Don Rags — California (evening classes only)

Twice yearly during the freshman, sophomore, and junior years, each student sits with his tutors and hears their observations on his work. The primary aim of the Don Rag is not, like a report card, to state the degree of a student’s mastery of the material. It is, rather, an occasion for offering him specific advice on how to improve his class preparation and participation and to help him advance in the intellectual life. Tutors thus work with the student to enable him to pursue more successfully the wisdom offered by great books.

In the event that a student is in danger of failure in one or more subjects, the Don Rag also may be an opportunity to alert him and to make suggestions for improving his performance. The Don Rag takes place with nearly half the semester still to come and subsequent classroom performance can strongly affect a student’s grades. The Don Rag does not, therefore, anticipate infallibly the final grades he might earn.

• Related: Assessment