University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and SciencesUniversity of Colorado Denver

Composition Program Policies

Grading and Grade Complaints

The passing grade for both English 1020 and English 2030 is a C-. Instructors specifically state their grading policies in their syllabi, including the points or percentages for each paper and the role of smaller class assignments, homework, and participation.

Any student with a grade complaint should begin by contacting the instructor of the course to discuss the grade. If the student is unhappy with the response they receive from their instructor, the student can follow up with the Director of Composition, Dr. Amy Vidali, who – prior to meeting with the student – will ask the student for a written explanation of their complaint with proper evidence attached. The written explanation needs to include a formal, detailed account of why the course grade is inappropriate, as well as all first and final drafts of papers written for the course. Dr. Vidali will likely consult with the instructor before making a final decision on any grade changes. If the student disagrees with the decision, the student may then appeal the grade to the chair of the department.

Attendance Policy & Late Work

Regular attendance is crucial to success in a writing class. The Composition Program attendance policy dictates that a student may have four excused or unexcused absences. After four absences, each day missed results in a one-third reduction of the final course grade for each additional day missed (an A becomes an A-, a C- becomes a D+, etc.). Being late to class three times (more than five minutes late) is equivalent to one absence. Students are responsible to follow-up and find out what they missed when they are absent.

Instructors are not required to accept in-class assignments or homework that is late due to an unexcused absence. Similarly, unless previously arranged with the instructor, students may not submit work via email. Specific late policies for formal papers are clarified on instructors’ syllabi, and the instructor may levy her/his penalty on both first and final drafts of major assignments. Instructors are not required to accept late final papers or portfolios (as this can delay submitting grades for other students in a timely manner).

Academic Ethics

Students are expected to follow University Policies and the Student Code of Conduct. For information on what constitutes plagiarism, the Composition Program relies on the Academic Policies and Regulations section in the UCD course catalog.

The Composition Program’s procedures for handling plagiarism are based on the CLAS guidelines from the CLAS Faculty Guidebook. To summarize, if an instructor has evidence suggesting a student is guilty of plagiarism, the instructor will discuss the incident with the student before issuing any penalties. Next, the instructor will report the incident to the Director of Composition, who will provide support for the instructor in making her/his decision as necessary. Should the case move forward, a formal letter will be delivered to the student, the Chair of the English Department, and the Associate Dean of CLAS. The case will then be dealt with at the department level and/or by the CLAS Ethics Committee.

The penalty for plagiarism in English 1020 or English 2030 is failure of the course. The instructor may decide a lesser penalty is warranted, but the policy of the Composition Program is that any instance of plagiarism warrants a failing grade in the course. (If the instructor believes a harsher penalty is warranted, the case will be dealt with by the CLAS Ethics Committee.) As stated in the CLAS guidelines, students are not allowed to withdraw from the course after being charged with plagiarism.

Instructors are strongly encouraged to discuss plagiarism with their classes, and students are encouraged to voice their concerns if they are not clear as to what constitutes plagiarism.

AP, IB, and Course Equivalencies

Some students may be in a position to request credit for English 1020 and/or 2030 without taking the course. For English 1020, there are three ways a student might receive course equivalency:

  1. AP credit or CLEP credit. The student must receive a 4 or a 5 on either the AP Language or AP Literature Exam. If the student receives a 3, the student must also receive an A in the second semester of the high school AP course to receive credit for 1020. On the CLEP exam, the student must score in the 50th percentile on the Freshman College Composition exam. These policies are explained in the admissions/registration section of the course catalog.
  2. IB exam. The student must score a minimum of 4 on either the standard or higher exam to receive credit for 1020.
  3. An equivalent course. See “Course Equivalencies” below.

Course Equivalencies

A course taken at a regionally accredited institution of higher education may be accepted as an equivalent course to 1020 and/or 2030 if the course has similar course goals and the student performed well. (It should be noted that courses equivalencies for 2030 are less frequently granted.)

To see if a course is equivalent, begin by consulting with the Academic Success and Advising Center if you are undeclared, or with an advisor in your particular college if you have declared a major (a list of colleges at UCD is available by clicking here). It may be that there is an “automatic transfer” agreement between UCD and your school, which means that the course you took will automatically transfer. See the Colorado Statewide Transfer Course website for information about such courses in the state of Colorado.

If there is no transfer agreement between the school where the course was taken and UCD, the student may choose to meet with the Director of Composition or the Chair of the English Department to see if s/he can receive credit for the course they took elsewhere. To request such a meeting, please call the English Department (303.556.8304) and note that you are requesting a meeting regarding a course equivalency. The student must bring the following documents to the course equivalency meeting:

  1. A description of the course the student previously took, taken from the college or university catalog.
  2. An unofficial or official transcript indicating the grade received in the course at the previous institution.
  3. The syllabus for the course, if possible.
  4. Papers written in the course, if possible.

The decision to grant credit is at the discretion of the English Department advisors.

Incomplete Grades

The policy for incomplete grades is adapted from the CLAS and is in line with UCD policy (see http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/clas/syallbusReq.html). Incomplete grades (IW or IF) are not granted for low academic performance.To be eligible for an incomplete grade, students must:

  1. Successfully complete a minimum of 75% of the course
  2. Have special circumstances beyond their control that preclude them from attending class and completing graded assignments
  3. Make arrangements to complete missing assignments with the original instructor. Verification of special circumstances may be required.

Per Composition Program policy, completion of a CLAS Course Completion Agreement is advised. Incompletes cannot be awarded that stipulate: (1) a student may repeat the entire course, (2) repeat or replace existing grades, (3) allow the student an indeterminate period of time to complete a course, or (4) allow the student to repeat the course with a different instructor. The CLAS Course Completion Agreement is available from the CLAS Advising Office, NC 2024.