Grade Breakdown

• Attendance 10%
• Blackboard weekly forum 25%
• Class Discussions 25%
• Midterm Exam 20%
• Final Presentation 10%
• Final Paper 10%
• Final Grade (Total) 100%

Letter grades and their numerical equivalents for your final grade

• A: 95-100%,
• A-: 92-94%,
• B+: 89-91%,
• B: 85-88%,
• B-: 82-84%,
• C+: 79-81%,
• C: 74-78%,
• C-: 72-73%,
• D+: 66-71%,
• D: 63-65%,
• D-: 60-62%,
• F: -59 %,
• WU: Unofficial withdraw (≈F),
• W: Withdraw

Course Requirements

Attendance, Participation and Lateness

Attendance is mandatory. You are expected to actively participate in class.

You are permitted three absences throughout the semester without penalty. However, each additional absence will diminish your overall final grade by 2%.  At the instructor’s discretion, if you incur more than five absences total throughout the semester, you fail the class.

You are expected to arrive on time to class and to remain for the full duration of the class session.  Three late arrivals to class, or early departures, equal an absence.

Blackboard weekly forum:

Each week students will participate in a Blackboard forum in response to the reading assigned by the professor. The students will write a text in Spanish (300 words) and will publish it before class time on the due date.

Class discussion

All students will discuss in class the reading assigned. The students will answer the questions that the professor and the classmates have about their Blackboard post. The class discussion is expected to be an extended and more elaborated presentation of the ideas written in the Blackboard forum by the students.

Final Presentation

Students will present a topic (Latin American, Latinx or Spanish writer, literary movement, work, issue) following the MLA guidelines for oral presentations. The presentation will last 10 minutes. The use of visual support is required.

Final paper

Students will write a final paper addressing issues, authors or literary works discussed in class. Students will find their own topic, which may be discussed with the professor in advance. The final paper will consist of a critical analysis of the chosen topic. Students must follow MLA format. The paper will not exceed six pages.

Rubric for written texts (Blackboard weekly forum and Final paper) irregular

These guidelines have been adapted from grading rubrics available here.

Grading:	A Exceptional	B+/B/B- Acceptable	C+/C/C- Marginal	D+/D/D-/F Unacceptable
Thesis & Content	Information always relates to a clearly-stated main thesis Describes and evaluates many carefully-selected examples in support of the thesis.	Information almost always relates to the stated main thesis Describes some well-selected examples in support of the thesis.	Information regularly relates to the stated main thesis. Provides at least one example in support of the thesis.	Information sporadically relates to the main thesis or the thesis is not clearly stated Supporting examples do not relate to the thesis.
Organization	Information is very organized with well-constructed sentences and/or paragraphs Very smooth transitions throughout the answer.	Information is organized with well-constructed sentences and/or paragraphs Good transitions throughout most of the answer.	Information is organized, but paragraphs are not well-constructed. Poor transitions.	Information appears to be disorganized Little or no transitions used.
Vocabulary	Broad; precise and effective word use and choice.	Almost no erroneous word usage or choice, but if so meaning is not confused or obscured.	Some erroneous word use or choice leads to confused or obscured meaning; some literal translations.	Inadequate; repetitive; incorrect use of words; literal translations.
Grammar	Almost no (or none) grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.	Very few grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors, but  does not interfere with reading.	Some grammatical spelling, or punctuation errors; interferes somewhat with reading.	Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors; interferes with reading.
Use of sources	Paper shows evidence of the student’s having considered appropriate types and numbers of sources. Student carefully distinguishes between his/her own ideas and those of others. Paper provides the target reader with appropriate amount of background and contextual information.	Paper shows evidence of the student’s having considered appropriate types and numbers of sources. Student carefully distinguishes between his/her own ideas and those of others, BUT paper provides in inappropriate amount of background and contextual information.	Paper shows evidence of student’s having considered appropriate types and quantities of sources. Paper is inconsistent in distinguishing between student’s ideas and those of others, OR is inconsistent in providing appropriate amounts of background information.	Paper shows NO evidence of student’s having considered appropriate types and quantities of sources, OR paper does not distinguish between student’s ideas and those of others, OR paper gives too much or too little background information.
MLA format	Always follows MLA format (title page, page layout, font, spacing, citations, footnotes, and bibliography).	Almost always follows MLA format.	Often follows MLA format.	Only sometimes follows MLA format.

Rubric for Class discussion

These guidelines have been adapted from grading rubrics available here.

