Grading is based on four criteria, for a total of 140 points, described below:

1. Individual Historical Research = 20 points

I want each student in this class to have some basic experience doing historical research. This project should be short, it should take *at most* five hours, and will give you an idea of how archives work, the complexities in digitizing them, and the issues involved in providing access to digitial representations of their collections. This project will be due February 25. There are three parts to this project:

1. Choose a building from the list provided
2. Go to the Austin History Center and
   1. use their collection to generate a written report (500 words MAXIMUM) on the history of that building,
   2. with photocopies of primary documents you consulted (they are 20 cents per copy, and you don't need change)
   3. Go to the site of the building and take a digital photograph of that building (if it still exists)
   4. We will make a myGoogleMaps instance, with everyone's report and photographs on the map.
3. Write another, shorter essay (500 words MAXIMUM) on what you learned from this process.
   1. How doing primary document research is different from what you expected, or are used to;
   2. How this experience has changed or augmented your ideas about digitization of archival material;
   3. How this experience has effected your ideas about providing access to these kinds of collections.

2. Group Project - Grant Writing = 50 Points

• Proposal DUE September 11 (5 points)

  The Final Project Proposal requires you to do the following:

  • contact an outside institution that has agreed to work with you (that needs some help writing digitization grants) - Let me know what that institution is
  • write a brief, one page description (approximately 300-500 words) detailing the scope of this grant application (what agency you'll be applying to, what work you expect to do for the institution, etc.)

• Narrative / Budget / Timeline - DUE December 5 (35 points)

• Presentation - DUE December 8 (10 points)
  
  Grades will be given to the group. On the last class, I will also hand out an anonymous grading sheet for individual group members, where you will be asked to identify your group and all members (including yourself) and tell me what grade you believe your fellow group members deserve. If multiple members of your group believe that one person in the group should receive a lower grade than everyone else in the group, that will be taken into consideration when I am deciding on final grades for this project.
  

IMLS National Leadership Grants: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nationalLeadership.shtm

3. Class Participation = 50 Points

Discussion in Class :: 10 points each for the 5 classes marked [DISCUSSION] (October 23, October 30, November 6, November 13, and November 20 (two discussions)),

• For each of these classes, please come to class with at least three question / issues related to the readings you'd be interested in discussing. Please bring a copy to turn in at the start of class. These questions, and your participation in those classes will be worth 10 points a piece, or 50 points total.
• These discussion classes are opportunities to discuss the readings in a relaxed atmosphere about major issues our field is facing because of digitization. It is important to participate in these classes. I have devised two methods of generating grades for these classes:
  1. Students may either discuss these readings with their colleagues in class for the 10 points; or
  2. Students can discuss these readings with the professor, one-on-one, via a 5 page paper with APA style citations, turned in the Monday following class at 9AM. This paper must be assigned (I will not accept papers from people who simply do not want to talk), and it will be worth 10 points.
  3. Passing the class is dependent on successfully completing these assignments.
• Students must complete one of these two options to pass this class.
  • If a student happens to miss class on discussion days, an official "proof of absence" (from a doctor, insurance agency, whatever) must be provided before that student will be able to write the paper and receive a full credit for the missed class.
  • If a student has a prior commitment (for job, study, or family related purposes), that student should let the professor know as soon as possible, so alternative grading can be planned. Typically, I will let the student write the paper.
  • Absences from these "discussion" classes with no official excuse will cause their course grade to fall a full letter grade. Students who miss class, or miss a substantial portion of the class, with no official excuse, will not be able to turn in their questions for partial credit.

4. Blogging = 20 Points (2 points per blog entry, 10 blog entries throughout the course of the semester)

• Weekly blogging :: See Blogging Objectives for what I expect from a blog entry (blog 10 out of 15 weeks; 2 points per blog entry = 1 point for posting the blog entry before 5PM on Wednesday before class, 1 point for adressing the relevant issues)

Grading Ranges:

A = 140 - 126 points

B = 125.9 - 112 points

C = 111.9 - 98 points

D = 97.9 - 84 points

F = Less than 84 points