Student Manual (2012-2013 PDF) - Newberry College

If the paper satisfactorily meets the professor’s standards as measured by the Assessment Criteria, theprofessor will sign the CACP Writing Certification Record, indicating that the paper meets Level 2 certificationand will submit the form and the paper to the Office of the Registrar in Holland Hall.Please note that the process of completing papers for certification at Level 2 (or Level 3) is not directlyrelated to the final grade a student will receive in a given course. In other words, a student may satisfyLevel 2 (or Level 3) criteria with a particular paper and still perform poorly overall in a course. Or astudent may fail to meet Level 2 (or Level 3) criteria in a particular paper, yet perform relatively welloverall in the course. It is important to keep CACP performance and grading for a course in perspectiveto avoid confusion for both student and professor.Level 2: Writing Assessment CriteriaI. To be considered for Level 2 certification, a paper (report, term paper, or other written assignment)must be at least one typed page in length (most are three or more pages) and:A. Be submitted to a professor during the semester in which students are enrolled in the designatedcourse; furthermore, these papers must receive final approval during the semester the course is takenor, at the professor’s discretion, before Reading Day of the following semester;B. Be submitted in a format designated by the professor, including a draft or other evidence of prewriting;C. Be the original work of the student submitting it—no group-written papers;D. Bear the name of the student submitting it and the course for which it was submitted;E. Have a student-completed CACP Level 2 cover sheet (a copy of this form is attached to thisdocument; extra copies are available online at www.newberry.edu/academics/cacpprogram.asp,outside of McClurg 117 and McClurg 109 in the McClurg Center);F. Be completed by the end of the student’s sophomore year, except for transfer students whomust establish a timeline with their advisor and with the Director of CACP.Education students should check page 18 for specific Level 2 requirements.II. Criteria for assessing Level 2:A satisfactory Level 2 paper…Narrows a given subject to a manageable levelBefore a subject can be narrowed, it must be explored through initial research and “pre-writing”techniques. The final length of the paper, the number of library sources and amount of dataavailable, the kind of information available, and the student’s familiarity with the subject will allplay a part in determining the “manageable level” of a subject.Is written in an appropriate “discourse” and styleIn traditional rhetoric, the modes of discourse describe the primary purpose behind the writing.Generally, they are considered to be narration, exposition, and argumentation (Lindemann 18).This criterion simply requires that the paper be written in a form, style, and structure appropriatefor its purpose and audience. Also, see the Appendix on “Inclusive Language Guidelines” (page39).Address the topic clearly and directlyA common weakness in student writing is the tendency to write three or four opening paragraphsbefore finally addressing the topic. Make certain that your Level 2 project clearly identifies itstopic early in the paper, and sticks to that topic throughout.8