The writing assignments submitted for this course should adhere to the standard for college-level essays submitted for any other college course. In addition to adhering to the standards for punctuation, grammar and usage (explained further below), the assignment should conform to the basic principles of an expository essay.

There are five major factors that determine the grade you receive on your assignment:

• Logic of organization and use of prescribed formats
• Choices and uses of examples and evidence
• Integration of examples and research
• Insights and ideas that are germane to the assignment
• Grammar and Mechanics

1. Logic of organization and use of prescribed formats
To satisfy this aspect, the paper should be submitted as a Microsoft WORD or RTF document using a 12 Point, Times Roman font, One Inch margins, and double-spaced without extra spacing between paragraphs. They should be a minimum of 300 words and there should be a title page with the title and number of the assignment, your name, the course name, the instructor's name, and the date submitted. Each assignment should have the following basic organization structure:

First Paragraph: An Introduction
• Opening comments that introduce the subject of the paper
• A statement of the issue
• A thesis statement (Your Point of View or Opinion)
• A preview of the arguments you’re going to present to support your thesis.

Second Paragraph: Your First Argument

• Topic sentence: Clearly stated, the point you’re going to make
• Supporting evidence / facts, examples, and research support if necessary

Third Paragraph: Your Second Argument

• Topic sentence: Clearly state the point you’re making
• Supporting evidence / facts, examples, and research support if necessary

Fourth Paragraph: Your Third Argument

• Topic sentence: Clearly state the point you’re making
• Supporting evidence / facts, examples, and research support if necessary

Fifth Paragraph: Conclusion

• Restatement of your thesis
• Summary of your arguments
• Summary of your paper

2. Choices and uses of examples and evidence
Your personal opinion is of little value without some kind of evidence to back it up. Therefore, you are expected to cite examples from the subject of the assignment; specific quotes are usually best. And they should be pertinent and clearly support your argument. Most often, you will need to conduct some research to find support from outside sources. Here are some of the acceptable sources:

Books
Make sure the author of the book is credible and the information is not outdated. (In many fields, information changes rapidly; however, historical information generally does not change.)

Popular Magazines
Popular magazines like Time, Psychology Today, and National Geographic are acceptable, but make sure the writer has the experience and knowledge to cover the topic authoritatively.

Professional Magazines
Professional magazines are somewhat better than popular magazines, though you’re not likely to find many that deal with comedy and/or satire

Journals
Like professional magazines, journals contain articles written by professionals in the field. An important difference is that most journal articles have a bibliography of sources at the end, so you can verify the accuracy of the sources. And most professional journals have an editorial review board of experts who determine if the article submitted is credible before it is published.

And...what About Internet Sources?
You may think that the internet is a good place to do research and it can be, but you need to know how to search it properly and how to cite the source. There are a lot of items on the internet that have little if any credibility. You can do some good research on the Internet if you can locate a good electronic periodical index that accesses bibliographic citations to the sources. And very often, the source originally appeared as a book, popular magazine, professional magazine, or journal, so if it fits your needs, you probably can use it. But beware: Wikipedia is NOT an acceptable source for research. It might serve as a good starting point to get you to good sources, but by itself it is too unreliable.

3. Integration of examples and research
This requirement relates to the extent to which you work your examples and research information into your paper. It’s not enough to simply ‘tack on’ or ‘paste in’ a quote from the source. It must be an integral part of your writing.

4. Insights and ideas that are germane to the assignment
Being able to come up with an original or unique view of the assignment topic is highly valued. While I don’t expect you to produce a brilliant treatise on the influence of the minstrel show on modern sketch comedy or the origins of dialect usage in satire, a paper that simply repeats what has been said in the discussions and readings will not get much credit in this category. What you have to say should reflect some thought about the subject.

5. Grammar and Mechanics By the time you reach college you probably know what this means. And with the grammar and spell checkers available with your word processor, you should not have major problems in this regard. Proofreading is critical. A paper that is submitted with extensive errors in this category says that you didn’t care enough about the quality of your work to proofread and correct it.

A Note About the 300 word Minimum
Word count is not critical, but it’s likely that a paper that gets an ‘A’ is longer than the minimum of 300 words.

How Grades Are Awarded for Qriting Assignments
A grade of A, B, C, or F is awarded by applying the standards specified above to the scale shown below.

