Spring 2013 Course Syllabus
Course
Description
A study of American
Literature from the Civil War through World War II. Readings will include
both canonical and non-canonical works. Prerequisite:
Course
Goals
Successful students will complete this course
with the ability to do the following five learning outcomes at an intermediary
level. These outcomes, introduced to students in their prerequisite coursework,
will be reinforced in this course through instruction, practice, and formative
assessment. Students’ efforts will be summatively
assessed via a number of interrelated assignments and projects.
| Learning Outcomes | Learning Activities | Assessment Methods |
|
Identify, describe, and compare the literary features of a variety of genres across different historical periods and cultures |
Assigned readings, lectures, discussions, class activities, and draft/informal writing |
In-class writing, personal responses, class leadership, analysis papers, essay exam, and term paper |
|
Evaluate how perspective and background inform the reading experience |
Discussions, class activities, and personal writing/responses |
In-class writing, personal responses, class leadership, and analysis papers |
| Conduct scholarly research |
Class instruction, research, drafting, group activities, and workshopping |
Class leadership and term paper |
|
Apply critical positions and interpretations through presentations and academic essays |
Lectures, discussions, drafting, group activities, and informal work |
Class leadership, analysis papers, and term paper |
|
Satisfy the admission requirements for a variety of graduate or professional programs |
Assigned readings, lectures, discussions, class activities, and draft/informal writing |
Essay exam and term paper |
Course
Instructor
Dr. Kyle Bishop Office: BC 304A
Office Hours: MW
9:00–9:50, TR 2:00–2:50 p.m., or by appointment
Telephone: 586-7804
E-mail: bishopk@suu.edu
Web Site: www.suu.edu/faculty/bishopk
Course
Meeting Times and Location
MWF 11:00–11:50
a.m.
BC 301
Required
Texts
Baym, Nina, et al., eds. The Norton
Anthology of American Literature: Shorter Eighth Edition. Vol. 2. 8th ed. New
York: Norton, 2012. Print. ISBN: 978-0393918878
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening.
1899. Web.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby.
Reissue edition. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print. ISBN: 978-0743273565
Recommended
Supplies
A three-ring binder with ruled paper for in-class
writing, invention activities, and note taking
Printing and photocopying expenses for class
materials, research, drafts, assignments, and essays
One Blue Book for in-class essay final exam
A jump drive for backing up all course work and
materials
Course
Standards and Policies
Attendance: Attendance is not required for this course; however, vital
information concerning the texts and the assignments will be covered in class,
and this material will not be
available otherwise.
Class
Decorum and Behavior: During class, students should listen attentively, engage
respectfully in discussions, and take
notes. They are also expected to come to class prepared and to participate
in all in-class assignments and activities. Cell phones must be set to silent for the duration of class.
MLA
Manuscript Format:
Papers must be word processed and comply with MLA format guidelines; that is,
papers must have 1″ margins;
be typed in a 12-point, Times New Roman font; and be double spaced throughout. The
first page must contain the student’s name, the instructor’s name, the course
title, and the date (with the month spelled out) on separate lines against the
left margin. Papers must also have descriptive titles, centered and just below
the date line. Each page must then have a page number, preceded by the
student’s last name, in the upper right corner (˝″ below the margin).
Late
Work: All
components of the course are due on the days indicated in the course schedule; late options will not be available. If
students know they are going to miss class, arrangements must be made to meet
expectations early. In extenuating circumstances, exceptions may be made in advance and at the instructor’s discretion.
Course
Assignments
Assignments: Students will participate in various
activities and complete many assignments in class, including group interactions,
in-class writing, and discussions. Students must be in class to complete
these activities and assignments. Other assignments will include essay
drafting, performing secondary research, and participating in writer’s
workshops. Successful students will complete all assignments.
