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 following descriptions
has best matched your level of preparation, engagement,
and professionalism:
"A"
Level Performance
These students attend all classes except
those missed for legitimate reasons (illness,
university-sanctioned activities, or other unavoidable
circumstances that are communicated as soon as possible
to instructors); when they must miss a class, they make
arrangements to quickly complete any missed work. They
ask questions, listen carefully to the insights of other
students, and actively participate in most meetings.
Their body language and responsiveness demonstrate
consistent and full engagement, showing they are trying
to make the most of their time in a classroom setting.
They consistently take notes in class, putting in the
day-to-day work that is necessary to perform at a high
level when tests and papers are going to be assigned
weeks later. Their comments, questions, and references
to readings demonstrate that they typically are
completing homework assignments when they are scheduled.
On tests and papers, it is clear that A students are
putting their best effort into 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 to discussions, and when they do, their comments tend to be general, suggesting they have not reviewed any of the assigned materials before most classes. While they do not always show day-to-day preparation, they fully participate in class exercises and complete the required readings for designated discussion sessions. On tests and papers, their efforts to learn the material are evident, and their essay answers and papers indicate that they are completing most assigned homework.
"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. Their performance on assessments makes
it unclear whether they are completing most assignments
or putting in the time and effort expected for
college-level coursework (i.e., 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, early-term
professionalism grades, or Starfish flags—C-level students
take steps to address the issues and usually end up
earning at least B's in the course.
"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
comments, professionalism grades, or Starfish flags.
Students who are failing to meet the
minimum expectations for professionalism and engagement
are disengaged for extended periods in many or most
class meetings, making no effort to contribute or learn
during class meetings. Examples of this type of
disengagement include the frequent, prolonged use phones
or computers (or failing to use them in ways that adhere
to guidelines), frequently arriving well after class has
started, leaving the classroom for extended periods
without a valid reason, distracting peers during group
exercises, or showing on tests and exams that no effort
at all is being put into reviewing course
materials.
Demonstrating appropriate professional
life skills includes consistent attendance and timely
submission of assignments. Students who exceed the
maximum number of permissible absences or frequently
submit late assignments without explaining why work is
coming in late are demonstrating unprofessional
behavior. If there is a reason why classes or deadlines
must be missed, communicate those reasons to your
instructors.
Engaging in any serious act of academic
dishonesty (see your syllabus policies) will result in
an "F" grade for professionalism in addition to any
penalties related to the relevant assignment or
additional sanctions imposed by HPU's student honor
court.