School of Business Writing Rubric (approved by School of Business Curriculum Committee, May, 2008)

Development and Purpose

Clearly communicates purpose

Mostly communicates purpose
Vaguely communicates purpose
Mostly fails to communica
Clearly identifies and fully develops

all
ideas/themes
Identifies and develops main ideas/themes,

Does
but not
mayidentify
lack clarity
or develop
or depth
some
main
ideas/themes
Does not identify or develo
Establishes and maintains clear focus
Establishes focus but not fully maintained

Focus is vague and not fully maintained

Mostly fails to establish an

Clearly and consistently organizes

ideas
Consistently organizes ideas, but
structure
Frequently
may be formulaic
does notororganize
unsophisticated
ideas;

structure
Doesisnot
formulaic
organize
or ideas
unsoph
Effectively structures and orders paragraphs
For the most part effectively structures

and
Often
orders
does
paragraphs
not structure or order
paragraphs
For the most part, does no
Links ideas with smooth and effective

transitions
For the most part, effectively links
ideas
but
Links
transitions
some ideas,
may be
butunclear
transitions
orineffective
are
missing
Does
ornot
unclear
link ideas

Uses sophisticated and varied sentence

structure
Uses effective and varied sentence

structure
Uses little variety in sentence structure;

some
Usessyntax
no variety
errors
in may
sentenc
be
Uses vocabulary and style that appropriate
Uses
to the
vocabulary
audienceand style that are mostly
Uses
appropriate
vocabulary
to the
oraudience;
style that are
some
frequently
words
Uses
may
inappropriate
vocabulary
be used incorrectly
toorthe
style
aud
t

Weight__________________
Organization

Weight__________________
Style

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Uses credible sources

Research/data information and integration

Mostly uses credible sources

Uses some credible sources
Does not use credible sou
Integrates source material and data

seamlessly
Integrates
into most
body source
of text material and
data Includes
into bodybut
of text
does not integrate source
material
Does not
anduse
datasource
into body
mateo
Incorporates sophisticated visual
aidsthatEffectively
enhance understanding
incorporates appropriate

visual
Incorporates
aids
some appropriate visualaidsFails to incorporate appro
Appropriately cites and documents
references
Mostly
and
cites
sources
and documents references

and
Occasionally
sources cites and documents
references
Failsand
to cite
sources
and documen

Identifies and describes appropriate

business
Identifies
concepts
and describes some appropriate

Identifies
businessorconcepts
describes some appropriate

business
Fails to identify
concepts
or describ
Demonstrates creative and innovative

thought
Provides some creative or innovative

thought
Mainly lacks creative or innovative
thought
Fails to demonstrate creat
Uses appropriate balance of outside

sources
Achieves
and independent
general balance
thought
of outside

sources
Either
and
outside
independent
sourcesthought
or independent

thought
Reliesclearly
exclusively
outweighs
on eithe
the
Reaches clear conclusions supported

withReaches
sound reasoning
and supports conclusions

but
some
Reaches
detail some
and/orvague
reasoning
conclusions
not clear
that
areFails
not to
clearly
reachsupported
or support c

Makes virtually no grammar, punctuation,

Makes
or spelling
few errors
grammar, punctuation,
or
spelling
Makes
errors;
occasional
these are
grammar,
not distracting
punctuation,

to
theMakes
or
reader
spelling
frequent
errors;
grammar,
these m

Weight___________________
Managerial Response

Weight___________________
Mechanics

Weight___________________