Class
Leadership:
Students will sign up for one class day and conduct research in advance to prepare
a number of questions and comments for that day’s discussion. The student
leaders for the day will begin class by formally introducing the author and/or
text of the day and setting up discussion questions for the entire class to
explore during the class period. Students will sign up for specific authors, works,
and days in class and should coordinate with their peers for topics that span
multiple days.
Analysis
Papers:
At the end of each of the first three course units, students will submit short,
3–5 page essays analyzing a text, topic, or group of the same from that unit.
These papers need to make analytical, interpretive, and critical arguments
using close reading and textual evidence (i.e., New Criticism). Papers may also
employ personal writing and explore issues of reception. These three essays
will constitute practice drafts for the course term paper, and they will afford
students the opportunity to receive nonjudgmental feedback from the course
instructor (with no pressure of a grade). Nevertheless, students need to take
these essays seriously, using the entire writing process to craft quality
papers that have been properly revised and edited prior to submission.
Final
Exam:
Students will take one in-class exam focusing on material addressed during the
course’s fourth unit during the scheduled final exam period. Questions will
include short answers, passage identification, and reflection. The exam may be
taken early under extenuating circumstances, requiring a formal rescheduling
fee. Students are responsible for providing their own examination Blue Books.
Term
Paper:
Students will submit a revised and expanded version of one of their analysis papers on the last day of course instruction.
This paper, at least 6 pages in length, will employ secondary research and
critical sources, demonstrating students’ familiarity with the discourse
surrounding the subject matter. Students will draw from their analysis paper
drafts, instructor feedback, class discussion, and independent research. Term
papers may employ personal writing in addition to close reading and use of
secondary source materials; proper 7th-edition MLA-style citations
will, or course, be required.
Grading
Policy
The primary goal of this course is autonomous
student learning. Because this course emphasizes learning over performance,
students will have every opportunity to explore, experiment, fail, and recover
before they are graded.
For the majority of the semester, this course
will emphasize formative assessment;
that is, students will receive constructive and nonjudgmental feedback from
both the instructor and their peers to give everyone opportunities to improve.
Not until the end of the course will students be summatively assessed; that is,
the final exam will be graded, the term paper will be assigned a formal letter
grade, and additional student success will be determined holistically based on
course performance.
The course assignments, the class leadership project,
and the analysis papers are simply required to pass the course. Each question
on the final exam will be assigned a letter grade and the total grades
averaged. The term paper will be graded with the help of a systematic rubric,
available on the course website. Students’ final grades will be determined
based on the final exam grade, the term paper grade, and a “report card”
addressing the course learning outcomes. Students who demonstrate mastery of
the learning outcomes will receive A’s; competence, Bs; familiarity, Cs; and
ignorance, Ds or Fs.
Small
Print
Academic
Integrity Policy: Scholastic
dishonesty is intolerable and will be prosecuted fully. Any student caught deliberately plagiarizing work will immediately fail
that assignment and possibly the entire course. Students are
expected to have read and understood the current issue of the student
handbook (published by Student Services) regarding student responsibilities and
rights, and the intellectual property policy, for information about procedures
and about what constitutes acceptable on-campus behavior.
SANS: Professors and instructors
at SUU care about student success; as a result, the faculty participate in the Student Assessment Notification
System (SANS), an early alert program designed to provide peer mentor support
and resources. Students struggling in this course will receive a notice of
concern from their instructor through SANS and should use the support resources
offered them through this system.
Accommodation
of Students with Disabilities: Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments,
accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Southern Utah
University Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in Room
206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or phone (435)
865-8022. SSD determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of
services.
Emergency
Management: In
case of emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be
activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information
using the link on the homepage of the mySUU
portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves
with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed
information about the University's emergency management plan can
be found at http://www.suu.edu/ad/em/.
HEOA
Compliance: The
sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except
as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law. Detailed
information can be found at http://www.suu.edu/it/p2p-student-notice.html.
Disclaimer
Information contained in this syllabus—other
than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies—may be
subject to change with advance notice.