Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC)
Fall/2016
Liberal Arts
Literature 211-300, Masterpieces of World Literature II, 3 credits
Monday/Wednesday 1100-1220, Laurel 312
William Patrick Wend, Instructor
wwend@rcbc.edu
Office, Laurel Hall 110
Monday/Wednesday 1230-1330
Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 1100-1200
I am primarily in my email during office hours except for Wednesday when I do "EOffice" hours (2100-2200) on Skype. If you send an email after about 1600, there is a good chance I will not answer it until the next morning.
SECTION 1: Course Information
Course Description:
This course will cover both fictional and non-fiction works from the eleventh century to the present with a focus on European and non-Western traditions. Students will explore the historical, social, and cultural contexts of chosen texts in order to trace the development of modern literary genres.
Required Texts and other Materials:
- Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
- Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
- Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft
- Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee
- Other Materials Supplied By Professor Wend!
Please acquire the most accessible, cheapest, versions of these texts that you can! Do not overspend!
Course Learning Outcomes ~ By the end of Literature 211, you should be able to:
1. Demonstrate your ability to recognize and analyze the major elements of literature in terms of the novel, short story, and essay;
2. Identify the historical, social, and cultural influences on writers and their work;
3. Write clear and coherent essays which analyze these literary elements and influences;
4. Complete independent research for both written and oral presentations.
General Education Outcomes
Written and Oral Communication: Communication
* Students will logically and persuasively support their points of view or findings.
* Students will communicate meaningfully with a chosen audience while demonstrating critical thought.
* Students will conduct investigative research which demonstrates academic integrity, originality, depth of thought, and mastery of an approved style of source documentation.
Humanistic Perspective: Humanities LITERATURE:
* Students will recognize and assess the contributions of people from various nations and/or cultures.
* Students will analyze the changing significance of social constructions of religion, race, class, and/or gender in cultural artifacts (music, art, literature) throughout time.
Global and Cultural Awareness: Diversity
* Students will be able to compare and contrast cultural norms from diverse populations.
* Students will be able to explain how communication and culture are interrelated.
* Students will be able to examine how multicultural societies and peoples help engender a richer understanding of diverse life experiences.
CORE COURSE CONTENT:
A selection of non-Western texts from 1000 CE to the present
A selection of short stories from the Medieval period to the present
Early to contemporary novels
Select non-fiction and literary criticism
SECTION 2: Course Information
Course and Classroom Policies:
ATTENDANCE: The following Board-approved Attendance Policy will be enforced. Students are required to attend all class sessions for the full duration of each such instructional session. Grade penalties for absences will be imposed when a student exceeds a ten-percent absence rate (in the case of 15-week English 101 courses, starting with the third absence). The policy can be accessed at http://my.bcc.edu/PDFFiles/Human%20Resources/Policy%20No%20206%20Academic%20Attendance%20Policy%2006
Student attendance is important. Students are expected to attend every session unless there is a legitimate reason for them missing class. Failure to regularly attend a class a class like this like this will greatly impede student success. Your grades will be determined by your writing, but attendance and what you contribute to the course are crucial. If you do not attend class or contribute actively, you are unlikely to comprehend the course material well enough to pass the course. Leaving early, without prior permission, is considered disrespectful and will not be tolerated. I will not tolerate frequent lateness. If this is a morning class and the student has difficulties staying awake or showing up on time, I would strongly suggest finding another section of this course to take.
Special Note for Students Receiving Financial Aid and/or Veterans Aid: Attendance will be reviewed by Financial Aid and Veterans Aid programs, and benefits will be contingent upon compliance with the program’s regulations. (Updated Spring 2014 by AL, SL, BL, VC With Administrative Addition Fall 2014)
COMMUNICATION: Students are responsible for communicating with instructors within 48 hours following a missed class to make arrangements for the completion of course requirements not completed due to absence. If a student does not communicate within 48 hours as stated above, the student forfeits his or her right to receive the missed work, and such assignment grades will be entered as zeroes.
PLAGIARISM (see Academic Integrity Policy, below) will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Be aware that plagiarism includes (but is not limited to) copying someone else’s words without crediting the source; paraphrasing someone else’s words without crediting the source; using someone else’s ideas without crediting the source (even if rephrased in your own words); using facts not universally known which are obtained from a source without crediting the source; asking someone else to write your paper, either in whole or in part; or obtaining a paper or portion thereof by any means and submitting it as an original document. The penalty for plagiarism is failure of the assignment and potentially failure of the course (at the instructor’s discretion), and it may result in suspension or expulsion from the College (at the discretion of the Student Affairs Committee)..