	"F" Level	"C" Level	"B" Level	"A" Level
1. Logic of organization and use of prescribed formats	Paper does not conform to prescribed formats(0%)	Organization and format minimally conform to prescribed formats(10%)	Organization and format meet and occasionally exceed requirements (15%)	Organization and format exceed requirements(20%)
2. Choices and uses of examples and evidence	No pertinent examples and/or evidence are provided(0%)	Minimum examples and/or evidence are provided(10%)	Some examples and/or evidence above the minimum are provided(15%)	Extensive use of examples and/or evidence(20%)
3. Integration of examples and research	Examples and/or research are not integrated(0%)	Examples and/or research appear as defined in outline; transitions are awkward(10%)	Examples and/or research follow logically; some awkward transitions(15%)	Examples and/or research are smoothly integrated(20%)
4. Insights and ideas that are germane to the assignment	There are no insights or ideas(0%)	Insights and ideas are present but not unique(10%)	Some good insights and ideas(15%)	Excellent insights and ideas(20%)
5. Grammar & Mechanics	Major grammar and mechanics problems(0%)	Some grammatical and mechanical errors(10%)	Few grammatical and mechanical errors(15%)	No grammatical and mechanical errors(20%)

So, for example, if your paper receives the following scores...

1. Logic of organization and use of prescribed formats: Organization and format minimally conform (10%)
2. Choices and uses of examples and evidence: Some examples and/or evidence above the minimum are provided (15%)
3. Integration of examples and research: Examples and/or research follow logically; some awkward transitions (15%)
4. Insights and ideas that are germane to the assignment: Insights and ideas are present but not unique (10%)
5. Grammar & Mechanics: Few grammatical and mechanical errors (15%)

These grades, when averaged with the discussion grades, translate to the following course grades.

Rewriting Or Revising An Assignment
Any paper that receives less than an ‘A’ may be revised and resubmitted to try to raise the grade. When your paper is returned to you, if you wish to revise and resubmit it, you must do so within 10 days of its return. If you don’t understand what needs to be improved, you should contact me by e-mail or phone.

Other Issues Regarding Writing Assignments
More than likely, if there are any serious problems which preclude your being able to complete the course in a timely manner they will show up on the first assignment. In such situations, I will strongly recommend that you drop the class. So…if you’d like to determine whether or not you have any such potential problems, feel free to review the first assignment and send me a paper and if I detect any problems with your writing, I’ll notify you immediately. And if the paper is acceptable, you will have already completed the first assignment.

If extenuating circumstances preclude your finishing the course on time, an Incomplete may be awarded provided you have submitted a request for said grade at least one week prior to the end of the term.

About Plagiarism
Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism (defined below), guidelines for proper citation, and that ignorance of plagiarism does not and will not constitute an excuse for the behavior.

Academic Dishonesty consists of any of the following:

• Cheating
  a) The unauthorized use of notes, textbooks, oral, visual or electronic communication, or other aids during an exam, quiz, or other related course assignment.
  b) The copying of the work of another student during an exam, quiz, or course assignment.

• "Lifting"
  Using the published or unpublished work of another without full and clear acknowledgement through proper citation format.
  Submitting an assignment or parts of an assignment written by someone other than yourself, including but not limited to, other students, commercial organizations, and electronic sources.

• Misrepresentation
  The substitution of another student/individual for completion of a course, or during the taking of a quiz, examination or other assignment.

• Unauthorized collaboration
  a) Sharing quiz or exam questions or answers with another student without the instructors permission.
  b) Copying another student’s papers, homework or any assignment without the instructor’s permission.
  c) Collaboratinfg with others on individual assignments without the instructor’s permission.

• Alteration or fabrication of data
  a) The submission of data not obtained by you during the course of research.
  b) The deceitful alteration of data obtained by you during the course of research.

• Duplication
  Submission of the same or similar paper in more than one course without the express permission of the instructor.

• Participation in or facilitation of dishonest academic activities, such as:
  a) Stealing quizzes or examinations.
  b) Alterating academic records, including grades.
  c) Sabotaging the work of another student.
  d) Distributing materials for the purpose of cheating.
  e) Altering, forging, or misusing university-related documents.
  f) Intentionally reporting a false violation of academic integrity.
  g) Offering a bribe to any university member in exchange for special consideration or favors.
  h) Misusing university resources, including library resources (print and electronic) and facilities, computer labs, university equipment and networks, etc.

In short, you have violated the Unversity's policy when you undertake any actions in the spirit of academic dishonesty for which the university’s policy on Academic Integrity might apply. If you have questions about what constitutes academic dishonesty, it is your responsibility to seek clarification from an instructor .