E Mch 12: Grading Policies

Grading Policy
Each of three evening exams will count as 20% of grades (unexcused absences will be recorded as zero grade. Conflict exams must be petitioned, in writing, at least two weeks before exam)
Final exam will count 30% of grade
Problem solutions without FBD's or supporting documentation will receive a grade of zero. FBD's and MAD's must be neatly sketched with all relevant dimensions, forces, and couples shown
Appropriate choices of the interactive effects of bodies on each other, including static and dynamic friction for the FBD
Homework and recitation attendance will count 10% of the grade (only the eleven highest homework grades will "count")

Three exams @ 20% each = 60%
Final Exam @ 30% = 30%
Homework, Class Attendance = 10% (i.e., one grade level

On Grading Exams
The Engineering Science and Mechanics Faculty, in order to best serve our students, have generally chosen to offer partial-credit-grading in the semester and final exams in our fundamental Mechanics classes. It would of course be far easier for the faculty to employ machine graded "multiple-choice" exams. However, in the Mechanics courses (as well as in other engineering science courses) a student is expected to learn how to:
model the stated problem (Free Body Diagrams, Mass Acceleration Diagrams etc.)
know and be able to utilize the theory applicable (a) equations such as Newton's Laws, (b) "auxiliary conditions" (friction, kinematics, etc.)
properly transfer the appropriate mathematical operations (vector operations, integration, etc.)
utilize proper boundary conditions as necessary
clearly communicate solution method and obtain a correct answer

In such a process there are many opportunities for errors. Thus we have gnerally adopted "partial credit" exams to recognize that some portion(s) of a problem may have been carried out correctly even though the final student work is logically developed, with clear and well marked FBD's, with the appropriate fundamental and auxiliary equations prominently displayed, where the substitutions into the equations are quite clear, and the assumptions used are quite obvious to the grader when grading. That is, it is the student's responsibility to present his/her work so clearly that the grader can quickly ascertain the location and nature of the error(s) and can easily follow the subsequent work through to the now incorrect solution of the problem. Thus, the student's contribution, needed to obtain partial credit, is to be able to clearly lead the grader through the student's thought process on the exam page alone. If this is not quite clear on the work submitted, credit will not be given then nor later. Partial credit is simply not negotiable. Either your ideas werepresented sufficiently clearly on the exam to the grader who assigned partial credit or they were not. It is therefore in your best interest to practise clarity and completeness in your solutions when working your homework problems.