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The work for this course is divided into the writing of short essays, critical reading, seminar, library research, and the development of a writing process that involves: invention, drafting, revision, workshop, editing, and manuscript preparation.
This is not a course in grammar and punctuation. I expect you to know these things already. I also assume that you have had the equivalent of ENGL 1010, which means you should know how to use the library, how to correcly cite sources in MLA style, and how to edit your prose so it is free of error.
All texts and materials are required for this course. It is a good idea to purchase all of the books right away. In some classes you can wait, but we'll be using almost all the texts within the first two weeks.
Books are expensive, and it pays to shop around. These ISBN numbers and links here will take you to the books I have selected for this course. They are available in the SUU Bookstore, and elsewhere. If you like to support local independent businesses, Braun Books downtown could be a good option. I have given them this book list, and they might have a few copies available.
The course objectives for ENGL 2010 are established by the Composition Program and are divided into three main areas. I have added one more category concerning technology skills. Students who will be succesful in this course will demonstrate mastery of the following skill sets:
Much of this course involves the use of technology. Don't worry if you don't already know how to use these tools. Just be willing to get on the learning curve, and you'll be all right. Students who are unwilling to spend some time with the technology will find this class super-frustrating. The following is a list of the tech skills that will help you succeed in this class:
Rather than give you a lot of rules, I prefer to build my classroom around a set of simple expectations, which mirror professional workplace standards of behavior. Failing to meet these expectations can result in a variety of penalties that will be administered on a case by case basis.
This last expectation is really important. I am willing to negotiate most things beforehand, especially if you attend to the matter in person. I am very inflexible after the fact.
Finally, I want to say that I expect you to do every last iota of the reading and writing for this class. Do not allow yourself to fall behind. It is completely unprofessional (not to mention uncool) to come to class unprepared. It is also ridiculously easy to spot people who haven't done their work for the day. If you are chronically unprepared for this class, I will request a conference with you, and we'll have a conversation about the situation, which will probably include the words "drop," "fail," "transcript," and "disappointed."
Feel free to disagree with any idea presented in this class by me or by anyone else, but you are obligated to do so with intelligence and civility. No one in this class has the right to make assertions without first taking the time to investigate the matter fully and fairly; moreover, if you haven't prepared for class, you may actually lose the privilege of engaging in the public forum. (See the above section on expectations.)
As a student in my classroom, you have the right to be free from indoctrination and insult; however, you do not have, nor should you expect, the right to not be offended.
Of course, it's impossible to know what may cause a person to be offended. If there is any diversity in the world, it is in this. Also bear in mind that being offended is a decision you make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else. It is also because one of the crucial tasks a university education can prepare you for is how to react when you encounter an idea that is distinctly different from the ones you already hold.
You also have the right to forego any text or idea you encounter in this class, but you are not free from the consequences of doing so.
I may, from time to time, take on a role or argumentative position (such as the Devil's Advocate) in order to catalyze class discussion, but you can and should expect me (and every teacher on this campus) not to take up class time trying to evangelize or pontificate on matters that lie outside the subject matter of the course. One caveat: sometimes the course content will connect with events taking place in the real world. What a waste of time and money if your education steered clear of reality.
Grades for this class are simple; I will give points for assignments. Points add up to a grade. What this means is that I only give one grade in this class, the final grade. Everything else is just points. I will mention the names of some assignments here, but you will find full descriptions below.
You can use the grade Figurator™ (available at the Depot) to keep track of your points and see how the add up to a grade. Just download the Excel worksheet, enter your scores, and it'll tell you your grade…automagically.
You will have to keep track of the possible points for the Daily, however. There's no way for me to know what the Daily count will be at this point, but you can keep tabs on that yourself. At the end of the semester, I'll put out a new Figurator™ that you can use to compute your final grade.
My grade scale is here. These numbers are what the Figurator™ uses to "figure" your grade. Please note that I don't use the traditional scale: a score of 50% is at the absolute middle, which is a C. The grades are distributed equally from that point to the top and bottom of the scale.
