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Rules of Conduct LAST UPDATE: 01/01/08 |
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ENGLISH
266W: INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY
GENRES AND IDEAS
COURSE MATERIALS: XJ and Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Dana Gioia, Literature: An
Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, 5th
compact ed., 2007. ·
If the textbook in the bookstores is not this edition, the class will
use no textbook; Dr. Hanson will provide handouts instead. Notepaper and folder or notebook Pen or pencil Students should
maintain a working email address. COURSE DESCRIPTION: ENG 266W A study of the various kinds
of literature on the basis of their content, form, or technique, with
emphasis on the conventions or usages which govern each type. The major
genres of poetry, fiction, and drama will be covered. LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the course the student will be able to: 1. Analyze a text by implementing rhetorical and/or literary strategies. 2. Recognize the elements of appropriate literary genres. 3. Focus a topic and formulate a critical/analytical thesis, focus, main point, or claim appropriate for an academic audience that analysis literature—nonfiction and/or fiction. 4. Use a variety of organizational strategies within a single paper to support a thesis, focus, main point, or claim. 5. Interpret texts in a variety of cultural and historical contexts. 6. Demonstrate an ability to use effective research techniques to find appropriate oral and/or written media such as books, articles, interviews, visuals, and government documents. 7. Demonstrate an ability to evaluate sources. 8. Avoid plagiarism when incorporating quotations, paraphrases, and ideas. 9. Follow standard guidelines in documenting resources. 10. Synthesize and evaluate various interpretations of texts to complete an extended research project. 11. Compose relatively error-free papers. Class
Policies
Student Syllabus Guidelines: You may find online a more detailed description of certain SHSU policies listed below. These online guidelines will also provide you with a link to the specific university policy or procedure to which the syllabus guidelines are connected. The online students syllabus guidelines: http://www.shsu.edu/syllabus/ It is important to be familiar with the material in the Class Schedule
concerning religious holidays because this explains the policy that will be
followed. Students are allowed to miss class and other required
activities, including examination, for the observance of a religious holy
day, including travel for that purpose.
Students remain responsible for all work. See
Student Syllabus Guidelines. Students who miss class
due to university-sanctioned events should present a letter on university
letterhead, signed by their advisor or coach, that explains the absence.
Since this information is known in advance, the letter should be submitted to
the instructor by the end of the first week of instruction. University policy
allows 3 hours of excused absences.
If you have an excessive number of absenses, there is a possibility
that we will have a conference.
Please be positive about participation in this class in all respects:
attendance, attitude, discussion, activities, and completion of your grade
log. Section 51.911(b) of the Texas Education Code requires that an
institution of higher education excuse a student from attending classes or
other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a
religious holy day, including travel for that purpose. A student whose absence is excused
under this subsection may not be penalized for that absence and shall be
allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment from which the
student is excused within a reasonable time after the absence. “Religious holy day” means a holy day
observed by a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property
taxation under Section 11.20, Tax Code. A class roster will be used each day; please
sign in. You may be marked absent if you do not sign in. Also, if you do not sign in, your assignments might not be graded on that day and then these assignments might be ones that you cannot make up. You may not sign in for someone else. If you sign in for someone else (whether they are in attendance that day or not), your assignments for that day might not count towards your grade and then these assignments might not be ones that you can make up. Attendance to all classes is expected. A student who
anticipates an absence will notify the instructor in advance. An excessive
number of absences will prohibit the successful completion of this course. Students who miss a
class session are still responsible for the content of the class and material
covered. Please get the email
address of one or two peers in class; ask these students to explain the
missed assignments, copy their lecture notes, and ask these students to take
extra handouts to give to you.
Please turn in missed assignments as soon as possible. If you need a makeup assignment,
contact your study partner. If
you have questions after you have contacted your study partner, then contact
Dr Hanson. Dr Hanson will be happy to
give you a makeup assignment; however, the makeup assignment will be more
difficult than the original assignment.
Unfortunately,
nothing really substitutes for being in class yourself and hearing lecture,
instructions, and discussion.
Therefore, if you don’t attend class on a regular basis, there are
certain assignments, like discussion and presentations that cannot be
re-simulated for you outside of class, so it would be virtually impossible
for you to make up these assignments.
