticism in Germany
 Goethe, Schiller, F. von
Schlegel, etc
o Various movements concurrent
with Romanticism
 Britain: The Oxford
Movement
 Germany: Schleiermacher
and German theology
Christianity and Imperialism
o Christianity in Africa, Asia, and
Latin America

Christianity and Culture in the Twentieth
and Twenty-First Century
o Christianity and politics
 Church and state
 Social movements
 Christianity and warfare
 Christianity and
communism
 Christianity and fascism
o Ecumenism
o Feminism
o Christianity and Ecology
o The Second Vatican Council

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CP:
o
o

CP:
o
o


William Blake: Excerpt
from The Marriage of Heaven
and Hell
John Keats: Excerpt from
Letters
CP:
o
o

Charles Darwin: Excerpt
from The Origin of Species
Leo XIII: Excerpt from
Rerum Novarum
Goethe: Excerpt from Faust
Excerpt from The Tracts for
the Times
Oxford: “Africa”; “Asia”; “Latin
America”
CP:
o William Carey: Excerpt
from An Enquiry into the
Obligations of Christians to
Use Means for the Conversion
of the Heathens In Which the
Religious State of the
Different Nations of the
World, the Success of Former
Undertakings, and the
Practicability of Further
Undertakings, Are Considered
o John Mbiti: Excerpt from
The Encounter of Christian
Faith and African Religion
CP:
o Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
Excerpt from Letters and
Papers from Prison
o Rosemary Radford Ruether:
Excerpt from Mother Earth
and the Megamachine
Evaluation
Response Papers (4X10%)
Mid-Term Examination
Major Paper
Final Examination
Total
40%
15%
25%
20%
100%
RESPONSE PAPERS:
Students will prepare a total of FOUR two-three page papers over the course of the
term, each in response to questions provided by the professor and pertaining to specific
course readings from the course package. Questions will be provided at least one week
prior to the due date. The grading rubric used for these papers is found below. Please
see writing requirements.
MID-TERM EXAMINATION:
This examination will have short-answer and essay components and will test students
on their ability to understand, synthesize, and analyze the course material.
MAJOR PAPER
In the interest of exposing the student more fully in the topic of Christianity and its
relationship to culture, students will be asked to visit a place of worship of one of the
traditions discussed in the course, attend a service offered by this tradition, and write a
paper (2000 words) based on this visit. Students should focus upon the architecture of
the place of worship and the art contained therein, as well as upon the particulars of the
worship service itself (scripture passages read, music, homily, liturgy, vestments, etc.).
Students should also find out about the manner in which the tradition chooses to
interact with society-at-large. Emphasis should be placed upon the historical,
theological, and cultural factors that may have played a role in shaping the tradition’s
architecture and artistic expression, its manner of worship, and its interaction with
society. Possible places to visit include:
• Roman Catholic church
• One of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the area
• Episcopal church
• Lutheran church
• Reformed church
• Presbyterian church
• Any church in the Mennonite tradition
• The Religious Society of Friends
• Any church in the Evangelical tradition
• Any Pentecostal church
• A Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Episcopalian monastery/convent
• This list is not exhaustive. Consult with the instructor if you would like to write on a
tradition not on this list.
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Students are expected and encouraged to consult articles from academic journals as
well as monographs. There must be at least seven sources, and at least one source must
be an article from a peer-reviewed academic journal. Moreover, at least one of your
sources must be a primary source. Please note that internet sources are generally not
acceptable for this assignment. I would like to see you use both primary and secondary
sources in your paper.
The grading rubric used for this papers is found below.
requirements.
Please see writing
FINAL EXAMINATION
This examination will consist of short-answer and essay questions and will test students
on their ability to understand, analyze, and synthesize the course material. The final
examination will cover material from the entire semester.
Writing Requirements
All papers written for this course are to be word-processed, double-spaced, use 12-point
Times New Roman font, and have one-inch margins. Proper documentation is expected
and required. I accept MLA or Chicago Manual of Style. APA is not acceptable for this
class. It is your responsibility to make sure that your paper follows correct
documentation throughout. Grades will be deducted for improper documentation.