When I grade your major essays, I'll use a rubric, which you can download from the depot section of the class website. It's a good idea to keep a copy of this rubric in front of you while you are revising and finishing your essay, so you'll have a clear idea of what I'll be looking for.
When I give feedback, I will focus on three to four different matters instead of bathing your essays in red ink. What I'm trying to do is move your attention from simple measures of success to more complex ones connected to your growth as a student and a writer.
Some of the class is based around ungraded writing, and much of that writing will be collected into a notebook called The Daily. Even though there are no grades for the Dailies, I do give credit for them. There is more information on this below.
What I'm giving you here is just a basic idea of the assignment types that you'll have in this class. I'll give more detailed information on these assignments in class and probably nowhere else.
THE DAILY » 1 point per item » The Daily is a simple notebook where you keep the minor assignments for this class. For a complete description of how to set up and keep The Daily, click here.
You will receive credit for work that goes into The Daily, but it won't be graded. The assignments will include, but won't be limited to, exercises, rough drafts of essays, assignments from the reading, and the like.
SEMINAR » We will address the reading for this class through a process called seminar. Your participation is expected. Failure to play an active role in seminar means you will lose points, which will be taken from your final grade. The amount of points taken will correspond to the degree to which your lack of participation is chronic. Click here for a more substantial discussion of seminar.
You will perform three simple writing tasks in connection with seminar: Prep, Notes, and Recap. These assignments will be included in The Daily. I will give a more detailed description of this in class.
I will select one science fiction story and one context essay from each chapter for seminar, and you will match that by choosing another story and context essay from that chapter for a total of two stories and two essays.
WHAT IS SCIENCE FICTION? » (25 points) In a short essay (3-5 pages) define what science fiction is and is not. Use MLA format. Blend research with your own perspective. You must use a minimum of 3 outside sources, one of them scholarly. I will provide you with 2 of them to get you started.
GRAPHIC NOVEL ANALYSIS » (50 points) In an essay no less than 5 pages long, analyze a passage of the graphic novel Hulk: Grey, showing the ways in which it is a discussion of war and aggression. Use MLA format. You must use a minimum of 3 outside sources (beyond the graphic novel), 2 of which must be scholarly. You will provide all the outside sources. This essay must also include at least 2 correctly documented images from the text.
FILM ANALYSIS » (50 points) In an essay no less than 7 pages long, analyze a passage from the film The Day the Earth Stood Still, showing the ways in which it is a cultural commentary on the historical period in which it was produced. Use MLA format. You must use a minimum of 3 documented outside sources, 2 of which must be scholarly. You will provide all the outside sources.
SYNTHESIS ESSAY » (100 points) Using at least one story from each chapter of Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts write an essay in which you focus on connections between different texts. Use MLA format, no less than 10 pages. You must include a minimum of 8 contextual sources, 3 of which may be taken from the anthology.
This section of the syllabus contains information that is important, but not necessarily critical for this class. Here I give instructions on getting things done. It's kind of like an instruction manual for this class.
You'll probably hear a lot about how the Center for Disease Control is concerned about the spread of the H1N1 virus this fall. A number of universities have already seen significant outbreaks, but they have been able to manage things without shutting down or suspending classes. College students are particularly susceptible, so you need to be extra vigilant.
Being health conscious in general is just a good habit to be in, so let's remember a few simple habits and practices can make a big difference for you and for others in this class.
The world wide web is actually a pretty bad place to find trustworthy information. Anyone can publish something on the web, which means that there are some pretty bad quality control issues out there. If you're writing something in this class that requires research, you may not use or cite Wikipedia in your work. But go ahead and use it to get yourself generally acquainted with a topic; it's good for that. Still, be careful with anything you read there. If you cite Wikipedia, you will have to redo your essay.
Or, if you want to, you could trust Michael Scott, regional manager of DunderMifflin.
