CLASS HOURS: Tuesday, Thursday 11:00 AM-12:15 PM, Juniper Hall 1228, Class # 13135
OFFICE: 803 Sierra Tower
TELEPHONE: 677-0901
E-MAIL: OFFICE HOURS
Texts
Note: If you were unable to acquire the textbook by the beginning of the semester, you may download the first readings by clicking the links below:
Please print these PDF documents and bring them with you to class (after reading them, of course).
If you would like to order your textbook directly, you may do some from Amazon.com by clicking here.
Coursework
Grading will be based on participation (5%), a midterm exam (25%), a final exam (30%), and two tests (20% each). The tests and exams may be administered online using Moodle.
All written work done outside of class must be typed. Late submissions of work will drop as much as one full grade. Since students in English courses are expected by society at large to be acquiring writing skills, I privilege grammar, spelling, and editing in my grading. Work containing distracting numbers of typos, spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors will be graded primarily on these criteria on a sliding scale. That is, the more distracting these factors are, the more they are worth (up to 100% of your grade). For details of the participation grade, please read my Class Policies below.
Class Policies
By enrolling in this course you agree to have read and to abide by the policies listed below.
Grading
Grades are A, B, C, D, or F and can receive a plus or minus. To receive a grade other than a WU, you must have completed more than half the coursework (no exceptions).
Although I may award extra credit for some non-required activities (such as attendance at guest lectures), I regret that I am unable to grade assignments beyond those required for class in order to award extra credit.
Participation
Enrolling in this class requires a commitment to participate in a community of learners in which you agree to contribute to and not to detract from the learning environment. In order to receive full credit for participation, you must do the readings in advance, bring assigned textbooks to each class, be prepared to discuss the materials, and complete all assignments. You must also arrive to class on time and remain in the class room for the duration of the class period. For disruptive behaviour, I reserve the right to increase the proportion of your final grade allotted to participation, as I feel appropriate. There is no automatic credit for attendance, and frequent absences will be noted and may be reflected in your final grade.
Inappropriate Use of Technology in Class
Ringing and/or vibrating cell phones in class disrupt my concentration and that of your fellow students, inevitably lowering the quality of the learning environment. If your cell phone goes off in class, I reserve the right to impose penalties to your grade or to ask you to leave the classroom, as I deem appropriate. If your cell phone disrupts my thought process as I am teaching, I may call a “class break” of five minutes in order to recover from the distraction. It is in your interest to remember that you will have deprived your fellow classmates of five minutes of my teaching time.
If you have a computer or smart phone in the classroom,it will be very tempting to check your e-mail, read Facebook, or generally surfthe web for purposes unrelated to the class. Resist. If I catch you engaged inthese activities, I reserve the right to impose penalties to your grade or ask you to leave the classroom, as I deem appropriate. Please be aware that this has the same effect on my teaching as cell phones and may also trigger the “class break” response.
Academic Honesty
It is extremely important that all aspects of your work are come by honourably. Efforts to gain an advantage not given to all students are dishonest and regarded as an extremely serious matter by the academic community. Consequences range from probation to expulsion. University policy stipulates that plagiarism, the submission of another person’s work as your own, is a violation of academic honesty, even if it arises out of ignorance or oversight, rather than deliberate cheating. Enrolling in this class means that you agree to abide by my decision regarding the appropriate action to take in cases of academic dishonesty. If you have any questions about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, please consult me.
Add/Drop Policy
Students should make sure that they follow the university’s add/drop deadlines, outlined in the Schedule of Classes. According to university policy, drops are only allowed after the set date when “a) there is a serious and compelling reason–specifically the student’s emotional or physical health or financial condition is clearly in jeopardy, and b) there is no viable alternative–including repeating the class”. Students will need to provide documentation on official letterhead–a letter, on official stationery, from a doctor or an employer–to support their reasons. No adds will be allowed unless a student can provide documented proof–e.g., a clerical error–for the reason for the tardiness. Please make sure to meet the deadline!
Withdrawals and Incompletes
The standard grade if a student fails to complete the work for a class is a “WU”. This is the equivalent of an “F”, but the grade may be changed if you re-take the course at a future time. This grade is also assigned to students who have not attended after the first few classes of the semester but have not officially “withdrawn” from the course.
I may assign an Incomplete (“I”) if and only if you meet all of the following conditions:
- You have completed the vast bulk of the work;
- You are passing the class;
- You fill out and bring to me a “Request for an Incomplete” form (also available from the English Department office), on which I detail exactly what is still needed for completion of the course.
- I can make no exceptions to this policy, even if it affects your financial aid.
Once you take an incomplete, you have a year from the date recorded on the form to complete the requirements of the course and have your grade changed; therefore, you should submit work early enough to allow me to grade your work and fill out the necessary forms to assign you a new grade.
Keep in mind that, after you take an Incomplete, any grading of your work becomes an added burden on my busy timetable during the following year. Therefore you should not expect the normal amount of comments on your work or any extra teaching beyond my normal office hours.