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Course Requirements Please Read Carefully! Essays This course requires that you compose three short essays. Please use the scroll menu below to access a detailed descriptions of each. For general guidelines on preparing a well-structured argument, please consult a standard guide to writing, such as The Bedford Handbook by Diana Hacker. (See recommended books under the "Textbooks" section of this syllabus.) The following online sources by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, provide useful guidance: All essay assignments must be typed and double-spaced. Use an acceptable font and print size, such as Times New Roman, 12 pt. In these and all other stylistic matters, your essays must fully comply with MLA standards. Failure to follow MLA guidelines may result in a lower grade and in having your essay returned to you for revision. Please note that, in this syllabus under "Textbooks," the MLA Handbook is recommended. This Handbook is the authoritative source for the writing of research papers within the academic disciplines of Language and Literature. It will tell you how to cite and document your sources and provide you with examples. Failure to adopt the standard academic practice of citing and documenting sources may prevent you from receiving a passing grade on your essays. In your effort to understand and apply the MLA style, you may find the following online sources to be helpful:
The Writing Center offers UMCP students free tutorial assistance on written assignments. I encourage you to take advantage of their services. Please see their web site. We all have, at some time or another, computer difficulties. Such difficulties are not, however, a legitimate excuse for turning in late work. Don't wait until the last minute to do your work! If you do not have a working computer or printer, of if you lack needed software, you may want to use one of the WAM Labs available to you on campus. You are expected to keep a copy of all work that you turn in and all graded work returned to you. Reviews & Replies During the course of this semester, you will be required to write reviews of four of the seven texts required for this course. Each review will consist of three to four paragraphs (150-250 words) in response to the content of the literary work being considered. Each review should consist of the following parts:
To receive full credit, your reviews must be published on The Review Board no later than two days after the last scheduled discussion of the text. For example, if our final discussion of Carlyle's Past and Present is on a Wednesday, then your review must be published by the following Friday. In addition to posting four reviews, you are required to post at least two brief replies to reviews after the discussion of each text. In other words, during the semester, you should post no fewer than fourteen replies. To receive credit, all replies should be posted within one week of our final discussion of the text under consideration. The Review Board is accessible by way of the "Gallery" on the syllabus. It is password-protected. The password will be announced in class during the first week of the semester; however, once you have registered for the course, you may gain access. E-mail me and I will privately send you the password. The Review Board includes a "Members" section, in which you can introduce yourself to your classmates and engage one another in free discussion regarding all aspects of the course. Exams & Quizzes This course requires that you take two exams:
Both exams will consist of questions demanding written answers. The mid-term will call for brief responses, whereas the Final will call for short-essay responses. Participation Discussion of literature requires deliberate preparation. If you do not prepare yourself in advance of the class period by thoughtfully reading and reflecting upon the literature required for discussion, you will not be prepared to make a significant contribution to the learning experience in the classroom. Your course participation will, therefore, be measured largely your willingness and readiness to contribute to the class discussions. You may bring drinks into the classroom, as long as you take responsibility for spills and trash. Attendance If you have an excusable absence, such as an absence that can be verified as resulting from an illness or injury or from judicial or military involvement, then you may be able to turn in an otherwise late assignment without penalty. Do not, however, attempt to turn in homework by way of e-mail or disk; it will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to make certain that I receive sufficient information to excuse your absence or inability to turn in work on time. If you have an excused absence, I will be glad to meet with you during my office hours or some other scheduled time to answer any questions that you might have regarding the class that you missed; however, most of the information provided within a context of discussion cannot be reproduced. Once attendance has been taken, no changes will be made in the attendance record until after the class period. You must approach me then, if you wish me to make a change in the record. If you enter the classroom late, please do so as unobtrusively as possible. Academic Integrity Academic integrity is a requirement of this course, as it is a requirement of every course in the University of Maryland. On the behalf of all honest students and fair-minded instructors, please privately report any suspected form of academic dishonesty to your instructor. Your right to privacy will be honored, and a report of the alleged misconduct will be submitted to the Student Honor Council for further investigation and judicial review. Please see the Student Honor Council, which includes the Code of Academic Integrity. |
Eating in the classroom is more apt to cause distractions. Therefore, as a general rule, eating will not be permitted during class time.