By the end of this section of the class, we will have read Magdalena Kay’s “A New Course” and watched the movie College Inc. Both of these “texts” deal with the same topic: The changing field of higher education, the problems associated with those changes, and possible solutions to the problem. You will be writing your essay on a specific aspect of higher education, describing a problem and proposing a solution to that problem. etc. You must use information from Magdalena Kay’s article and you may use information from College Inc. as well.
Rather than writing your essay on higher education in general, you are going to want to narrow this topic down considerably. As I wrote above, pick one specific problem associated with higher education today (and, again, it must be a topic that Kay addresses in her article) and focus on that. Some suggestions are
The role of college today (pick one of the choices below):
Is it utilitarian (i.e. for purposes of getting a well-paying job)?
Is it for moral training?
Is it to make us informed citizens?
Is it simply edutainment?
Grade inflation
The Higher Education Act
Teacher evaluations and the role they play in hiring and promoting
Student debt
Financial literacy
Online learning (duh! 🙂 )
Now, several of the topics above are still too broad to address in a paper of this length, so you’ll need to narrow them down even more. You will also need to conduct more research for whichever topic you have selected.
This essay requires you to summarize, paraphrase, and quote directly from at least Kay’s article. If you wish to use the other class “text,” or outside research feel free to do so but know that you are limited to four texts in total. You are encouraged to do outside research for this essay to support your topic. Please use the Delta College library’s resources.
Since this is a persuasive essay, you will need to develop a thesis, and support your thesis using a well-reasoned argument. Don’t forget that the art of persuasion requires a careful crafting of one’s argument—an argument that keeps its reader (and his or her shaking head) in mind. Down the line, think too about your thesis’s significance: Why is it that what you are arguing and showing is important. Trust me, it is.
What this essay is not is one of those tired compare-and-contrast essays you’ve probably written a hundred times already. The majority of this essay should be comprised of your own ideas supported by research. You are using these texts as springboards for your own argument on this topic rather than relying on them to do the arguing for you.
This paper should be a minimum of 1500 words (not including words on your works cited page) of clear prose, typed, double spaced, ingeniously titled, and page numbered (!). Your essay is due Friday, May 10th.
Enjoy.
Assessment Rubric for Essay 3
Areas to be Assessed
Points Possible
Critical Thinking:The writer demonstrates a willingness to engage in a conversation with ideas and texts; takes risks; analyzes this issue at an academic level. 6
Use of Evidence: The writer chooses and provides meaningful evidence that supports the point being made; the writer uses sources ethically, giving credit where credit is due according to MLA standards for documentation. 6
Organization: The essay has good structure; all pieces (thesis, topic sentences, transitions between ideas) are in place so that a reader can follow easily. 6
Meets the Requirements of the Assignment: This paper meets all criteria on the assignment sheet (right number of sources—if applicable, right number of pages, stays on task). 5
Audience: The writer has considered the opinions of someone who may disagree with the case being made, speaking to that audience thoughtfully. 3
Presentation: The mechanics are clean; the writer gives attention to detail and has spent time polishing.
4
Total 30
A (27-30 points) – The “A” paper is outstanding. It demonstrates clear critical thinking by developing a well-thought out central idea and supporting it with logical evidence and a consistent point of view. Sources used are credible and academic, and they are thoroughly contextualized and integrated into the overall argument; quotations, summaries, and paraphrases are introduced using appropriate signal phrases and are analyzed and interpreted. Organization is logical with a clear thesis and topic sentences; the introduction is engaging and creative and the conclusion answers the “so what” question. The audience is thoughtfully considered. The paper meets all the requirements of the assignment. The paper is devoid of errors in sentence structure and grammar.
B (24-26.9 points) – The “B” paper is better than average. It explores the subject with some depth of critical thinking and presents a well-thought out central idea, which is supported with effective evidence and a consistent point of view. Sources used are credible and academic, and they are somewhat contextualized and integrated into the overall argument; quotations, summaries and paraphrases are usually introduced using appropriate signal phrases and are analyzed and interpreted. Organization is logical with a clear thesis, which is supported by logical evidence and is adequately developed. Also included are an engaging introduction and a conclusion that does more than simply summarize. The audience is thoughtfully considered. The paper meets all the requirements of the assignment. The paper shows few errors in sentence structure and grammar.
C (21-23.9 points) – The “C” paper acceptably explores the subject, but it lacks depth. The central idea is well thought out but isn’t well supported with logical evidence and lacks a consistent point of view. Some sources used are credible and academic, and they are somewhat contextualized and integrated into the overall argument; quotations, summaries, and paraphrases are usually introduced using appropriate signal phrases and are analyzed and interpreted, but the analysis and interpretation lacks a clear connection to the overall essay. Skeletal over-all organization is apparent, but the paper lacks details. The audience is somewhat thoughtfully considered. The paper meets most of the requirements of the assignment. The paper shows some errors in sentence structure and grammar.
D (18-20.9 points) – The “D” paper demonstrates below average effort. It does not acceptably explore the subject. The central idea is not well thought out, lacks evidence, and lacks a consistent point of view. Sources used may not be credible and academic, and they are not contextualized and integrated into the overall argument; quotations, summaries, and paraphrases are “dropped” into the paper without being introduced or interpreted. The organization is unclear; paragraphs may have more than one topic and lack topic sentences. The audience is not considered. The paper may fail to meet the requirements of the assignment. The paper shows major errors in sentence structure and grammar.
F (17.9 points and below) – The “F” paper is unacceptable. It does not acceptably explore the subject, lacks a thesis and clear organization, and the paragraphs are not developed. Sources used are not credible and academic, and they are not contextualized and integrated into the overall argument; quotations, summaries, and paraphrases are “dropped” into the paper without being introduced or interpreted. The audience is not considered. The paper fails to meet most of the requirements of the assignment. The major errors in sentence structure and grammar make the paper difficult to follow.
