Thursday

Course Requirements



Presentation

All the work you hand in should adhere to the following guidelines:
  • 1½ or double-spaced text.
  • 12 or 14-point type: smaller or larger is unacceptable.
  • In a file format readable by turnitin, the online plagiarism detection software: this excludes the use of pdfs or word processing programmes other than MSWord or (at a pinch) rtf: Rich Text Format).
All assignments should also be submitted through Stream by the due dates listed on the Course Timetable page on this website. You are allowed to submit more than one file for each of the three assignments, but not for the close reading exercise.

Internal students should also submit hardcopies either in the Assignment slot on level 2 of the Atrium building, or directly to your lecturer during the workshop.


Marking

You will be graded not on the quality of the experience or feelings you describe in your writing (whether poetry or prose), but on:
  • how well it meets the assignment requirements
  • how effective it is as a piece of writing.
  • the cogency with which you communicate the ideas that lie behind your work.
Presentation and grammar are also very important. Hastily thrown-together, sloppily formatted work is unlikely to achieve a good grade.

Grading of creative work can be particularly sensitive. If you disagree with a mark, I suggest that you wait for a few days before talking to us about it. Give yourself that much time to reread and reflect on the grade and the comments. If you still have a query or complaint after that, you should certainly get in touch with your marker.


Late Assignments

All work is due in workshops on the dates given in the Course Timetable.

Late work, without an extension, will incur a penalty of two percentage marks per day.

If it is more than one week late, your marker may refuse to accept or grade it. It will receive no comments if it is more than a week late without prior arrangement.


Extensions

If you want an extension, you must ask for one before the assignment is due. They will be given sparingly, in cases of bereavement, illness or family crisis. You will be asked to provide medical certificates for illness.


Word Limits

You are permitted a standard variation of 10% on either side of the assignment word limits (listed on the Assignments page on this website). This means (for instance) that a 1000-word assignment can fall between 900 and 1100 words without penalty: anything either below or above those figures will, however, be penalised.


E-mail Communication

Discussion of course-related topics should be confined to the online forums. You should use email only:
  • to request an extension on an assignment.
    NB: This may or may not be granted. You are not guaranteed a favourable response.

  • to explain an absence from class, or any other adverse circumstances which are preventing you from concentrating on your studies.
    NB: You should be prepared to provide a medical certificate if it is health-related. If in doubt, however, it’s always best to let us know about any unforeseen difficulties you are experiencing.

Plagiarism

We take plagiarism extremely seriously. If you take all or part of someone else’s work without acknowledgement and present it as your own, you can expect to receive – at the very least – a zero grade for that assignment.

Depending on the seriousness of the offence, you may also face failure in the course as a whole.

If in doubt, check. Not only your words, but also the plots and ideas you employ must be your own unaided work.



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