Essay Marking - the Truth!

Essays and assessments are the most talked about topic in Trinity College. The College
operates a system of anonymous marking that gives students anonymity when submitting an
assessment. To most students the marking system remains a mystery - until now. This
exclusive, recently leaked memo gives an insight into the way lecturers arrive at their often
incomprehensible final mark!

Memo - Strictly Confidential

From: The Office of the Principal.

To: All faculty

Date: 01/07/2006

With the arrival of Context Based Training this academic year, scrutiny on the set of marks
awarded will be higher than ever. In light of this the academic executive has carried out a
thorough review of marking guidelines, and you are requested to adhere to the following
three step process.

Step 1 - The Base Mark

As in previous years the base mark for all essays is easily derived. Please refer to the college
Lectionary, where the Psalm for the day when the work was submitted will provide the base
mark. If this exceeds 80 or is less than 40, try using the Verse number from the New
Testament Reading. If neither of these are suitable simply remove the first two digits from
the students 4-digit candidate number and use that.


Step 2 - Adjustments to the Base Mark

As per normal practice, the Base Mark will be adjusted according to the content of the essay.
However, I can hardly stress sufficiently, that these adjustments must be fair and reasonable
based upon an objective appraisal of the essay's content. Merely subjective measures, or
matters of personal opinion, however well judged, will not stand the scrutiny of the external
examiners. Suitably objective measures for the adjustments may include:

* The number of books in the bibliography

* The use of semi-colons

* The maximum number of footnotes on a page

* Your house number

Step 3 - Bonus Marks

This year bonus marks are being awarded as follows:

2 bonus marks:

* each word of five or more syllables

* each book in the bibliography by a faculty member

* each quote by Rowan Williams or George Kovoor

5 bonus marks:

* each use of the word 'paradigm' or ‘eschatological’

* each quotation from a book by a faculty member

* each footnote that runs to more than one paragraph

10 bonus marks

* each reference to Wholly Trinity.

Based on an article by Simon Stocks, President Trinity College Curry Club, 2002-2003.

Edited and updated by Ali Mepham 2006.

It's Reading Week

Well Reading week is here, and there are record numbers of students looking harrassed and fraught desperatly trying to get essays completed in time for the deadline on Monday. Only a couple seem to be in smugsville Alabama and have already completed the deadline stuff.

Oh Hum!

Being a busy week , posts will be short here. Perhaps we'll have another dip into the archives!.

Kneewax

One from the archives...

Here is an article that has appeared in WT in the past couple of years...

Wholly Trinity Issue 27, 22nd November 2005


An Advent Warning


Be on the alert for symptoms of inner HOPE,
PEACE, LOVE & JOY. The hearts of a great many
people have been exposed to this virus and it is
possible that people everywhere could comedown
with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a
serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly
stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of THE ADVENT VIRUS:

A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather
than on fears based on past experiences.

An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

A loss of interest in judging other people.

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

A loss of interest in conflict.

A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very
serious symptom.)

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

Contented feelings of connectedness with others
and nature.

Frequent attacks of smiling.

An increasing tendency to let things happen rather
than make them happen.

An increased susceptibility to the love extended by
others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend
it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends.
This virus can and has affected many systems.
Some systems have been completely cleaned out
because of it.

Anon.

Belch the Creed?

Of all the questions of theological importence, one stands out more than the others:

Mainly how much of the creed can you belch?

So far I have managed as far as 'all that is seen and...' before running out of gas. Any one got further?

God. Who knows?

This article appeared today on the BBC news website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6199716.stm

Well worth a read!

Editor

Sticky Bun Competition

Doubt has been raised about the stick bun competition advertised in the latest edition of WT

I can only do my best to assure you that REAL competition and that a sticky bun really will be awarded to one lucky student sometime during reading week.

Yours

Ed.

Latest Caption Competition

Posting the last image made me think we should publish the current one too! Add your caption by commenting on this post!

Busy Term

Well it has turned out to be a busy term, with so many calls on our time there has been little chance to catch up, let alone post to the Blog.

WT is still going strong though and the latest edition (WT38) has just been posted.

Also going strong is the Clifton Caption competition, although sadly now without Colin. The last caption competition is worthy of recording here:

• Going against all his insticts the Pope chooses the one on the left
• With a little help from Cardinal Rutter, the Pope pulls off his his famous "Papal Bull" impression
• "Now was the bullet proof cap in my left or right hand?"
• The Archbishop's Special Envoy happy slaps the Pope
• The Vatican denied that the Disney sponsorship deal would maerialy effect the Church
• "A crash of Cymbals, a flash of light, the Holy Father falls from sight" - from the latest Lloyd-Webber hit
• After giving away his 'tricks' the Pope was expelled from the Magic Circle

And my personal Favourite:

• "These White chocolte Kinder Eggs are no fun"
  

New Term, New Website, new blog - whatever next?

Well, it has been a busy couple of months vacation in the WT office. (currently homeless - awaiting Fran's go ahead to get back into our studies!)

So why the blog? Well each month I have a mass of material that just doesn't fit into an edition of WT, so I figured a blog would give an oppourtunity to publish the stuff I either don't have room or the courage to print in the regular sheet. It will also give an oppourtunityfor people to offer those mindless musings we all have about life at Trinity, but that are not worth printing in full. Like: does John Bimson really eat squirrels?

I'll try to keep the site reasonable up to date and as always welcome any submissions!

Yours,

Ed.