Print syllabus (not currently active)
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.
This is an advanced course in literary theory. The reading can be difficult at times, but we'll take it slowly and carefully. The primary pedagogical technique I'll be employing in this couse is seminar. You'll also be revising an essay written previously for another english course. While I see this class as help for students who would like to continue their study of literature at the graduate level, ENGL 4410 will also help any student interested in exploring the methods of literary criticism and scholarship.
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.
In this course, there are two types of assignment: major and minor. Major assignments can be turned in at any time during a six-day period called "the window." If you turn in an assignment the day it is due (when the window opens), you will receive maximum feedback, which gets smaller for each additional day you wait to turn in your work. After the window closes, you may no longer turn in that assignment.
There is no window for minor assignments. I will accept them only on the day they are due. When you choose to submit a minor assignment, you'll get feedback from me. If you don't, you sacrifice that feedback. Remember that many of the minor assignments are crucial for the successful completion of major assignments. Please be aware that you will do poorly if you abuse the optional nature of the minor assignments.
As zen archers will tell you, focusing too much on the target will cause you to botch the shot. This is why I have eliminated traditional grading in this course. Grades often stifle innovation. It's easy to focus too closely on the fruits of your efforts and not enough on the work itself.
In this course you will receive a traditional midterm grade and a final grade, but I will not grade any of your individual assignments. Don't worry, I'm not going to hang you out to dry. You'll get feedback from me and from your classmates on your major assignments. You won't, however, be getting a letter or a number grade.
I can see why you might be nervous or skeptical about this. Some of my students hate it, but many don't. Here's what some of them have said about a class with no grades:
"Although causing significant amounts of stress, the policy of grading was very efficient in that it truly pushed me as a student to do my best work, and to always strive to improve my work."
-- 2020 Student
"Because he does not tell us where the "cap" is to receive an "A," we continually have to push ourselves and thereby are forced to achieve our personal best, rather than stopping once we've bridged the "A" marker."
-- 3030 Student
"The "gradelessness" kept me working hard and the feedback helped me know where I needed to focus more and increase my efforts. In most classes, I tend to not push myself as hard when I'm in a secure grade zone."
-- Honors Student
So, it's not necessarily easier, but this environment does seem to get the best possible work out of many of my students, which makes us all really happy in the end. It's also how the publishing world works. There's no such thing as 89% of your essay didn't get published.
Because I don't grade your seminar papers and contributions, and so forth, they are, in essence, optional; however, I would prefer that you think of them as opportunities. If you choose to complete them, you'll get feedback that can really help you with your work. I will also provide you with a participation rubric, which will help you get a sense of how I'm gauging your work in this class.
READING » Read everything and take notes, lots and lots of notes.
REVISION » You'll take one essay you've written for another class (or perhaps for the STD conference) and revise it, adding in an appropriate theoretical support for your reading and argument. In revising, you'll convert the document from MLA to Chicago Style.
SEMINAR » You'll turn in a short (1-2) response paper for each day of seminar.
PRESENTATIONS » You'll give a presentation on some aspect of critical theory, based around the works we have read. We'll discuss your topic. You'll write a formal abstract and prospectus, and then deliver the presentation in class. Time limit is about 10 minutes. I'll give more information on this in class as the time approaches.
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.
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. 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 (engl3030), 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: 8/24/2009• Changed: 8/24/2009