• Thorough, deep, and mature understanding.
• Genuine comprehension, insight, and synthesis.
• Significant mastery of challenging topics and issues.
• Extensive familiarity with relevant literature and previous work.
• Highly developed communication skills.
• Thorough preparation and extensive, thoughtful class participation.
• Integration of knowledge, concepts, and principles across disciplines.
• Originality of analysis and interpretation.
• Technical competence in skills and procedures.
• Precision of ideas and clarity of expression.
• Thinking that is independent, creative, and focused.
• Understanding of nuance and subtlety.
• Consistent coherence in argument and discussion.

• Analyze arguments using specific examples and original sources.
• Think logically, draw inferences, and make predictions in complicated situations.
• Communicate reasoning clearly and concisely.
• Think abstractly.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in arguments, policies, and practices.
• Integrate information to draw well-founded conclusions.
• Connect course content to issues of other courses and world affairs.
• Use models appropriately; recognize their strengths and accommodate their inherent limitations.
• Foresee and evaluate consequences of proposed policies and actions.
• Use technology creatively and effectively.

The grade of B recognizes work that meets course expectations and typically demonstrates, where applicable, many of the following characteristics:

• Clear understanding without much originality
• Competent grasp of course materials and subject matter
• Familiarity with relevant literature
• Competence in communication skills
• Regular preparation for and participation in class
• Integration of course knowledge, concepts and procedures
• Some evidence of critical and creative thought
• Clear connections between inferences and evidence
• Care in the use of evidence and quotations with only occasional thinness in argument, detail, or precision.

Students who receive the grade of B typically demonstrate, where applicable, the ability to:

• Extend ideas by connecting with personal experiences, reading, or world events.
• Analyze data in various forms and from varied sources.
• Utilize information to explain events, draw conclusions, and apply results.
• Present comprehensive answers in a clear and logically correct style.
• Understand and compare various models.
• Distinguish inputs from outputs, and causes from effects.
• Recognize consequences of complex interactions.
• Use technology effectively.

The grade of C recognizes work that is sufficient to prepare for continued study in the field and generally demonstrates, where applicable, some of the following characteristics:

• Adequate grasp of course concepts
• Partial mastery of knowledge and skills required for understanding
• Incomplete familiarity with relevant readings or references
• Writing that lists facts rather than develops well-reasoned arguments
• Frequent neglect of important information
• Partial appreciation of the meaning or implications of a question
• Answers that are insufficiently developed
• Minimally complete assignments with many areas for improvement.

Students who receive the grade of C generally demonstrate, where applicable, some ability to:

• Assimilate and communicate simple knowledge and procedures,
• Extend ideas by making simple inferences,
• Make connections among and draw conclusions from course concepts,
• Interpret simple information provided in various formats,
• Organize and display data in tables and graphs,
• Use technology competently.

The grade of D indicates a lack of readiness to continue in the field. Students’ work usually demonstrates, where applicable, some of the following characteristics:

• Minimal understanding of the subject matter.
• Poorly developed communication skills.
• Inability to apply subject matter understanding in other contexts.
• Little evidence of critical or creative thinking.
• Lack of apparent seriousness.
• Frequent carelessness in fulfilling assignments.

The grade of F indicates that course work is insufficient to merit academic credit. Students who receive an F usually demonstrate some of the following characteristics:

• Inadequate understanding of subject matter.
• Inadequate or inconsistent preparation.
• Frequent failure to complete assignments in a timely manner.
• Little evidence of critical thought.
• Very poor communication skills.
• Frequent misunderstanding of facts or references.
• Little or no analysis.
• Confused or incomprehensible writing.
• Little or no work offering evidence that course objectives have been met.