For these reasons, students who do not attend class regularly often
end up with a semester grade that is at least 2 grades lower (for example,
“C” or below) than the students who attend class. If you
need to come to class late or leave class early, please sit near the
door. It is prudent to hand in assignments in a timely manner. All assignments are to be completed and submitted to the instructor during classtime; assignments received via email will receive no credit. Major paper assignments must not be handed in late if the student expects to receive credit for the paper. Please expect to have classwork assignments for each class
meeting. The only work that will
be done at home is major papers and projects. Assignments and major
papers/projects must be typed and double-spaced or they can be handwritten on
notebook paper. Assignments must
follow formatting instructions (see Formatting Instructions below) A
signup sheet will be passed around during classtime for some assignments; you
must do your assignment on the day you sign up for it. Some assignments will be done online on my online extended
classroom. Please log-on
to Nicenet. To do so, go to www.nicenet.org and log-in on the homepage
at the top right corner where it says “Student log-in to Join a class.” The class key is 6Z97707E89. After you enter the class key, follow
the instruction screens. First
you set up your account. There
are links posted in “Link Sharing,” where the students in this class will
access the information to complete assignments, including the final exam. Rubrics for
assignments will be discussed in class or posted on Nicenet. The
students in this class will be asked to complete a course/instructor
evaluation form online toward the end of the semester. Students should study 30 minutes each day of the week to prepare for this course. Students can form study groups to assist them in preparing for class work. Mark the reading with your comments and response notes. Proofread your writing and use revision and editing techniques before handing in major assignments. There might be some optional assignments in this class that will not be graded. There may be assignments that cannot be made up. It is very important that all students are
prepared each day. Your active participation in class discussions,
cooperative learning opportunities, and group projects is essential. Students
who are unprepared, who sleep in class, or who are disruptive will be asked
to leave class and will be counted absent. Students
are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom environment that is
conducive to learning. Students
are to treat faculty and students with respect. Students are to turn off all cell phones while in the
classroom. Under no
circumstances are cell phones or any electronic devices to be used or seen
during times of examination.
Students may tape record lectures provided they do not disturb other
students in the process. The English department at SHSU realizes that you
will not always agree with everything you read or hear in this class. That’s OK. We don’t expect you to. What we do expect you to do is be open-minded, flexible
and patient while in class. There will be no make-up
exam for the Final Exam.
Students cannot take the final exam earlier than the assigned time for
the final. Grading Policy and Course
Requirements: To successfully complete this course, you should complete all of the assignments and follow directions on all assignments. Final grades are determined by averaging the total of each area listed below:
Grading Scale:
*All
class work is
considered part of this syllabus.
You should complete assignments the professor gives you or that you devise
that are approved by the professor.
If the professor did not give you written approval to do your
assignment choice, the assignment is not valid and will not count towards
your grade. It is a good idea
to keep track of your grade; average it yourself so that you know what your
grade is. Keep an attendance,
assignment, and grade log. If
you need a log form, ask Dr Hanson to give you one. . Keep all of
your assignments until Fall semester 2008. To average your
grade, use the point system in the table above. Then divide the total number of points by 10. For example, if in classwork,
participation, and attendance you have an A, give yourself 4 +4 = 8 points
(20 %). If presentations 1, 2,
and 3 average to a B, give yourself 3 + 3 + 3 = 9 points (30%). If the research paper project gets a
“C,” give yourself 2+2+2 points = 6 points (+2 three times because the
research paper project is worth 30% of the total semester grade). If your
final exam grade is an A, give yourself 4 + 4 = 8 points (20 %). Add these points together (8+9+6+8 =
a total of 31 points). Divide by
10 and you get 3.1 = your semester grade is a B). There
will be 3 grade updates via email.
If you have questions about your grade, email Dr. Hanson. She will not speak to you about
grades except via email . Quality
and quantity are important when handing in major assignments; these are
considered when your final exam and other assignments are graded. You should think about all assignments in
terms of competence, thoroughness, and thoughtfulness. Be
certain that you have all the pages of handouts that are distributed to the
class. To assure that your assignments
will receive the highest grade possible, follow directions and ask questions
if you are uncertain how to proceed. Assignments of any kind must not be emailed to the professor. All coursework must be handed in as a hard copy. At
times, due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, the
student may not be able to finish the course, and the student may request a
grade of X (incomplete). A student who requests an X grade for ENG 464W
should provide adequate documentation of the reason the student was unable to
complete the course, and the student should have satisfactorily completed at
least 50 percent of the course’s assignments in order to be eligible for a
grade of X. If an instructor
feels an X to be warranted, the instructor will recommend this grade to the
Department Chair who then will decide whether the X should be entered as the
semester’s grade. If an X is
approved, the student has one semester to complete the remaining work; if the
student does not complete the work in that time period, the X grade
automatically converts to an F. ***To expedite
course curriculum and keep a pleasant classroom environment, students are
asked to please refrain from asking questions or making comments during class
time. If you need to ask
something or say something, please write down your ideas or questions on the
provided index cards and hand them to the professor at any time during
class. Your card will be
answered as quickly as possible.
