International Organizations

 Assessment Rubric
Paper Assignment
The assignment
Students are expected to write one 3,000 (+/-10%) word academic paper in this course.
Students are expected to conduct original research that goes beyond the class readings. The
quality of the sources will contribute to the essay grade. While there is no magic number
regarding the number of sources, the paper should draw from at least ten academic sources.
(News sources do not count as academic sources.) The paper should be written using standard
Times New Roman 12pt font, double spacing, one-inch margins. The paper should include a
cover page with the title, an abstract, as well as the author’s name and student ID number.
The paper should also include a list of references at the end. The cover page, the list of
references, and the footnotes used to cite sources will not count against the 3,000 word limit
for the text of the paper.
The paper are due on no later than 9:30am. The paper should be uploaded
electronically using the link available under Assignment on the iLearn webpage for the
course. The paper will be checked for plagiarism using iLearn’s SafeAssign. Papers turned in
past the due date/time will face a one third of a letter grade penalty for each 24 hour period
within which the paper is late. For example, if a paper is due on November at 9:30am and
it is turned in on November at 9:31am, then one third of a letter g rade will be deducted
from the final grade for the assignment (e.g., from A to A-). If an assignment is due on
November at 9:30am and it is turned in on November at 9:31am, then one third of a
letter grade will be deducted twice from the final grade for the assignment (e.g., from A to
B+).
The prompt
Take one (and only one) of the international organizations listed in the table below and write
a paper that analyzes 1) the functions that the international organization performs, 2) the obligations that the signatories consent to when they join the organization; 3) whether and to
what extent the members comply with the obligations, and 4) whether and to what extent the
organization enforces the obligations when the members fail to comply.

2

Each student will choose one of the organizations. We will arrange the choice of international
organizations in class on Thursday, September 20. We will match one of organization per student. While we will try to accommodate everybody’s first preferences, that may not be possible. Once you have been assigned a specific organization, you may not change that commitment, unless you find another classmate to exchange the respective organizations.
Grading rubric
Criteria: Weight
1. Presentation 5%
2. Argument Logic 27.5%
3. Supporting Evidence 27.5%
4. Writing style 25%
5. Writing mechanics 15%
Why are some essays better than others?
A good essay
Addresses and answers the paper prompt
Meets assignment criteria such as word count requirements and turn-in deadline
Provides a sufficient argument
Uses scholarly and other appropriate references and source material
The essay is organized and the reader can follow the author’s arguments and examples
Any jargon is explained
A thesis (main point that the author wishes to make) is present
Demonstrates understanding of course concepts
Examples used are relevant to the argument being made
Incorporates ideas we discussed in class
3
Contains a few grammatical or word usage problems
Correctly cites references [author, work, page number]
A better essay
Encompasses the criteria of a good essay but with the follow improvements
Provides a compelling argument
The essay is clearly organized and it is easy for the reader to follow arguments and examples
Paragraphs are coherent units of meaning and are connected with appropriate transitions
The thesis is clearly stated
Incorporates examples into the argument (as opposed to listing examples)
Undertakes original analysis
Incorporates relevant research and literature review/summary
Examples directly support and/or illustrate points in the argument
Contains only very minor grammatical or word usage problems; no more than a few spelling
errors
Topic is theoretically and pragmatically relevant
The best essays
Encompass the criteria of a better essay but with the follow improvements
Provide a compelling argument that contains innovative or new insights
Contain new sources of data
Are clearly organized and overt statements of organization do not interfere with the flow of
the essay
It is very easy for the reader to follow the author’s arguments and examples
Examples are very well integrated into the flow of the argument
The essay flows well
Contain no grammatical or word usage problems; spelling is flawless
A bad essay
Does not meet assignment criteria
Does not use standard formatting (line spacing, font, font size, etc.)
Contains numerous grammatical errors
Contains numerous word usage errors
Spelling errors detract from readability
Does not use standard English
Contains unexplained jargon
Contains so much jargon a person of reasonable intelligence cannot understand it
Thesis is not stated or is not clear
Argument is disorganized and difficult to understand
Reads as a “stream of consciousness”
Makes assertions without supporting evidence
Author’s opinions are substituted for facts or misconstrued as facts
Evidence is unrelated to the argument being made
Evidence does not support argument being made
Contradicts itself
Does not use scholarly or appropriate reference materials
Does not properly cite paraphrases, quotations, and ideas from other people
Logic is faulty
Logic is difficult to understand