For general information on how to cite sources properly (regardless of the style) as well
as on how to prevent plagiarism, please go to www.plagiarism.org.
Please note that use of internet sites in your written assignments must be cleared with
your professor prior to submitting those assignments for assessment. The internet is a
wonderful tool for accessing many forms of information, but is a highly suspect
resource for academic research. I can provide students with acceptable internet sites for
research purposes depending on the topic. Wikipedia is never to be used as a source in
written assignments.
Please do not email written assignments to your professor. All assignments are to be
submitted in person at the beginning of class on the due date for the assignment.
TURN-IT-IN REQUIREMENT:
In addition, your major paper must be submitted to www.turnitin.com, an antiplagiarism website. Details on how to submit assignments are provided below. The
class ID is ___________and the enrollment password is Hillis. You must submit your
essay to www.turnitin.com prior to the beginning of the class in which the essay is due.
Late penalties will be assessed for submission after this time. Essays will not be
considered to have been submitted until the professor has a hard copy and the paper
has been submitted to www.turnitin.com.
LATE WORK POLICY:
Response Papers
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Response papers submitted after the class on which the assignment is due will be
penalized one letter grade (i.e., 10%). A penalty of 10% will be deducted each day
thereafter (weekends count as two days). This means that if you receive 85% (a ‘B’) on
the assignment, but you submitted it two days late, you receive 65% (a ‘D’). A grade of
‘zero’ will be given papers more than seven days late. Please note that papers are not
considered to have been submitted until the professor has received a hard copy of the
assignment. Do not email assignments to your professor.
Major Paper
Essays submitted after the class on which the paper is due will be penalized 5%. A
penalty of 5% will be deducted each day thereafter (weekends count as two days). This
means that if you receive 85% (a ‘B’) on the paper, but you submitted it two days late,
you receive 75% (a ‘C’). A grade of ‘zero’ will be given papers more than seven days
late. Please note that papers are not considered to have been submitted until the
professor has received a hard copy of the assignment and the paper has been submitted
to www.turnitin.com. Do not email assignments to your professor.
No extensions will be granted for any assignment except in cases of serious illness,
death, or other unforeseen circumstances. Proof of such circumstances will be required.
There will be no exceptions to this rule.
Make-up Examinations
No make-up examinations will be provided except in cases of serious illness, death, or
other unforeseen circumstances. Proof of such circumstances will be required. There
will be no exceptions to this rule.
Classroom Behaviour
CELL PHONES:
All cellular phones must be turned off and out of sight during class. No calls, no texts,
no checking messages.
LAPTOPS:
Laptops may be used for the purposes of taking notes. Please, no websurfing or
checking of email. If I feel that your computer is a distraction to others, I will ask you to
put it away.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is expected for this course. Unexcused absences will have a negative
impact on a student’s grade (0.5% of the overall grade will be deducted for every
unexcused absence over one absence). If a student misses one third of the classes or
more, a failing grade for the course will automatically be given. For an absence to be
excused, a doctor’s note or other documentation must be provided. Simply emailing
the professor does not make an absence excused.
Except in very exceptional circumstances, no make-up exams will be provided to
students.
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The University requires students who will be absent from class while representing the
University to inform their instructors in two steps. During the first week of the course,
students must meet with each instructor to discuss the attendance policy and
arrangements for absences related to University-sponsored events. Second, students
must provide the instructor with a signed Student Absentee Notification Form,
available via the student portal on the University intranet, at the earliest possible
opportunity, but not later than the week prior to the anticipated absence. The Student
Absentee Notification Form does not serve as an excused absence from class. Your
instructor has the final say about excused and unexcused absences and it is the
student’s responsibility to know and abide by the instructor’s policy.
Academic Honesty Policy
I strongly endorse and will follow the academic honesty policy as published in the
Bellarmine University Course Catalog, available on the university website.. Students
and faculty must be fully aware of what constitutes academic dishonesty; claims of
ignorance cannot be used to justify or rationalize dishonest acts. Academic dishonesty
can take a number of forms, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism,
fabrication, aiding and abetting, multiple submissions, obtaining unfair advantage, and
unauthorized access to academic or administrative systems. Definitions of each of these
forms of academic dishonesty are provided in the academic honesty section of the
Course Catalog. All confirmed incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported to the
Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, and sanctions will be imposed as
dictated by the policy. The instructor’s choice of penalty ranges from a minimum
penalty of failing the assignment or test to failing the course itself. If the student has a
record of one prior offense, he or she will be suspended for the semester subsequent to
the one in which the second offense took place. This sanction is in addition to the
penalty imposed by the faculty member. If the student has a record of two prior
offenses, he or she will be immediately dismissed from the university upon the third
offense.
