I assess participation and
professionalism at multiple points during the semester,
adjusting grades to reflect your overall performance
throughout the term. Your final course grade in this
area will reflect which of the descriptions has best
matched your level of preparation, engagement, and
professionalism:
"A"
Level Performance
These students attend classes except
those missed for legitimate reasons (illness,
university-sanctioned activities, or other unavoidable
circumstances that are communicated to instructors as
soon as possible). When they must miss a class, they
make arrangements to complete any missed work promptly.
They ask questions, listen carefully to the insights of
other students, and actively participate in meetings.
Their body language and responsiveness demonstrate
consistent, full engagement and show that they are
trying to make the most of their time in the classroom.
They consistently take notes in class, putting in the
day-to-day work necessary to perform at a high level
when tests and papers are assigned weeks later. Their
comments, questions, work on minor assignments, and
references to the readings demonstrate they typically
complete homework assignments with care and effort. On
tests, papers, and minor assignments, it is clear that A
students put forth their best effort in the course.
"B" Level Performance
These students attend all classes and actively engage in seminar discussions. They consistently demonstrate attentive listening, with body language and note-taking that reflect full participation. However, unlike “A” students, “B” students rarely refer to their reading notes or contribute detailed comments to discussions. When they do contribute, their remarks tend to be general, suggesting they have not reviewed the assigned materials before most classes. While they do not always show consistent day-to-day preparation, these students fully participate in class exercises, put care and effort into doing quizzes and participation assignments, and complete the required readings for any designated discussion sessions. On tests, papers, and minor assignments, their efforts to learn the course and homework material are evident. Specifically, their essay answers, quiz results, and the content, analysis, and citations in their papers indicate that they are completing at least most of the course's assigned work with care and effort.
"C"
Level Performance
These students demonstrate a lack of full
engagement in multiple ways. They show little to no
evidence of advance preparation for seminars, and their
behavior in class suggests they attend primarily to meet
attendance requirements or passively absorb lecture
content for tests. They may have have frequent,
unexplained absences, and they do not take notes in most
classes, despite the fact they they will be expected to
be able to define, explain, and apply concepts on exams
or assignments that are weeks away.
While C students are respectful to peers
and the instructor, their body language, minimal
note-taking, and limited professional interaction
indicate low engagement in daily classwork. Their test
and paper performance suggests that perhaps the only
work the student is doing in the course is attending
class and perhaps skimming some of the reading homework
in order to complete required minor assignments. Their
class behavior, test performance, and effort put into
reading quizzes and other assessments makes it unclear
whether they are committing the time and dedication
expected for college-level coursework (i.e., committing
a couple of hours of preparation outside of class for
each hour the student is in class).
When their instructor highlights
concerns—whether in feedback on assignments, comments,
professionalism grades, or Starfish flags—C-level
students take steps to address the issues and usually
end up earning at least B's in their professionalism and
engagement grade for the course due to improvement over
time.
"D"
and "F" Level Performance
These students often engage in behaviors that are inappropriate in a professional work environment. For “F” students, these behaviors persist despite repeated instructor feedback in written comments, professionalism grades, or Starfish flags.
Students who fail to meet minimum expectations for professionalism and engagement are disengaged for extended periods during many or most class meetings, making little or no effort to contribute or learn. Examples of this disengagement include the frequent, prolonged use of phones or computers (or using them in ways that do not adhere to class guidelines), regularly arriving well after class has begun, leaving the classroom for extended periods without a valid reason, distracting peers during group exercises, or demonstrating on tests and exams that no meaningful effort has been made to review course materials.
Demonstrating appropriate professional skills includes consistent attendance and the timely submission of assignments completed as directed. Students who exceed the maximum number of permissible absences or frequently submit late work without explanation are engaging in unprofessional behavior. If there is a legitimate reason for missing classes or deadlines, students are expected to communicate those circumstances to their instructors. Those who substantially exceed the permitted number of absences or fail to submit required assignments after multiple reminders can expect to earn a D or lower for professionalism, indicating that their behavior does not meet the college’s minimum expectations for academic success. Students facing unavoidable circumstances that prevent them from attending class, reviewing missed material, or submitting work on time should proactively consult with their instructors for guidance.
Engaging in any serious act of academic dishonesty (see the syllabus policies) will result in an “F” grade for professionalism, in addition to any penalties associated with the assignment and any further sanctions imposed by HPU’s student honor court.