ENGL 2350

Instructor: Dr. Peggy Kulesz	Term: Spring 2011
Phone: 817-272-2659	Time: 8:00am
Office: Carlisle 620 Office Hours: 10am-11am and by appointment	Meeting Days: MWF
E-mail: kulesz@uta.edu	Location: 207 Preston Hall

Office Hours: MWF 10am to 11am (unless I am observing a GTA); and by appointment

The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms,, Ross Murfin and Supryia Ray.

Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice (fifth edition), Charles E. Bressler

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Harriet Jacobs, Norton Critical Edition ISBN 0-393-97637-8

COMPUTER AND EMAIL: All students must have access to a computer with internet capabilities. Students should check email daily for course information and updates. I will send group emails through MyMav or Blackboard. Your UTA email will be the official class email address. The course web page will be your link to our course assignments, extra resources, reading material, videos, and changes to the schedule. Please check this web page daily. I will occasionally post information, questions or handouts in this location, and I will not distribute copies of this material. You may print handouts and assignments at home or in a UTA computer lab. Keep in mind the UTA copy allowance. Please read "Email Etiquette" from OWL at Purdue.

E-CULTURE POLICY: I am happy to communicate with students through email. However, I ask that you be wise in your use of this tool. Make sure you have consulted the syllabus and web page for answers before you send me an email. Remember, I do not monitor my email 24 hours a day. I check it periodically during the school week and occasionally on the weekend. The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University email address as an official means of communication with students. Through the use of email, UT-Arlington is able to provide students with relevant and timely information, designed to facilitate student success. In particular, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation may be sent to students through email. All students are assigned an email account and information about activating and using it is available at www.uta.edu/email. New students (first semester at UTA) are able to activate their email account 24 hours after registering for courses. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active as long as a student is enrolled at UT-Arlington. Students are responsible for checking their email and Blackboard announcements regularly.

ENGLISH MAJOR LISTSERV: To unsubscribe--i.e., leave--the ENGMAJOR list all that is necessary is to email the command: signoff engmajor to listserv@listserv.uta.edu (Please do not send the command to the engmajor list!). If this does not work, please call English Dept. office for assistance: 817-272-2692.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to introduce English majors, potential English majors, and those seeking secondary certification in English for what is required of them as majors in the English Dept. The course will teach students to (1) identify characteristics of genres (2) recognize and understand critical and literary terms (3) develop methods and strategies for analyzing and interpreting texts and (4) demonstrate a command of these methods and strategies in written work. This course is a prerequisite for all upper-level English courses. Students who are not preparing for academic endeavors related to English studies will be expected to adapt to the specific academic requirements and strategies for reading, thinking, and writing generally followed in the field of English studies.

CONFERENCES AND QUESTIONS: I have three regularly scheduled conference times each week. These times are reserved for students to drop by or to make an appointment to discuss course assignments, grades, or other class related concerns. However, I may be called away for meetings, teaching observations or other job related activities during these scheduled times. I will be happy to make other appointment times for you if your class schedule conflicts with regular conference times, or if I am not available on certain days. If you receive a grade on an assignment or quiz about which you have questions, please wait twenty-four hours before discussing it with me. This gives you time to process the assignment comments and to think about how your course work meets the requirements set forth for each assignment. I do not discuss individual student issues in the classroom before, during or after class.

1. Students should be able to demonstrate an informed understanding of the many different approaches to analyzing and interpreting texts and films. Students should be able to explain the similarities and differences of those approaches as well as their benefits and limitations.

2. Students should be able to demonstrate an informed understanding of the different modes of inquiry and research within English studies.

3. Students should be able to analyze and interpret texts and films employing close reading skills as well as a variety of other theories and methods.

4. Students should be able to perform independent research, using web based scholarly sources and UTA Library resources and services including databases, print material, and interlibrary loan.

5. Students should be able to express their ideas in clear, logical, organized, concise, and persuasive ways, in both written and oral forms.

6. Students should be able to define and apply terms within English studies and explain the significance of those terms.

7. Students should be able to respond critically to all course material, using synthesis, analysis, comparison, contrast, critique and evaluation.

8. Students should be able to demonstrate ability to effectively utilize technology in a variety forms.

ASSIGNMENTS: All course work must be completed on time. Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the assigned date. Quizzes and in-class assignments may not be made up. Assignments must be completed according to the specific assigned format. Assignments are due on the date they are listed in the syllabus. Work done outside of class should be typed. Assignments turned in after the class has begun will receive a ten-percent deduction. For each calendar day following, the work will receive an additional ten percent deduction. Work is not accepted after three late days. If you must be absent, your work is still due on the assigned date. Coming to class ill-prepared could result in your being asked to leave the classroom.

ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION/DECORUM: Although this course is an introductory course, it is designed for those who are entering the various professions of English studies. It is a rigorous course and requires students to come to every class prepared to take an active role in the learning setting. Obviously, you should read each assignment carefully, think about it critically, and generate ideas and questions from your analysis. It is expected that students in this course will actively and appropriately engage in class discussion and participate in collaborative learning situations. Class attendance is very important, and I take roll daily. If you miss five MWF classes you will have 10 points deducted from your final grade. Each absence thereafter will result in five more point deductions. Class attendance is very important and will affect your participation grade and your final course grade. Since I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences, it is best to use your "free" absences for real emergencies. Please do not bring me doctor's excuses or tell me sad stories about your absences. You have four freebies, use them wisely. NO, you cannot make-up anything you missed in class, and YES, you will miss something. Get information and notes from a classmate. I do not have notes to give you. I will not supply what you miss by email or phone. Please make an appointment to see me in person to discuss absenteeism and tardiness. Please be in class on time, ready to begin the day's activities. Students who arrive in class after we have begun may be counted absent or may not be admitted at all. Please be in class on time, ready to begin the day's activities. Habitual tardiness is one indication of poor time management and life preparation. If you have special circumstances, please discuss them with me before they become a problem. However, please be advised that I will be the sole judge of what constitutes special circumstances not covered by the syllabus. If you register late for this course, all classes missed will be counted as absences. Students are expected to participate respectfully in class, to listen to other class members, and to comment appropriately. I also expect consideration and courtesy from students. Professors are to be addressed appropriately and communicated with professionally. Here are some links to help clarify student/faculty interaction:

METHODS FOR ASSESSMENT AND REQUIREMENTS FOR CREDIT: Class will usually begin with a short reading quiz. Additionally, during the semester, several essays will be required. The due dates are listed in the course schedule, but actual essay assignments will be posted on the course web page. These essays should be typed, stapled, and prepared according to MLA guidelines. We will have two exams: a test over literary terms and a final exam which will require you to demonstrate knowledge of the readings and your ability to apply and synthesize several methodologies for textual analysis. Each student will also engage in research culminating in a scholarly paper of 5-7 pages. As part of your project you will prepare a bibliography of your research, an authorial context paper, and a textual history Power Point presentation. You are encouraged to schedule conferences with me to discuss your term project, essays, or other issues relating to the course.

Grading Scale
Participation	15%
Jacobs Essay	5%
Terms Exam	15%
Project Assignments	25%
Literary Analysis	20%
Final Exam	20%

(*A portion of your participation grade is made up of quiz grades, in-class assignments, presentations, group assignments, attendance, etc.

ELECTRONICS POLICY: Please turn off and put away all cell phones, pagers, and other electronics during class. During class, laptop computers are not to be used to read email, update Facebook or fantasy teams or other personal matters.. Texting is absolutely forbidden during class.

The Writing Center, Room 411 in the Central Library, offers tutoring for any writing you are assigned while a student at UT-Arlington. During Spring 2011, Writing Center hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday; and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. You may schedule appointments online at uta.mywconline.com, by calling 817 272-2601, or by visiting the Writing Center. If you come to the Writing Center without an appointment, you will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis as tutors become available. Writing Center tutors are carefully chosen and trained, and they can assist you with any aspect of your writing, from understanding an assignment to revising an early draft to polishing a final draft. However, the Writing Center is not an editing service; tutors will not correct your grammar or rewrite your assignment for you, but they will help you become a better editor of your own writing. I encourage each of you to use the Writing Center.

DROPS/WITHDRAWALS: I am not allowed to "drop" you from this course. You must familiarize yourself with and follow university policies, procedures and deadlines. If you stop attending class and fail to officially drop the class, you will receive an "F' grade in the course.

The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Any student requiring an accommodation for this course must provide the instructor with official documentation in the form of a letter certified by the staff in the Office for Students with Disabilities, University Hall 102. Only those students who have officially documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored. Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability or by calling the Office for Students with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364. Please see me privately during the first week of the semester to discuss your accommodations.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Your work is to be your own, and it is to be prepared originally for this course. It is considered academic dishonesty to present work done by someone else and to claim it as yours. It is also inappropriate to hand in a paper or portions of a paper written for another class. Any borrowed information (from books, websites, and other sources) should include the correct documentation to identify it as originating elsewhere. Academic dishonesty of any type (plagiarism, cheating, preparing work for others, etc.) is unacceptable even if you do it accidentally. All instances of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to UTA policy and procedures, and I will send a copy of questionable work to the office of the Dean of Students to be kept on file. I also reserve the right to award zeros on assignments and/or an F as a final grade in the course to any student who engages in any type of academic dishonesty. It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22)

STUDENT SERVICES SUPPORT: The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. These programs include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.