In this course a zero will be given for any work evidencing academic dishonesty, and
the offense will be reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. You will not be
allowed to make up the assignment in any way.
Blackboard
I use Blackboard for this course. Important announcements, grades, my lecture slides,
and other documents will be placed on Blackboard. Please consult Blackboard
regularly.
Office Hours
I am more than happy to meet with students about the course or simply to chat about
current events, theology, politics, or sports. My office door is always open during my
office hours listed above, or you can make an appointment by phone or email (my
phone number and email address are listed above).
Academic Resource Center (ARC)
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Bellarmine University is committed to providing services and programs that assist all
students in further developing their learning and study skills and in reaching their
academic goals. Students needing or wanting additional and/or specialized assistance
related to study techniques, writing, time management, tutoring, test-taking strategies,
etc., should seek out the resources of the ARC, located on the A-level of the W.L. Lyons
Brown Library. Call 272-8071 for more information.
Disability Services
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or
auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Disability Services
Coordinator. Please do not request accommodations directly from the professor. The
Disability Services Coordinator is located in the Counseling Center, phone 272-8480.
Grading Rubric:
Major Paper
‘A’ Papers (Exemplary)
Thesis/Logic/Organization: Easily identifiable, plausible, sophisticated, insightful, clear thesis
or controlling purpose that is clearly outlined in the introduction and summarized in the
conclusion. Controlling purpose governs development and organization of the text. Establishes
clear pattern of development – clear and logical organizational plan – so the paper feels
organized and orderly from beginning to end. Clearly identifiable introduction, body, and
conclusion. Strong paragraphing. Paragraphs support solid topic sentences; the author
provides unified paragraph structure (i.e., each paragraph develops only one central idea. The
author provides coherent paragraph structure (i.e., cohesive devises such as transitional phrases
within and between paragraphs).
Research/Use of Sources: Develops specific ideas in depth with strong and appropriate
supporting examples. Source information used to buttress every point. Excellent integration of
quoted material into sentences. Proper documentation used throughout.
Content: The analysis is fresh, exciting, posing new ways to think of the material. Work
displays critical thinking and strong analysis/evaluation and avoids simplistic description or
simple summary of information. Sophisticated handling of complex ideas. Demonstrates
mastery of pertinent theological views, concepts, and arguments. Gives an accurate and
charitable exposition and interpretation of the pertinent theological texts and views, providing
textual support where appropriate. Fully explains key theological terms, concepts, and
distinctions in an illuminating way, using the authors’ own words, examples, and descriptions.
Has a mastery of the material. All ideas in the paper flow logically.
Writing: Exhibits a sophisticated (but unpretentious) writing style as it presents its ideas clearly,
concisely, and precisely. Contains almost no unnecessary words, imprecision, or irrelevant
content. Employs good diction. Contains virtually no errors in grammar, spelling, or
punctuation, and documents sources properly. Free of typos.
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‘B’ Papers (Good)
Thesis/Logic/Organization: Generally clear thesis or controlling purpose, though it lacks
insight or originality. Reference is made to the thesis/controlling idea in the introduction and
summarized in conclusion. Relatively identifiable introduction, body, and conclusion.
Generally clear and logical organizational plan, but the paper may wander occasionally. Most
paragraphs have topic sentences, though the author may not clearly and completely develop the
central idea.
Some paragraphs do not have strong topic sentences. Generally coherent
paragraph structure, though there are a few unclear transitions.
Research/Use of Sources: Source information used to support most points. Some evidence does
not support point, or may appear where inappropriate. Quotes are well integrated into
sentences. Generally proper documentation used throughout.
