To the Student:
Becton College professors expect that you will submit work that has been written and proofread carefully.
In addition to helping you discover and clarify your ideas, clear writing helps your professor understand and evaluate your thinking more accurately. As you go through college, you will develop a portfolio of work that demonstrates that you have learned the writing skills necessary to communicate your ideas. For these reasons, the effort and attention you devote to your written assignments will help you succeed in your college and professional careers.
To do your best work and meet the standards for acceptable work, when you prepare the final
drafts of papers and written assignments you should: Using a computer spellcheck will not catch all errors, so it is always essential to proofread your
paper as a final step. Another reader can help you spot errors you have missed.
Professors will not accept or read work that does not meet these standards. They will return
your work without a grade and ask you to revise and resubmit it. If you continue to submit
unacceptable work, your professor will assign a lowered or failing grade.
If you cannot identify the problems in your papers when you receive them back, you should take
them to the Learning Center and request help. Learning Center tutors can help you learn to
identify and correct the problems that need to be addressed.
A copy of the Becton College Statement on Standards for Written Assignments can be found below.
The College's curriculum guidelines emphasize both the importance of setting high standards for
students and the value of written assignments in the process of learning. Therefore, the Writing
Committee of Becton College recommends that professors reinforce the goals and vision of these
guidelines in their responses to students' written work. Carefully prepared work will demonstrate that
students have the writing skills necessary for successful careers.
Students should be expected to write clearly and carefully. Their work should demonstrate concern
for the presentation of their ideas; they should revise and proofread assignments before submitting
them. Written assignments should be coherent, organized, and free of errors in grammar, spelling,
punctuation, and documentation. Typographical errors are unacceptable.
Therefore, professors should make it clear that they will not read work that does not meet these
standards. Unacceptable work will be returned immediately for revision and resubmission.
Later in the semester, professors may fail assignments without giving an opportunity for
resubmission.
Most students are capable of identifying and correcting errors in assignments that have been executed
in haste. Students who need additional help in recognizing errors or improving their writing should
be advised to go to the Learning Center. All students should be encouraged to find a peer editor or
ask a Learning Center tutor for help in proofreading.
8/21/96
Becton College Statement on Standards for Written Assignments