He is very smart about Wikipedia, don't you think? Probably a whole lot smarter than your teacher.
The only reliable way to stay clear of the SUU SPAM ninja is to use your student account. Hotmail and Yahoo mail services are often used by spammers. I have noticed that e-mail from those providers frequently end up in my junk folders.
I will respond to most e-mail messages within one working day. The course and section number should be the first thing in your e-mail subject line. Also use the subject line to give me an overview of what your message contains. Use my SUU e-mail address unless otherwise directed.
From the screen capture below can you tell what you should and shouldn't do when you send an e-mail?
I will not return your call if you leave a long distance number. This is very expensive for the university; moreover, voice mail is not a reliable way to get in touch with me. I have found the SUU system to be unstable. Messages are often lost and/or delivered much later than they are left. Better to e-mail me or use the instant message address given below.
I use a GoogleTalk Instant Messaging identity, which is drpavatar. I will have this on during my office hours. If you use it to contact me, you will likely get an immediate response. I only guarantee this response time during office hours, however. If you follow me on Twitter (drpetersen01), you will get regular updates on important class information, and often times I'll "tweet" quiz questions as a reward for following. If you'd like, you can configure Twitter to forward to your phone, which some students find to be convenient and useful.
I recommend a USB stick drive (2-4 GB) for all your backups. Don't connect your USB drive to your keys. It wrecks the USB ports. For other important documents, use an on-line back up service or e-mail it to yourself. It's not a matter of "if" you're going to have a data loss, but "when" you're going to have a data loss. We are well into the 21st Century, so computer failure isn't an acceptable excuse anymore. I also recommend dropbox or box.net. These are very reasonable and often free for less than 2GB storage. Uploading files to Google Docs is also an excellent way to make sure you don't have a corrupted file disaster. Everyone I know has had some major incident at least once in their lives.
If you would like me to write you a letter of recommendation, I will need a minimum of two weeks lead time. You must make your request in person. In order to accomplish this, plan on coming to an office hour or scheduling an appointment. Bring everything you have that is connected to the request so we can review it when you come. We need to talk first, especially if I might not be the best person to write a recommendation for you.
The BC 204 Writing Center will be open Fall Semester 8-5 Monday through Friday and 1-4 Saturday (except during SUU holidays). Believing that all writers need readers, the center strives to serve the SUU community by responding as people to people, not merely as editors of papers in need of correction. Staffed by English majors and funded by HSS program fees, the center is committed to treating students as authors who have important issues to think through and talk about. Students may make no more than three appointments per week in the center, except during the last three weeks of the semester, when appointments are limited to one per week. The center closes at noon any class day that falls before a SUU holiday. For more information, please visit the Writing Center website.
Students with medical, psychological, or other learning 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 206-F of the Sharwan Smith Center or phone (435) 865-8022. SSD determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.
Scholastic dishonesty (which includes plagiarism in any form) will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. You are expected to have read and understood the current issue of the Student Handbook (published by Student Services). At minimum you should understand the sections on student rights and responsibilities, the intellectual property policy, university procedures, and acceptable on-campus behavior. Any issue of scholastic dishonesty could result in failure for the assignment, or depending on the severity of the infraction, failure of the course, or worse.
In this particular course, you should be aware that mis-applying the rules of MLA documentation or neglecting to correctly cite your sources is considered to be plagiarism and could result in the abovementioned penalties. Because knowledge of academic documentation conventions is part of the high school Language Arts Core Curriculum for the state of Utah, and because these matters are central to the university's LM 1010 course, ignorance of the standard is not a valid excuse.
Issues of plagiarism (including consequences) will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Information contained in this syllabus (other than the grading, late assignment, makeup work, and attendance policies) may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor. Changes will be made available on the course website. These adjustments could extend as far as my failing a student for gross negligence and disregard for the aims of the university and of this course, even though such a student might be passing the class mathematically.
Posted 08.07.2009 • Changed 9/4/2009
