Grade – Union University of California

Grading

At Union University of California, grading is accomplished by the faculty members or qualified graders using a combination of objective multiple choice questions and subjective evaluation of essays, term papers and other assessments for student homework and examinations. Instructors rate student achievement on content, accuracy, organization, presentation, analysis, promptness of submissions and overall quality.

Grading Rubrics

A grading rubric is a tool utilized by faculty to identify standards and criteria when grading assignments. To ensure consistency in grading, faculty are asked to utilize the rubric below when evaluating student assignments and discussion question forums. Rubrics give students a way to see what components are needed to successfully obtain the optimal grade on the assignment or class discussion participation. It also standardizes the criteria needed to complete the assignment so that instructors can actually show students what they hit and/or missed in their submitted work. However, a copy of the rubrics will be included in each course syllabus since the guidelines may be modified by the course developer to meet the needs of each specific class and degree level program.

Written Communication Skills Assessment Rubric

Organization 8 points	Is organized effectively around a clear central purpose orthesis.	Is organized adequately around a central purpose or thesis.	Is organized in a limited way and occasionally moves away from the central purpose.	Is organized in a limited way or fails to be organized atall.	Out of 8 points
Organization 8 points	8 points	7 points	5-6 points	0-4 points	Out of 8 points
Development/ Content 40 points	Outstanding evidence and explanation in support of each claim. Analysis is thought- provoking and original. Shows inferential thinking with maturity of thought.	A thorough analysis that goes beyond the obvious. Convincing evidence and explanation in support of each claim. Shows inferential thinking.	Clear attempts to explain the thinking that links the evidence to eachclaim. Appropriate evidence in support of claims in each body paragraph.	Confusing or inadequate evidence or lack ofevidence. Lack of explanation or confusing explanations that link evidence to claims. No inferential thinking.	Out of 40 points
Development/ Content 40 points	36-40 points	31-35 points	21-30 points	0-20 points	Out of 40 points
Research-Quality 20 points	Facts, quotes, and paraphrasing from reliable sources. Included research from subject-matter experts.	Facts, conclusions, and opinions from reliable sources.	A mixture of facts from reputable sources and opinions from unreliable sources.	No evidence of research or information taken from unreliable sources.	Out of 20 points
Research-Quality 20 points	18-20 points	16-17 points	11-15 points	0-10 points	Out of 20 points

Language 8 points	Precise and clear use of language. Smooth, fluid, readable,style. Careful choice oftone.	Specific and clear use oflanguage. Readable and confidentstyle. Appropriate tone.	Correct and clear use of language. Style is clear but inconsistent and sometimes vague. Tone is acceptable.	Unclear, incoherent use oflanguage. Style seems inappropriate foraudience. Inappropriate tone.	Out of 8 points
Language 8 points	8 points	7 points	5-6 points	0-4 points	Out of 8 points
Grammar/ Format 8 points	No grammar or punctuation errorsexist. Sentences are varied and strong Perfect format according to Turabian requirement.	No distracting patterns of error Sentences clear, correct, and varied Essay conforms to required format with 1 or 2 errors.	Few distracting patterns of error. Essay conforms to required format with minorerrors.	Grammar is sloppy with numerous surfaceerrors. Does not conform to requiredformat.	Out of 8 points
Grammar/ Format 8 points	8 points	7 points	5-6 points	0-4 points	Out of 8 points
Comments:					Out of 100 points

Discussion Rubric

Participation is measured by quantity and quality of posting in discussion forums. A minimum of three postings is required: one new thread and two reflective responses to other students’ postings. Students will be graded in a 0 to 100 scale as follows:

Quantity criterion (3 posting) is met orexceeded
New thread is at least half-page (200 words) and sources are cited (it may be Internetsources)
Answers are timely within the specified duration of themodule
Answers respond adequately to the content or question asked in theforum
Make connections to the course content and/or otherexperiences
Are written correctly in English, observing paragraph construction and punctuationrules.

level postings (80- 89points):

Quantity criterion (3 posting) ismet
New thread is shorter than half-page (200 words) and sources are cited (it may be Internetsources)
Answers are timely within the specified duration of themodule
Answers respond to the content or question asked in the forum but some detail ismissing
Connections to the course content and/or other experiences are not wellelaborated
AnswersaremostlyincorrectEnglish,buttherearesomeflawsinparagraphconstructionorpunctuation.

level postings (70-79points):

Quantity is 2 posting atleast
New thread is shorter than half-page (200 words) and sources notcited
Answers are usually, but not always, made in a timelyfashion
Answers are generally accurate, but the information delivered islimited
Make vague or incomplete connections between class content and posting by otherstudents
AnswersaremostlyincorrectEnglish,buttherearesomeflawsinparagraphconstructionorpunctuation.

level postings(60-69):

Participated onlyonce
New thread is missing or much shorter than half-page (200 words) and sources notcited
Response was nottimely
Answer was superficial, repetitive of question enunciation or what otherssaid
No effort was made to connect answer with coursecontent
Answer has more than two flaws concerning spelling, grammar, paragraph construction orpunctuation.

F Discussion (0 points).

No participation in discussion forum,or
Participant was rude to other participants,or
Response was copied from other participant or somewhere else,or
Participant failed to meet the basic criteria for the“D-level”.

GRADING SCALE

UUC awards letter grades with corresponding grade points. Note that I, W, and AU grades do not earn any grade points, nor are they averaged into a student’s cumulative GPA. Passing grades are A, B, or C unless otherwise specified in the course descriptions or program requirements.

The following table is UUC’s grading scale:

Grade	Description	Scale	Grade points
A+	Excellent	98-100	4.0
A	”	94-97	4.0
A-	”	90-93	3.7
B+	Very Good	87-89	3.3
B	Good	84-86	3.0
B-	”	80-83	2.7
C+	Above Average	77-79	2.3
C	Average	74-76	2.0
C-	”	70-73	1.7
F	Failure	Below 70	0.0
I	Incomplete		NCR
W	Withdrawal		NCR
WF	Withdrawal Failing		0.0
AU	Audit (No Credit)		NCR

Students are advised to check their academic records online periodically and immediately inform the Registrar of any discrepancies. Students may secure a copy of official transcript from the Registrar’s office.