Course Grading Scheme for Lanfranco's ECON1000 C - Fall 2008

NOTE:  Some students have asked if I "Bell" the grades in the course. The answer is NO.

I adjusted the midterm grades up a bit since the midterm exam was harder than planned. In such cases I adjusted all grades UPWARD by the same number of points.

"Belling" grades is a technique whereby both the average grade (Mean) and the distribution around that mean grade are adjusted to get a pre-determined percentage of grades in the A+, A, B+, B, C+, C, D+, D, E, & F, ranges. I do not do that.

ECON1000 C (Fall 2008) will be graded base on your performance on the MIDTERM and the FINAL EXAM.

The MIDTERM will consist of 45 multiple-choice questions and the FINAL will consist of 75 50 TO 60 multiple choice questions.

Your performance on the TWO exams will be used in  TWO final grade calculations as follows:

Formula 1:  40% x MIDTERM EXAM + 60% x FINAL EXAM = COURSE GRADE

Formula 2:  10% x MIDTERM EXAM + 90% x FINAL EXAM = COURSE GRADE

Formula 3:  60% x MIDTERM EXAM + 40% x FINAL EXAM = COURSE GRADE

You will receive the higher of the TWO grades.

The rationale behind this grading scheme is as follows. Many of you are first year students and the midterm may well be one of your first university level exams, and may be your first encounter with multiple-choice exams. If you do well on the midterm and it is higher than your final exam grade, it contributes a lot to your course grade. However, if you do badly on the midterm, you can save yourself by doing better (well) on the final since then the midterm only counts 10% toward your final exam. Formula 3 is one feature that has been added to compensate for the effects of the strike.