Contents:
Texts
Policy Statement
Grades
Grading Criteria
Plagiarism
Students with Disabilities
ESL Students
Melanie R. Ulrich
email: mel-u@mail.utexas.edu
office hours: MWF 12-1p, PAR 4th floor
- The Book of Margery Kempe - by herself - excerpts distributed in class
- Oroonoko, The Rover, & Other Works - Aphra Behn - Penguin Classics, ed Janet Todd (won't be available till ~Jan 21)
- Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen - Oxford's World's Classics (with Lady Susan, the Watsons, & Sanditon) ISBN: 0-19-282758-8
- Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - Broadview Press Ed. ISBN: 1551111802
- A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf - Harvest ed (Harcourt Brace) ISBN: 0-15-678733-4
- No Telephone to Heaven - Michelle Cliff (BUY ONLINE: www.bookfinder.com lists over 90 copies available from different used book stores. Or try the 5 Half-Price Books here in town (see map & info). Either way, get your copy quickly!
You will also need an e-mail account, IF number, 2 Zip disks, and access to the Internet and a printer.
All texts are available at Bookwoman (472.2785) bookstore, located at 12th and Lamar (see map). Call before going to Bookwoman to make sure the texts are in (~ end of January).
Goals: E 314L is a course designed to introduce students to the English major and field of literary studies. This semester, you will learn how to read texts critically, write about texts, conduct library research, and document sources based upon conventions in the field.
Course Expectations & Advice: To do well (or even passably) in this course, you must do a few key things...
Come to class. I expect you to show up on time, every class meeting, and to participate in activities. Naturally circumstances arise that force you to miss the occasional class. Excessive absences do affect your participation grade, worth 10% of the final mark. If you do miss a day, ask a classmate about what was covered.
Turn in assignments on time. I will accept final drafts only up to 24 hours late, with a deduction of one full letter grade. This means that if you turn in Paper 2 two hours late, your B will drop to a C. Papers more than one day late will not be accepted and you will receive a grade of 0. If you cannot attend class on the date an assignment is due, have a classmate or friend drop it off during scheduled class time. I will accept assignments by e-mail, but I am not responsible for them - e-mailed assignments may be forgotten, lost, deleted... e-mail at your own risk! All assignments should be typed.
Be ready for class. Do your homework. Read the assigned material. If it's boring, jot down in the margins where and why you lose interest. You'll still have something to contribute to discussion. I try to keep the assignments at a reasonable level, although this is an English course and has a hefty amount of reading. Look ahead on the syllabus and plan your studies accordingly. Remember to bring your materials, and please do not throw away ANY work before the end of semester.
During class you should...
* show respect for the instructor and for your classmates * use your time wisely--when you are in class, work on material related to class only; if you have spare time, work on your ongoing projects, reading, or other preparations for this class * try to remember to turn your cell phone off, or put it on vibrate so it isn't disruptive to all. Students who are persistently disruptive or abusive will receive an F for the class.
See me during office hours. Students who seek out individual conferences are usually those who make the most improvement throughout the semester. I am always happy to schedule appointments for those who cannot attend my regular office hours. Similarly, it is also recommended that you visit the Undergraduate Writing Center for additional consultation. The UWC is located in FAC 211 near the SMF lab.
GradesGrades will be based on 3 6-page papers, each worth 30% of your final grade, and on classwork, homework, class participation, and 1 class presentation, combined to equal 10% of your final grade.
C: To earn a C, your argumentative paper should, first and foremost, take a clear stand on one debatable claim and provide sufficient evidence to support that position. To accomplish this requirement, make sure your paper fulfills the assignment (type of argument, outside research, length, format, and so on) and give your paper a discernible structure, using transitions to help your reader move from one idea to another. The ideas you present should demonstrate that you understand the literary concepts that your instructor has addressed in class. If you use outside sources, summarize them accurately and employ them fairly. Grammatical and syntactical mistakes should not impede your readers' understanding of your argument.
B: To earn a B, first build on the skills needed to earn a C. In addition to making a clear argument, you might address a more complicated or challenging topic. You might synthesize and evaluate outside sources in the service of developing your own claim. Finally, show that you understand the importance of word choice, voice, and style, in addition to grammatical competency.
A: To earn an A, you should continue to build on the foundations discussed above. Your thesis should be provocative, possibly addressing an issue from a perspective that most readers have not considered, perhaps even changing the way they look at it altogether. To construct such a thesis, you need to have a comprehensive and organic understanding of the text as a whole, and a sophisticated sense of its relationship to other texts and of its historical context. As always, you should demonstrate your command of style, voice, mechanics, and usage.
If you receive a D on a paper, carefully consider the criteria listed above for a C. Instructors may give Ds to papers when writers, while demonstrating a general understanding of the topic and concepts, have not mastered some basic skills. If you misunderstand the assignment; show little understanding of the required rhetorical concepts; or ignore the technical requirements of topic, length, or format, your paper may receive an F.
Turning in work that is not your own or any other form of scholastic dishonesty will
result in a major course penalty (including possible failure of the course). A report of the incident will also be made to the Office of the Dean of Students. Do not use editing services other than those offered by the Undergraduate Writing Center (FAC 211) or the Learning Skills Center. Approved tutors are trained to help you resolve your own problems, so that all your writing reflects what you have learned. We will be covering the use of sources and the skills of paraphrase and summary extensively in class. If you have
any questions about the use you are making of sources for your assignments, see me before you turn in the project.
Complaints: Bring any questions you have about grades or policies to me first. Questions about grades will not be accepted the day I pass back an assignment. They must be presented in writing within one week.
Students with DisabilitiesThe University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TDD.
ESL studentsI will grade the language and style portion of ESL students' papers slightly more gently. Let me know if you qualify.