This is the couch that Freud used in his own psychoanalysis practice. It is in his house in London, now a museum.

Essay Grading Rubric

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE UPPER DIVISION GRADING STANDARDS – Collegiate Seminar Program
C essays are competent, with no serious deficiencies. B essays are strong in most areas.A essays excel in all areas.D essays are seriously deficient in one or more areas.
Thesis or Central QuestionThe essay makes a claim based on a plausible interpretation of a text, a claim that is clear and that shows a reasonable understanding of a question or topic. The essay makes a thoughtful claim based on careful observation and interpretation of a text, a claim that shows a solid understanding of a question or topic with some purpose or significance. The essay makes an insightful claim based on a close observation and illuminating interpretation of a text with a clearly articulated purpose or significance. The claim shows a deep, clear, precise, complex, refined understanding of a relevant question or topic. The essay may lack a clear thesis or central question. It may offer mainly uncontestable observations rather than arguable claims, or show only a superficial, confused, vague, simplistic or crude understanding of the text.
Reading and Use of the TextThe essay uses relevant quotes, references, and/or paraphrases to articulate a reasonable understanding of a text. Some quotes are adequately explicated or analyzed, though the essay may rely on summary, or focus on surface-level meanings or obvious features of the text The essay uses apt quotations, references, and/or paraphrases to articulate a thorough understanding of a text. It carefully explicates the meanings of the text and/or carefully analyzes its language, story, or argument. The essay skillfully uses a variety of significant, wellplaced, fully integrated quotations, references, and/or paraphrases to illuminate a text through insightful explication of its meanings and incisive analysis of its language, story, or argument. The essay may include too few quotations to convincingly make its point, or focus only on surface level meanings or the most obvious features of the text’s language, story, or argument. It may consist mostly of summary, with little or no analysis or explication.
Argument and DevelopmentThe essay gives reasons for its thesis, or support for its perspective, though limited evidence is presented. It shows some awareness of other views or opposing arguments, but its take on them may be simplistic, undeveloped, and/or reductive. It uses common concepts in a competent but uncritical way and offers few examples. The essay gives cogent reasons for its thesis, or support for its perspective, by using evidence that sufficiently supports its claims. It develops and addresses at least one potential objection or other perspective. It explicates common concepts and uses clear examples to illustrate key points. The essay gives compelling reasons for its thesis, or support for its perspective, by gathering sufficient evidence and interpreting it in a convincing way. It addresses possible objections, explores the strengths and limits of other perspectives, explicates and criticizes common concepts, and uses clear examples or counterexamples to make its points. The essay may fall short in providing reasons for its thesis. It may use inadequate evidence (e.g. irrelevant quotations, misleading summaries, inaccurate paraphrases) or fallacious reasoning. It may be one-sided, misuse common concepts, or consist only of abstract generalizations lacking any specific, concrete examples.
Structure and OrganizationThe essay is organized around a thesis or central question, but the succession of paragraphs may be abrupt or wandering. Some paragraphs lack coherence or a topic sentence. Transitions may be clunky but understandable. The essay’s elements are mostly related to its central claim. The essay clearly introduces a thesis or question; it lays out the argument in a series of focused and unified paragraphs; transitions between sections are clear and smooth; it is generally coherent.The essay introduces a thesis or question in a concise and engaging way; it lays out the argument in a coherent sequence of focused and unified paragraphs; it cogently articulates the relation between different sections through clear and graceful transitions; it only includes material necessary to support its central claim.The essay may lack a clear structure. Paragraphs may not be internally coherent. Transitions may be awkward or nonexistent. There may be little discernible structure unifying and interrelating the essay’s various parts. It may ramble through points only tangentially related to its central claim.
Language, Style, and SyntaxThe language of the essay is competent, in that it gets its point across, though its diction may be vague, imprecise, or inappropriate. Sentences are readable, though their structure may be simplistic. It makes limited use of a few rhetorical structures and modes of discourse. The essay has a clear voice, standard phrasing, and a sense of rhythm. Its diction is mostly clear, though some words may be vague or imprecise. Sentences are fluent, easy to read, and of various lengths and structures. It uses some rhetorical structures and modes of discourse to good effect. The essay has a distinctive voice, and eloquent phrasing and rhythm. Its diction is thoughtful and precise. Its syntax is fluent and readable. Sentences are carefully composed and strategically varied in length and structure. The essay deftly uses a variety of rhetorical structures and modes of discourse to engage its readers and make its points. The language of the essay may not be consistently fluent and clear. Its diction may be too vague or imprecise to convey clear ideas. Its syntax may be awkward or ambiguous. Sentence structures may be monotonous or difficult to read. Its use of rhetorical structures and modes of discourse may be awkward or inappropriate.
MechanicsMechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, and documentation) are generally adequate; some proofreading may be evident, though the writing may exhibit a few recurring errors. The essay is nearly free of mechanical errors: there may be occasional, minor problems with grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, formatting, and/or documentation. The essay is free of mechanical errors: grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, formatting, and documentation are all impeccably correct. The essay may have mechanical errors that seriously affect its readability: grammatical errors such as subject/verb disagreements; inappropriate shifts in tense, voice, mood, or person; mistakes in spelling, punctuation, or formatting; and/or improper documentation.
The F Essay is seriously deficient. It may exhibit a poor grasp of the assignment or a lack of familiarity with assigned texts. It may be deficient in one or more of the following areas: purpose, organization and development, language, and mechanics. It may lack a clear thesis or fail to support its thesis. Other common features of failing essays are faulty logic, ineffective organization, incoherent paragraphs, misreadings, incorrect diction, or so many syntactic and grammatical errors that the essay becomes unreadable.