Photo: Justin Lubin / NBC.

I will measure your progress and success in Conflict and Dispute Resolution by using three forms of assessment:

• Participation for displaying your ongoing attempts to better understand and apply the course material presented in the readings and discussed during our class meetings,
• Twelve written preparations for organizing your thoughts about new course concepts and how to apply them during in-class negotiation simulations, and
• Nine short self-reflections connecting course concepts to your own experiences of conflict and negotiation.

I will be assessing your work using a form of specifications grading. According to this grading scheme, each of your negotiation preparations and self-reflections is marked as either Accepted or Incomplete, which is based on whether your submission satisfies a detailed list of criteria, or specifications. In addition, you have will the opportunity to use free passes to revise and resubmit an Incomplete self-reflection until it is Accepted.

Your final course grade will be based on the amount of your work that is Accepted by the end of the semester. I highly encourage you to look over the grading scheme for this course, which goes into a lot more detail about how I will calculate grades. As always, though, do not be a stranger—reach out to me if have questions about any of this!

Photo: Colleen Hayes / NBC.

36-Hour Grace Period

All self-reflection assignments have an automatic 36-hour grace period. This means that you are free to finish and submit any self-reflection up to 36 hours after its posted due date/time without penalty.

In short, all self-reflection assignments have an automatic 36-hour extension. Further extensions will require the use of a free pass and/or a reasonable accommodation.

Please keep in mind that the negotiation preparations do not qualify for a grace period. They must be submitted on time, so that you are prepared to participate in that day’s activity.

Late Assignments

Classes become quite overwhelming when deadlines are missed. In such situations, it is easy for work—and anxiety!—to pile up. This is why I expect that assignments are done on time.

That said, there may be times when you cannot get things done as expected. If that happens, do not panic! The 36-hour grace period and free passes are there to help. If the situation is truly extraordinary, then see me about a reasonable accommodation.