Content: Author often relates evidence to topic sentences in each paragraph, though the links
are not always clear. Less analysis than an ‘A’ paper, as well as more description and summary
than in an ‘A’ paper. Demonstrates some critical thinking. Demonstrates a solid understanding
of pertinent theological views, concepts, and arguments. Frequently integrates primary text
material into essay, with some analysis. Provides good information. Has a good understanding
of the material. Ideas generally flow well.
Writing: Sentence structure, grammar, and diction strong despite occasional lapses;
punctuation and citation style often used correctly. Some (minor) spelling errors; may have one
run-on sentence or comma splice. Conforms in every way to format requirements.
‘C’ Papers (Average/Needs Work)
Thesis/Logic/Organization: Thesis/controlling purpose may be unclear; provides little around
which to structure the paper. Little reference is made to the thesis/controlling idea in the
introduction or conclusion. Introduction and conclusion are weak. Organizational plan is
generally unclear, and the paper often wanders or jumps around. Few or weak transitions
between paragraphs. Many paragraphs without topic sentences. Generally unclear paragraph
structure. Paper does not flow as well as it could.
Research/Use of Sources: Source information used to support some points. Points often lack
supporting evidence, or evidence is used where inappropriate (often because there is no clear
point. Quotes may be poorly integrated into sentences. A few problems with documentation.
Content: Author often does not relate evidence to topic sentences in each paragraph, and the
links are not always clear. More description and summary than analysis. Little critical
thinking, though there is some. Some understanding of the pertinent ideas. Some good
information. Has a general, although not always clear, understanding of the material.
Writing: Problems in sentence structure, grammar, and diction (usually not major). Some
errors in punctuation, citation style, and spelling. May have some run-on sentences or comma
splices.
‘D’ Paper (Needs Work)
Thesis/Logic/Organization: Thesis/controlling idea difficult to identify at all. Introduction and
conclusion are very weak. Organizational plan is unclear, and the paper wanders or jumps
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around. Very weak transitions between paragraphs if they exist at all. Most paragraphs
without topic sentences. Unclear paragraph structure.
Research/Use of Sources: Very few or very weak examples from source information used to
support points. Generally do not support statements, or evidence seems to support no
statement. Quotes not integrated into sentences. Many problems with documentation.
Content: Author very rarely relates evidence to topic sentences in each paragraph, as
paragraphs usually lack topic sentences. Almost no critical thinking. Little understanding of
the pertinent theological ideas. Information is poorly presented. Has poor understanding of
the material.
Writing: Big problems in sentence structure, grammar, and diction. Frequent major errors in
citation style, punctuation, and spelling. May have many run-on sentences and comma splices.
Does not conform to format requirements.
‘F’ Papers
Shows obviously minimal lack of effort or comprehension of the assignment. Very difficult to
understand owing to major problems with mechanics, structure, and analysis. Has no
identifiable thesis, or utterly incompetent thesis. Does not follow paper guidelines for length
and format. Plagiarizes.
‘F’ is also given to papers that are handed in past the due date.
Grading Rubric: Response Papers
‘A’ (Exemplary)
Paper demonstrates ability to identify, explain, and critically engage key arguments and ideas.
Addresses the question(s) clearly, critically, and intelligently. Employs good diction. Contains
virtually no errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Free of typos.
‘B’ (Good)
Paper demonstrates some ability to identify, explain, and critically engage key arguments and
ideas. However, there is more summary than in the ‘A’ paper, and/or the key arguments are
not identified with complete accuracy. Question(s) not addressed as completely as in the ‘A’
paper. Sentence structure, grammar, and diction strong despite occasional lapses.
‘C’ (Average/Needs Work)
There is more summary than critical analysis, though there is some attempt to do the latter. Key
arguments are not identified or analyzed carefully or accurately. Problems in sentence
structure, grammar, and diction.
‘D’ (Needs Work)
Paper demonstrates a cursory reading of the material. Demonstrates a poor understanding of
the material. Almost no analysis. Big problems in sentence structure, grammar, and diction.
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‘F’ (Failing)
Shows obviously minimal lack of effort or comprehension of the material. Very difficult to
understand owing to major problems with mechanics, structure, and analysis. ‘F’ grades are
also assigned to papers not handed in on time.
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