WR 121 Final Essay Exam Policy

WR 121 Final Essay Exam Policy - Fall 2003

NOTE WELL: Attendance is required at the scheduled Wr 121 Final Exam, as published in the current COCC Class Schedule and WR 121 Course Plan. However, you may be able to arrange with the WR 121 instructor to take the final early if you meet criteria established by COCC policy.

The Writing faculty of the Humanities Department require Writing 121 students to demonstrate satisfactory college-level essay writing skills at the end of the term, tested by a two-hour in-class timed examination essay, because such skills are important to success in academic classes and professional careers. All students in Wr 121 courses are required to write the final exam essay on an assigned topic selected from several choices. Final exam essay topics will be distributed the week before finals so that students will have a chance to plan their final exam essay in advance. Grading and scoring criteria will be discussed further in class, and in-class essays completed earlier in the term will provide essential preparation for passing the final.

WR 121 Final Exam Essays will be scored on a four-point scale by two COCC Writing instructors: your regular Writing 121 instructor (i.e. Cora) and a second "outside evaluator" (that is, another COCC Writing instructor) to ensure objectivity in scoring. Each of the two evaluators must award the Final Exam Essay a passing score (3 or 4) for demonstrating satisfactory college-level essay writing skills. (Failing scores are 2 or 1.) Thus, a Wr 121 Final Exam Essay must earn a combined score from the two evaluators of 6 or higher to pass the WR 121 Final.

To summarize, there are 3 possible scenarios:

Students who pass the Final Essay Exam and have averaged a grade of "C" or higher on regular coursework will receive the course grade they have earned on regular coursework. Cora will award the Final Essay Exam a letter grade, in addition to the score, and if it is one of the two highest grades earned on students’ three in-class essays, it will count as 15% of the final course grade.
Students who fail the Wr 121 Final Exam Essay and have averaged a grade of "C" or higher on regular coursework will be given an "INCOMPLETE" in WR 121. These students should return to meet with Cora as soon as possible during the following term to discuss the Final Exam Essay and to arrange to retake and pass it so that Cora can change the Incomplete to the grade earned on regular coursework. COCC policy on "Incomplete" grades allows students one (1) year to retake and pass the Wr 121 Final Exam Essay, and have a grade change recorded on their permanent transcript. Otherwise, their final course grade in Wr 121 will be transcripted as a permanent "Incomplete" and students will have to retake the course to earn credit for WR 121.
Students who fail the Wr 121 Final Essay Exam and have averaged a grade LOWER than "C" on regular coursework will receive a grade of "F" in Wr 121 by departmental policy, and will be required to retake the course if they wish to earn passing credit for Wr 121.