ENGL 201: World Literature
Course Requirements and Policies
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Three exams (100 pts. each, 300 points total). Each exam will be half objective, half essay.
All exams are cumulative in the sense that you may be expected to compare any of the works we read to texts from the earlier part of the course (e.g., "compare and contrast female characters in
Homer and Voltaire").
Ten written responses to study questions (100 points). These responses should be a minimum of 250 words, and they should reflect a meaningful contemplation of and analysis of the readings.
Go here for instructions and grading criteria. Please submit
your reading response in hard copy (word processed) on either Tuesday or
Thursday (except on selected weeks indicated on the calendar--usually
weeks we have an exam or a holiday). Your best ten grades will be combined to
count for one-fourth of your grade--so your lowest grade will be dropped (or you can skip one week). Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances, including
illness (you can e-mail your reading response to me if you are ill or must miss
class for some reason--but this is the only circumstance under which you can
submit your reading response electronically, and please bring a hard copy on the next day you are able to attend class). You can submit your responses either Tuesday or Thursday, but your response should attend to readings we have not yet discussed in class. E.g., if we discuss
Iliad 9 on Tuesday, your response on Iliad 9 should be submitted
in class on Tuesday, not on Thursday (after we've already discussed Iliad 9 in class). A paraphrase of the text is not acceptable--you must use the study questions, or your own thought and responses, as a point-of-departure for a meaningful analysis of the text that is supported by quotations and specific examples.
Please consult the reading
response instructions before you begin, and you may find some useful
suggestions on how to write about literature among my handouts.
Please conclude your responses with the Longwood Honor Pledge followed by your name. These responses should not require you to consult outside sources, but if you find it necessary to do so, cite your material using MLA format. If you consult outside sources, do not use them as a substitute for your own ideas. Please read the course policy
on plagiarism before you consult outside sources--especially Internet
sources. Please contact me if your grade isn't posted on Blackboard by the Monday after you submit your response. Please keep copies of all your responses, and check
Blackboard regularly to make sure you are receiving grades.
Grades will be based on the following thresholds: 360 points = A, 320 points = B, 280 points = C, 240 points = D, below 239 = F. You will be able to access your grades on
Blackboard throughout the semester.
POLICY MATTERS
This course requires a substantial amount of reading, most of it in verse. The material we will cover also requires a different kind of reading than you may be accustomed to. Unlike newspaper and magazine articles, or the textbooks you use in social science or business classes, poetry and other works of literature need to be read in a careful, reflective, and active manner. As you plan your study schedule, leave extra time for contemplation and note taking. Keep in mind that college students are generally expected to spend a minimum of two to three hours preparing for each hour of classroom instruction—you should expect to spend a minimum of six
to nine hours per week preparing for this class. On exams, you should be prepared to identify and comment on important characters, episodes, complications, and conflicts in the works we read. One of the best ways to prepare yourself for class is to keep a reading journal in which you record notes on characters, outlines of plots, and your own responses to these works. You may also find it useful to keep a comparative list of Greek and Roman deities with notes on the numerous variants on their names (e.g., Aphrodite = Venus, Cytherea). Feel free to visit me in my office at any time during the semester if you are having difficulty with the readings, lectures, or discussions.
Please arrive on time, and be prepared to listen, think, and contribute. Please turn off wireless phones, pagers, headphones, molecular phase inverters, and other electronic devices that might disrupt class.
If your cell phone goes off during class, Minos will relegate you to the place
in Dante's Hell reserved for the "violent against neighbors." Please treat other students and your instructor in a civil and respectful manner. Note that classroom disruption is a violation of Longwood University's honor code.
Please keep electronic versions of all work you submit for this class until after you have received your final grade. In case of inclement weather, continue to read the daily assignments, continue to submit reading responses, and check
the course web page for
announcements.
The Longwood University attendance policy in the 2004-2005 Undergraduate Catalog will be the attendance policy for this course. You will receive an F on work missed because of unexcused absences. Your grade will be lowered by one letter grade if you miss 10 percent of the scheduled class meeting times for unexcused absences. You will receive an F if you miss a total (excused and unexcused) of 25 percent of the scheduled class meeting times. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain notes from a classmate (as well as announcements about syllabus changes or other matters). Exams can be made up only under the most grave circumstances, and with documentation from an MD or a Longwood University official. If you foresee a conflict, I expect you to discuss it with me beforehand. Written assignments handed in late will lose one letter grade for each class day late.
PLAGIARISM AND HONOR CODE
Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of intellectual dishonesty will result in an F for the course and referral to the Longwood University Judicial system.
