Grading Policy
The final numeric grade will map to the final letter grade according to SUU's standard number to-letter grade conversion scheme. Final grades ending in .5 or higher are automatically rounded up to the nearest whole percentage point.
A: 94-100
A-: 90-93
B+: 87-89
B: 84-86
B-: 80-83
C+: 77-79
C: 74-76
C-: 70-73
D+: 67-69
D: 64-66
D-: 60-63
F: 0-59
The final course grade will be based on the following breakdown:
- Exams: 30% (2 at 15% each)
- Community Mapping Project: 25%
- Group Redistricting Project: 25%
- Preparedness: 10%
- Class Activities: 10%
Community Mapping Project
The Community Mapping Project asks you to create a Google map of your community as you define it with: (1) at least 7 major landmarks and institutions and (2) at least 7 important institutions and organizations at work in a political issue area of your choosing. Your map will include a minimum of 4 sentences caption and photo/graphic/video for each location you map along with a 1 sentence credit or explanation for each photo/graphic/video. This portion of the project is worth 25% of the final grade.
Further instructions will be given in class and on Canvas.
Group Redistricting Project
Students will be randomly assigned to groups of 5 – 6 after the add/drop period. This project will make use of Dave's Redistricting Application (DRA) (
LINK), a non-partisan and free digital resource used to redraw congressional district boundaries. Students will examine concepts like "gerrymandering", "fairness", population dynamics, institutions of representation and others.
The project is divided into two parts. The first part involves the group creating a "map portfolio" by submitting several maps using the DRA, including individual reports based on the maps they create. The map portfolio is worth 15% of the final grade.
The next part of the assignment is a presentation, where students will take on the rolls of advocacy or consultancy groups tasked with "pitching" a new drawing of district boundaries to the state legislature. Presentations will be roughly 10 minutes in length, and should be accurate, professional, and well-practiced. The presentation is worth 10% of the final grade. (Map Portfolio + Presentation = 25% of the final grade).
Students will be responsible for equal proportions of the project and will submit anonymous evaluations of the other group members to ensure each member has contributed their fair share. Final grades for the project will be weighted by the responses of your peers, based on your contributions to the project.
Preparedness
Preparedness will be graded based on the students’ performance during daily “RNG of Destiny” questions. Daily questions will be pulled from the reading for that day, and a set of randomly-selected students will need to answer these questions. Students are guaranteed full preparedness points unless they are called upon during the daily questions and either a) fail to answer the question acceptably, or b) are absent without a university-approved excuse. Some students may never be called upon to answer a question, some students may be randomly-selected multiple times. Therefore, each student must come prepared, having done the reading, or risk losing preparedness points. Preparedness is worth 10% of the final grade. Additional instructions will be provided in class.
Class Activities
There will be several class activities throughout the semester. These activities may consist of think-pair-share, 1-minute essays, civil debates, group discussions and others. Activities will be short and isolated to single classes. As these activities necessitate individual participation during class, no make-ups will be accepted (Excused university absences exempted).