Grading:	A Exceptional	B+/B/B- Acceptable	C+/C/C- Marginal	D+/D/D-/F Unacceptable
Integration of reading and exercises into classroom discussions	Often cites from reading. Uses reading to support points. Often articulates fit of reading with topic at hand.	Occasionally cites from reading. Sometimes uses reading to support points. Occasionally articulates fit of reading with topic at hand.	Rarely able to cite from reading.  Rarely uses readings to support points. Rarely articulates fit of readings with topic at hand.	Unable to cite from readings. Unable to use reading to support points. Unable to articulate fit of readings with topic at hand.
Interaction and participation in classroom discussions	Always a willing participant. Responds frequently to questions. Routinely volunteers point of view.	Often a willing participant. Responds occasionally to questions. Occasionally volunteers point of view.	Rarely a willing participant. Rarely able to respond to questions. Rarely volunteers point of view.	Never a willing participant. Never able to respond to questions. Never volunteers point of view.
Demonstration of professional attitude and demeanor	Always demonstrates commitment through thorough preparation. Always arrives on time. Often solicits instructors’ perspectives outside class.	Rarely unprepared. Rarely arrives late. Occasionally solicits instructors’ perspectives outside class.	Often unprepared. Occasionally arrives late. Rarely solicits instructors’ perspectives outside class.	Rarely prepared. Often arrives late. Never solicits instructors’ perspectives outside class.

Rubric for Oral presentations

These guidelines have been adapted from grading rubrics available here.

Grading:	A Superior participation	B+/B/B- Good participation	C+/C/C- Uneven text	D+/D/D-/F Failing text
Content	Speaker provides an accurate and complete overview of the practicum experience and relates the competencies to the work completed at the practice site.	Occasionally cites from reading. Sometimes uses reading to support points. Occasionally articulates fit of reading with topic at hand.	Rarely able to cite from reading.  Rarely uses readings to support points. Rarely articulates fit of readings with topic at hand.	Unable to cite from readings. Unable to use reading to support points. Unable to articulate fit of readings with topic at hand.
Organization	Presentation is clear, logical, and organized. Listener can follow line of reasoning.	Presentation is generally clear and well organized. A few minor points may be confusing.	Listener can follow presentation only with effort. Some arguments are not clear. Organization seems haphazard.	Listener unable to follow presentation. Arguments are not clear. No evidence of organization in presentation.
Level of presentation	Level of presentation is appropriate for the audience. Presentation is paced for audience understanding. It is not a reading of a paper. Speaker is clearly comfortable in front of the group and can be heard by all.	Level of presentation is generally appropriate. Pacing is sometimes too fast or too slow. The presenter seems slightly uncomfortable at times, and the audience occasionally has trouble hearing him/her.	Aspects of presentation are too elementary or too sophisticated for audience. Much of the information is read. Presenter seems uncomfortable and can be heard only if listener is very attentive.	The entire presentation is too elementary or too sophisticated for audience. The information is read with limited or no eye contact with the audience. Presenter is uncomfortable and cannot be heard by listener.
Contact with audience/ Handling questions	Consistently clarifies, restates, and responds to questions. Summarizes when needed.	Generally responsive to audience comments, questions, and needs.	Misses some opportunities for interaction. Responds to questions inadequately.	Lack of interaction with audience. No questions are answered. No interpretation made.

Class Decorum

You may not leave the room for long periods during the class. You may not use your cellular phone in class except to consult course material or an online dictionary (no texting, phone calls, cell phone on silent), read material unrelated to the course, or eat during class. Always bring a hard copy of the readings unless otherwise indicated.

Academic Honesty

The use of online translation programs or the submission of work that is not your own constitutes cheating according to College policy and will result in a grade of zero for the given assignment and/or the course and possible referral to the Dean of Academic Affairs.  Except for quizzes and exams, you are permitted to use a dictionary or an online dictionary, as long as the work is your own. Any cited text, quotations, or ideas that are not your own but which you use in an assignment must be cited and recognized in a bibliography or bibliographic footnote.  Ideas or text that is not your own and whose source is not given credit constitute plagiarism and penalties will be applied. For more information, please refer to http://lehman.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2017-2019/Undergraduate-Bulletin/Academic-Services-and-Policies/Academic-Integrity.

Accommodating Disabilities

Lehman College is committed to providing access to all programs and curricula to all students.  Students with disabilities who may need classroom accommodations are encouraged to register with the Office of Student Disability Services.  For more information, please contact the Office of Student Disability Services, Shuster Hall, Room 238, phone number, 718-960-8441.  For detailed information on services and resources visit: http://www.lehman.edu/student-disability-services/ or email: [email protected].