Quizzes will assess the student's reading comprehension, note-taking, critical thinking, and writing skills in the time-constrained classroom situation.

• logical organization that reflects a clear focus and solid content as defined by the assignment
• coherent, unified, and detailed paragraphs that support overall focus
• an appeal to a specific audience
• proper grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and usage
• varied sentence structure
• deliberate diction
• graceful and effective transitions
• other elements of style

Development and/or nurturing of soft skills

This can be described by the following excerpt taken from <http://hamilton.academia.edu/BonnieUrciuoli/Papers/977570/2008_Skills_and_selves_in_the_new_workplace>:

A soft skill refers to the cluster of personality traits, social graces, facility with language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark each of us to varying degrees. Persons who rank high in this cluster, with good soft skills, are generally the people that most employers want to hire.… as one employer put it in a recent report, Hard Work and Soft Skills, "…We need you to teach them how to show up on time, how to work in teams, and how to take supervision." [Menochelli 2006]

• 20% point exegeses:  4 @ 250 words min. (revision of Point Exegesis 1 counts as one)
• 5% oral presentation of first draft of paper
  
• 20% first draft of paper (750 words min.)
  
• 5% oral presentation of second draft of paper
  
• 20% second draft of paper (750 words min.)
  
• 30% quizzes (1/3 on reading, 1/3 on class activities, 1/3 timeline)

• There is no extra credit.  Late assignments will result in a lowering of the grade or may not be graded at   all (resulting in a grade of 0) at the discretion of the instructor.  All assignments are to be uploaded to the web as explained in class or they will be considered late.

• At the discretion of the instructor, any grade may be lowered or raised according to classroom demeanor.

• Each student is expected to abide by the Bethany College Policy on Academic Honesty (see College Catalogue section on Academic Honesty).  Incidents of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade for the relevant graded activity.
  
  
• Should a student fail to satisfactorily complete First Year Seminar during the first semester of academic year, she or he must take a make-up seminar during May Term. Students must do this because satisfactory completion of First Year Seminar is a requirement for graduation and must be met before a student can enroll for the sophomore year.  The seminar topic and instructor will be announced second semester, should such a seminar be needed.  There will be only one seminar (no choice of topic). The course must be taken on campus. Students will have to take a second J-term at the time and choosing of the college.

• No final grades will be given out to anyone including graduating/comping seniors.  You will get grades from the registrar.  This is irrevocable and without exception.  Don't even ask.

• All electronic devices are to be turned off and kept out of sight while in the classroom or you will be asked to leave.

• Before I will consider providing a reference or recommendation, you

1.   Must always address me as Professor Collaros
   
2.   Must have taken at least two classes with me, one of which must be an academic
3.   Must have received an A or B in all courses taken with me
4.   Waive right to see said reference or recommendation

• In compliance with the Bethany College policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that may be required for students with disabilities. Requests for academic accommodations are to be made during the first three weeks of the semester, except for unusual circumstances, so arrangements can be made.