Distinguished - Thoroughly assesses one’s preparation to operate as an entrepreneur and identifies factors in personality, business skills, and lifestyle preferences that support entrepreneurial efforts.

Proficient - Assesses one’s preparation to operate as an entrepreneur and identifies factors in personality, business skills, and lifestyle preferences that support entrepreneurial efforts. The assessment is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic - Partially assesses one’s preparation to operate as an entrepreneur and identifies factors in personality, business skills, and lifestyle preferences that support entrepreneurial efforts. The assessment is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - Attempts to assess one’s preparation to operate as an entrepreneur and identify factors in personality, business skills, and lifestyle preferences that support entrepreneurial efforts; however, the assessment is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance - The assessment of one’s preparation to operate as an entrepreneur and the identification of factors that support entrepreneurial efforts is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Thoroughly analyzes comfort level with risk and presents mitigating strategies.

Proficient - Analyzes comfort level with risk and presents mitigating strategies. The analysis is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic - Analyzes comfort level with risk and presents mitigating strategies. The analysis is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - Attempts to analyze comfort level with risk and presents mitigating strategies; however, the analysis is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance - The analysis of comfort level with risk and presentation of mitigating strategies are either nonexistent or lack the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Clearly categorizes important factors in terms of business acumen and lists and defines the top three priorities when beginning a business process.

Proficient - Categorizes important factors regarding business acumen and lists and defines the top three priorities when beginning a business process. The categorization or list is slightly unclear.

Basic - Loosely categorizes important factors regarding business acumen and lists and defines the top three priorities when beginning a business process. The categorization or list is unclear.

Below Expectations - Attempts to categorize important factors regarding business acumen and list and define the top three priorities when beginning a business process; however, the categorization is significantly unclear.

Non-Performance - The categorization of important factors and the listing and definition of the top three priorities required is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Thoroughly explains the motivation to move forward with business plans, including examples of motivating factors.

Proficient - Explains the motivation to move forward with business plans, including examples of motivating factors. Minor details are missing.

Basic - Vaguely explains the motivation to move forward with business plans and partially includes examples of motivating factors. Relevant details are missing.

Below Expectations - Attempts to explain the motivation to move forward with business plans; however, significant details or examples of motivating factors are missing.

Non-Performance - The explanation of motivation to move forward with business plans is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Thoroughly describes business experience and provides complete historical context and examples.

Proficient - Describes business experience and provides historical context and examples. Minor details are missing.

Basic - Briefly describes business experience and somewhat provides historical context and examples. Relevant details are missing.

Below Expectations - Attempts to describe business experience and provide historical context and examples; however, significant details are missing.

Non-Performance - The description of business experience and historical context is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Creates meaningful correlations among experiences outside of the classroom to demonstrate an understanding of the given field of study and to broaden one's own viewpoints.

Proficient - Compares life experiences and academic knowledge to distinguish differences and similarities while acknowledging perspectives other than one's own.

Basic - Recognizes correlations between life experiences, academic texts, and ideas perceived as similar and related to one's own interests.

Below Expectations - Briefly comments about the connections between one's life experiences and academic texts.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Autonomously synthesizes or draws conclusions by combining examples, facts, or theories from multiple disciplines. 

Proficient - Autonomously correlates examples, facts, or theories from multiple disciplines.

Basic - Attempts to correlate examples, facts, or theories from multiple disciplines.

Below Expectations - Displays inconsistent examples, facts, or theories from multiple disciplines.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors and is very easy to understand.

Proficient - Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors and is mostly easy to understand.

Basic - Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors which may slightly distract the reader.

Below Expectations - Fails to display basic comprehension of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors which distract the reader.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Accurately uses APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.

Proficient - Exhibits APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout contains a few minor errors. 

Basic - Exhibits limited knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout does not meet all APA requirements. 

Below Expectations - Fails to exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting. There are frequent errors, making the layout difficult to distinguish as APA.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - The length of the paper is equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages. 

Proficient - The length of the paper is nearly equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages. 

Basic - The length of the paper is equivalent to at least three quarters of the required number of correctly formatted pages.

Below Expectations - The length of the paper is equivalent to at least one half of the required number of correctly formatted pages.   

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Uses more than the required number of scholarly sources, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Proficient - Uses the required number of scholarly sources to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Basic - Uses less than the required number of sources to support ideas. Some sources may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are used within the body of the assignment. Citations may not be formatted correctly.

Below Expectations - Uses an inadequate number of sources that provide little or no support for ideas. Sources used may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are not used within the body of the assignment. Citations are not formatted correctly.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.