ENL 3251 VICTORIAN LITERATURE
Dr. C. Snodgrass, 4336 Turlington, 376-8362, snod@english.ufl.edu

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE

Your grade will be based largely on how well you demonstrate your ability to read accurately and to assimilate the material.  Your final grade will be computed based on the following:

· 50% (or 50 points out of a possible perfect course grade of 100 points):  Your average score on the frequent two-page “Insights” papers (3–5 “insights,” “ideas,” or “themes”) on the week’s assignments and how the themes relate to the themes and patterns of the previous week’s assignments.  [Individual “Insights” papers will receive one of the following eight grades, which will correspond to and be recorded as the following uniform numerical scores (no other score):  A+ = 100 (rare); A = 95; A- = 90; B+ = 88; B = 83; C = 75; D = 65; E = 0].  No Late “Insights” Papers will be accepted.  However, you will be permitted to drop from your record the lowest 20% of your “Insights” grades, if you have not cut more than three (3) hours worth of class time.

· 10% (the equivalent of one letter grade, or 10 points out of a possible perfect course grade of 100 points):  Your degree of active class participation and general preparedness during each class session.  [Total points for the entire term will be awarded as follows (no other grade):  A = 10 points (speaking effectively nearly every class session); A- = 9 (speaking effectively almost every class session); B+ = 8.5 (speaking effectively every week); B = 8 (speaking every week, but not as effectively); C+ = 7.5 (speaking almost every week); C = 7 (speaking intermittently during the semester); D+ = 6.5 (speaking rarely); D = 6 (speaking hardly at all); E = 5 (almost never speaking)].

· 5% (or 5 points out of a possible perfect course grade of 100 points):  A group project and presentation, including (1) a 2-4 page analysis of the topic related to some subject pertaining to one of the course’s major theme-areas; and (2) a 2-4 page data sheet, list of sources, and list of flawed data you discovered; and

· 35% (or 35 points out of a possible perfect course grade of 100 points):  A comprehensive final exam.

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OPTIONAL PAPER:  c. 25% (or a possible 25 points out of a possible perfect 100 course points):  As an option for students wishing to compensate for poor performances, students may substitute for their poor grades on any category of assignment or combination of assignments — except for the Final Exam — their grade on an optional additional assignment, but only up to a maximum of 25% of their final grade.  There is no guarantee that your optional term paper will be good enough to count. It may happen that the optional paper is not stronger than your performance on what you hoped to substitute it for. That is the gamble you would be taking. Students wishing to attempt such a substitution must meet with me beforehand during office hours to discuss the options, which are as follows:

OPTION 1: 
A detailed poem analysis of approximately 1000–2500 words (approximately 4–8 printed pages), choosing for your analysis one poem from a selection of fifteen poems that I will provide.  This paper is designed mostly to confirm that you have sound critical-reading skills (or to enable you to learn those skills, if you haven’t already).

OPTION 2:
An analytical term paper of approximately 2000–4000 words (approximately 7–14 pages) on a topic of your choosing (related to the material of this course).

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OPTIONAL EXTRA CREDIT PAPERS:  Extra credit papers do not substitute for regular assignments and will only serve to give you the “benefit of the doubt” if your final grade computes to a choice between two grades.  The most you can benefit from these reviews is to raise your final grade one-third letter grade.

To earn extra credit: Write a 7–10 page review of one of the books in the “Possible Secondary Readings” list at the end of this syllabus (or another book that I approve), the first page or two summarizing the main argument of the book and the remaining 6–9 pages reacting to specific ideas in the book (giving the page numbers). This extra-credit paper does not need to be a well-organized essay; it can be a collection of notes or disconnected reactions. Just interact intelligently with the material.

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Final course grades will be awarded on the following scale:  A = 94–100; A– = 90–93; B+ = 87–89; B = 83–86; B– = 80–82; C+ = 77–79; C = 73–76; C– = 70–72; D+ = 67–69; D = 63–66; D– = 60–62; E = 0–59.