Fordham University
Gabelli School of Business
CBBU1001 – The Ground Floor Fall Semester 2018
Critical Thinking Essays – Grading Rubric and Guidance from your TA
Submit to Blackboard
CTE #1: Topic assigned Sept. 5 – due Sept. 12
CTE #2: Topic assigned Oct. 3 – due Oct. 10
CTE #3: Topic assigned Oct. 31 – due Nov. 7
CTE #4: Topic assigned Nov. 14 – due Nov. 28
bwojick@fordham.edu
or
gcruz7@fordham.edu
The Basics
• CTE memos total 60 points (20% of grade for entire class), 15 points each CTE.
• CTE’s will be graded primarily for logic, flow of transitions, format, answering the
prompt and content. However, grammar, spelling, and punctuation are also taken
into your grade’s consideration.
• If at any time you are unable to complete an assignment, or have a viable reason
for turning in a late essay, do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail. Always keep
your professor and TA in the loop—some points are better than no points, and
extensions are possible in some circumstances.
• You may be able to resubmit one (1) CTE essay with the lowest grade for re-grading.
Only one of the first three essays (CTE #1, #2 or #3) may be resubmitted, and you
may do so at any time up to and including the due date for CTE #4. There is no
cap to possible points you can earn back – an 8/15 can become a 15/15, but
remember—a revision is a RE-vision. It is not simply changing the spelling errors
I’ve marked or adding a sentence to a lacking paragraph. You never have to scrap
an entire memo, but you do have to consider switching ordering, expanding ideas,
and/or including research where it’s necessary. Revisions do not mean free points.
A new grade will be assigned only to a memo that has been truly revised. Note,
however that essays submitted late will not be eligible for revision.
• All CTE’s are due by posting to Blackboard before the start of class, that is, with a
time stamp on your e-mail prior to the start of your individual class assigned
day/time. Late essays will face penalties of 2 points per day, up to 5 days: a 15/15
becomes a 13/15, etc. After 5 days, essays will no longer be accepted.
The CTE Memo
Your Focus for the Assignment
For each CTE topic assigned, assume you are working for the affected company. As you
think about the way the world is evolving—technologically, environmentally, socially,
politically, etc.—and about the nature of the business issue raised this week, you have
realized that these changes have implications for your company, and may have led directly
or indirectly to the issue presented. You have decided to write a memo to your company’s
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the hope of (gently) persuading the CEO to pay attention
to and respond to your concerns.
Your memo should identify the relevant force(s) for change involved in the CTE topic with
citations, discuss how this force (these forces) have already, are currently or may soon
affect the company with respect to the business subject of the week with citations, and
make recommendations for what your company might/should do in response.
Some Helpful Tips
Remember, you will be targeting a specific company, and a specific CEO. Do some
research! Even a quick visit to the company’s website can be very valuable. Essays
