To begin writing sooner rather than later, you are required to hand in to the DUS and to your advisor ONE CHAPTER of your essay on the due-date in early FEBRUARY as specified in the senior essay calendar.
Failure to submit this chapter on time will lower your final grade for RLST 492b by a third of the grade. For example, if your first chapter was late and your essay received an A-minus, the resulting grade for RLST 491a/492b will be a B+. If you receive a grade of NSAT for RLST 491 and your chapter is submitted late, a grade of A-minus on the essay will be converted to a grade of B for the entire course. The final grade for RLST 491a cannot be changed – except in the case of an administrative error.
After you hand in the final version of your essay, the DUS will assign a second reader for your work. The second reader and your advisor together assign a grade for your senior essay. You will also receive a reader’s report by both readers. If the two readers are unable to agree on a grade the DUS will assign a third reader. The final grade for the essay will then be determined by the DUS based on the three reader’s reports. If the DUS is one of the readers, he or she will assign another faculty member (usually the chair of the department) to assign the grade for the essay.
The advisor or the DUS (upon receiving the readers’ reports) can also nominate your essay for prizes.