Rubric for Linguistics Department Comps Evaluation

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choice of topic topic is overly cautious, and/or is distant from the theme a good topic, but one less likely to lead to new insight and/or is tangential to the theme topic is very challenging and engages with the theme but doesn’t reflect the department curriculum topic is very challenging, has a bearing on a fundamental question of linguistic theory, engages with the theme, and reflects the department curriculum
level of linguistic expertise displayed fails to significantly engage theory displays good understanding of relevant theory displays mastery of relevant theory project displays very high level of insight into the nature of the relevant aspect of linguistic theory
originality of the proposal proposal only minimally  extends current thinking on the topic proposal is a good idea, but tracks ideas of others rather closely proposal is clever, and is an extension of ideas in the current literature proposal is imaginative and goes well beyond anything available in the current literature
degree of engagement with scholarly literature paper largely ignores relevant scholarly work paper invokes some relevant scholarly work, but discussion is at times superficial paper engages meaningfully with relevant scholarly work paper is clearly situated within the extant literature and explicitly discusses its contribution to this body of work
organization of the paper paper is not well organized; prose awkward in spots some sections not relevant to thesis; occasional opaque passage good organization, with very few redundant, irrelevant, or unclear sections thesis is very clear, and developed efficiently and convincingly
delivery of the defense somewhat confused presentation; poor response to questions some obscurity in the presentation, but the point emerges good, successful defense; some problems managing questions defense is well-organized and graceful; responses to questions display understanding and an ability to think ‘on one’s feet’
interaction with readers student only infrequently or ineffectively communicates with first reader, or infrequently meets their weekly goals
student’s communication with first reader and their engagement is at times sporadic, but generally sufficient
student’s communication with first reader is regular and effective, and engagement is generally even
 student facilitates a clear channel of communication with readers, and is steadily engaged with their research and writing
citizenship student infrequently attends LING 399 and their peers’ comps defenses
 student attends LING 399 and their peers’ defenses around half of the time
 student visibly engages with their peers’ research, and attends LING 399 and their peers’ defenses most of the time
 student shows ongoing, enthusiastic support for their peers through actively engaging with their research in LING 399 and regularly attending their defenses