MIGUEL ROIG, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
Notre Dame Division of St. John’s College
St. John's University
300 Howard Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301
Tel: (718) 390-4513
FAX: (718) 442-3612

EVALUATION OF WRITTEN WORK (Adopted, with permission and with some modifications, from guidelines used by Thomas G. Brown, professor of Psychology, vice-president, and dean of Utica College of Syracuse University). The following standards are guidelines for the overall evaluation of your papers. In general, I award number grades which represent the equivalent of letter grades as outlined under "Grading System" in your syllabus (e.g., 85 = B+; 80 = B). Occasionally, I will give grades such as 88 (which represents a high B+, but not quite an A), or 83 which represents a B-. The important issue to note is that content is not the sole basis for grading. Please also note that there are other penalties which have been outlined elsewhere in you syllabus. The Superior (A) Paper is written far above the minimum standards I have set for this course. It goes far beyond the mere avoidance of error; it has positive value and displays originality, imagination, vitality, and a personal voice for the author. Ideally, it should present fully and accurately a new idea or a new treatment of an old idea, although in practice papers which do not quite attain this standard sometimes receive As. The organization of the A paper should be forceful and appropriate, not only logical but natural. It should be almost free of misspelling, formal and mechanical errors. The Good (B or B+) Paper falls a little below the A standards. It too has positive value that goes beyond the avoidance of error, but it lacks one or more qualities that would bring it close to perfection. It may develop an idea fully and accurately but lack elements of originality and insight. It may have all the qualities of an A paper except naturalness of organization, or it may be marred by improper form, inappropriate style, or occasional obscurity. The Adequate Paper (C or C+) may not be developed fully, its logic may be unconvincing or its organization, paragraphs, or sentences weak. It may be marred by obscurity or poor word choice. Frequently, a paper may rate an A or B in content and receives a C because of errors of form. Just as often, a paper may be relatively correct in form, but its content may be uninspired or dull, thus warranting a grade no higher than C. Contrary to the beliefs of many, a C is a perfectly acceptable grade. I had many as an undergraduate student. The Unsatisfactory (D) Paper is largely faulty, often because of errors of form or mechanics, but it does not warrant complete rejection. It may contain little or nothing worth saying, or it may lack coherent organization. It does, however, have some saving graces: a spark of originality, some mastery of sentence skills, or relative grasp of organization. I had a couple of these, too. The Totally Unacceptable (F) Paper fails to approach minimum mastery of basic English (syntax, grammar, or vocabulary). It may also fail to have anything to say, be marred by serious organizational deficiencies, or be an example of inconsistent (or nonexistent) style.