If the rest of the class needs to hear what you have written, the
professor will make that decision, not you. During class work time, you may approach the professor one
at a time and ask a question in a quiet voice. ***Of course, during
discussion time, participation is encouraged. Your opinion on the reading, film clips, and exercise
writings is valued by the professor and part of your overall grade for the
course. Personal problems and
concerns are not part of these discussions. *** These procedures
will help the other students in the class who are trying to work and
concentrate. If you need background noise to work, bring your music and ear
phones to class. Do not crank
the music up so loud that the class can hear it. *** Personal
problems and questions and comments may only be expressed on the index cards or
paper, in the hallway, during office hours, or on email. This helps make the classroom a more
genial environment for everyone involved. The other students do not
appreciate having to wait and listen to every personal concern that each
student might need to express during class time when we are all supposed to
be working. ***Students who
blurt out things in front of the entire class will be asked by the professor
to use the proper channels to ask questions and make comments. So that you are not embarrassed in
front of your peers, please follow the classroom rules of conduct. ***If you feel like
whining, please try to keep it to yourself. None of us want to hear it because we all have problems of
our own. Class is not an
appropriate place to vent and air your problems to all of us. ***Students are
expected to assist in maintaining a classroom environment that is conducive
to learning. Students are to
treat faculty and students with respect. Students are to turn off all cell phones while in the classroom. Under no circumstances are cell
phones or any electronic devices to be used or seen during times of
examination. Students may tape
record lectures provided they do not disturb other students in the
process. See Student Syllabus Guidelines. ***The English department realizes that you
will not always agree with everything you read or hear in this class. That’s OK. We don’t expect you to. What we do expect you to do is be open-minded, flexible
and patient while in class. Writing Center: The Writing Center is located in 111 Farrington; its phone number is 4-3680. It is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. on Friday from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. The Writing Center is a place where the student can go for help with writing assignments in all classes, including developing ideas and then structuring them in a paper. The student may also visit the Writing Center online: www.shsu.edu/~wctr. There is no additional charge for using the Writing Center, and the student is encouraged to do so. The professor is also available and willing to tutor students concerning their writing. In addition, there are reading and math centers on the SHSU campus as well as academic advising and much more at the SAM center.
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: All students are
expected to engage in all academic pursuits in a manner that is above
reproach. Students are expected
to maintain honesty and integrity in the academic experiences both in and out
of the classroom. Any
student found guilty of dishonesty in any phase of academic work will be
subject to disciplinary action.
The University and its official representatives may initiate
disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of any form of academic
dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating on an examination or other
academic work which is to be submitted, plagiarism, collusion and the abuse
of resource materials. See Student Syllabus Guidelines. The instructor may require that the student
submit all essays to the following plagiarism detecting services: Google, copyscape.com, and
turnitin.com. Enrolling in the
course and electing to stay in that section constitutes the student’s
agreement to submit work as the instructor requires. Copyright Laws: The student is individually and solely responsible for
violation of copyright and fair use laws. SHSU will neither protect nor defend students nor assume
any responsibility for student violations of fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could
subject the student to federal and state civil penalties and criminal
liability as well as disciplinary action under SHSU policies. For these reasons, SHSU encourages
students to visit its copyright web page.
Drop Date: May 8
is the final date to drop or withdraw from a class without a grade being
recorded. No withdrawals will be
permitted after this date for any reason. American With Disabilities Act/Special
Accommodations: It is the policy of Sam Houston State University that individuals
otherwise qualified shall not be excluded, solely by reason of their disability,
from participation in any academic program of the university. Further, they shall not be denied the
benefits of these programs nor shall they be subjected to discrimination. Student with disabilities that might
affect their academic performance should visit with the Office of Services
for Students with Disabilities located in the Counseling Center. They should then make arrangements with
their individual instructors so that appropriate strategies can be considered
and helpful procedures can be developed to ensure that participation and
achievement opportunities are not impaired. SHSU adheres to all applicable
federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to
providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. If a student has a disability that
may affect adversely his/her work in this class, then the student is
encouraged to register with SHSU Counseling Center and to talk with the
instructor about how best to deal with the situation. All disclosures of disabilities will
be kept strictly confidential.
NOTE: no accommodations can be made until the student registers with
the Counseling Center. See
Student Syllabus Guidelines.
Visitors:
Unannounced visitors to class must present a current, official SHSU
identification card to be permitted into the classroom. They must not present a disruption to
the class by their attendance.
If the visitor is not a registered student, it is at the instructor’s
discretion whether or not the visitor will be allowed to remain in the
classroom. Students wishing to
audit a class should apply to do so through the Registrar’s Office. See Student Syllabus Guidelines. End of syllabus (Reading is to be
done during class time; Page
numbers indicate where reading begins)
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