Assessment Methods:
Professional Email Assignment 5%
Citation Practice 5%
Course Contribution 10%
20% Project 20%
Three Papers x 15% each
Class Leadership 15%
=100%
There Is No Extra Credit
Criteria for meeting grade determination are as follows:
A: Meeting course goals by demonstrating perceptive understanding of readings and course concepts; excellence and originality in compositions; superior scores on exams and other assigned work; active participation in class discussion and small groups; and compliance with attendance and assignment requirements.
B+/B: Meeting course goals by demonstrating mastery of subject and concepts; above average quality in compositions and exams; good participation in class and small groups; and compliance with attendance and assignment requirements.
C+/C: Meeting course goals by demonstrating a satisfactory level of understanding of subject material and concepts; acceptable quality in compositions and exams; adequate participation in class and small groups; and compliance with attendance and assignment requirements.
D: Not meeting all of the course goals; minimal knowledge of subject material and concepts; marginal quality in compositions (poor quality of development, support, or grammar); poor performance on exams; passivity in class and small groups; non-compliance with attendance and assignment requirements.
F: Not meeting course goals; unsatisfactory progress in understanding and applying subject material and concepts; incomplete or unacceptable work in compositions (gross grammatical, developmental, and structural errors); failure of exams; non-compliance of attendance and assignment requirements.
SECTION 3: College Information
College Policies: In order for students to know their rights and responsibilities, all students are expected to review and adhere to all regulations and policies as listed in the College Catalog and Handbook. These documents can be accessed at http://www.rcbc.edu/academic-resources. Important policies and regulations include, but are not limited, to the following:
College Attendance Policy
- Grading Standards
- Withdraw (W) and Incomplete Grades (I & X)
- Withdrawal date for this semester
- Student Code of Conduct
- Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism and Civility
- Use of Communication and Information Technology
Office of Student Support and Disability Services: RCBC welcomes students with disabilities into the college’s educational programs. Access to accommodations and support services for students with learning and other disabilities is facilitated by staff in the Office of Student Support (OSS). To receive accommodations, a student must contact the OSS, self-identify as having a disability, provide appropriate documentation, and participate in an intake appointment. If the documentation supports the request for reasonable accommodations, the OSS will provide the student with an Accommodation Plan to give to instructors. For additional information, please contact the Office of Student Support at 609-894-9311, ext. 1208, disabilityservices@rcbc.edu, or http://www.rcbc.edu/studentsupport
Academic Integrity Policy: The following Board-approved Academic Integrity Policy will be enforced. Board definitions of cheating, fabrication or other misconduct in research, plagiarism, and facilitating academic dishonesty will be de determined according to the discretion of the instructor. Students found guilty of more than two offenses should expect to receive sanctions of disciplinary probation, suspension, or dismissal, depending upon severity of said offenses. Students have within five working days to appeal any sanction to the Chief Academic Officer of the College, or his/her appointed designee. The policy can be accessed at http://my.bcc.edu/PDFFiles/Human%20Resources/Policy%20No%20903-C%20Academic%20Integrity%20061714.pdf
Educational Technology Statement: Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) advocates the use of technology to enhance instruction. Students should assume that classroom and online technology will be used throughout their coursework at RCBC, as it will most certainly be used in their future education and careers. The College provides on-campus facilities for the convenience of the RCBC community. Various college departments, including the Office of Information Technology and the Office of Distance Education, provide technology training and assistance to faculty and students.
Student Success Services: RCBC offers a variety of free services for its students including those listed below. Descriptions of these services, as well as many others, can be found in the College Catalog and Handbook and on the RCBC website at http://www.rcbc.edu/pages/109.asp
- Academic Advisement (http://www.rcbc.edu/advising)
- Career Services (http://www.rcbc.edu/careers)
- Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) (http://www.rcbc.edu/eof)
- Financial Aid (http://www.rcbc.edu/financialaid)
- International Students Office (http://www.rcbc.edu/international)
- Library (http://www.rcbc.edu/library)
- Office of Veteran Services (http://www.rcbc.edu/vets)
- Student Support Counseling (http://www.rcbc.edu/cpit)
- Tutoring Center (http://www.rcbc.edu/tutoring)
- Test Center (http://www.rcbc.edu/testcenter)
- Transfer Services (http://www.rcbc.edu/transfer)
SECTION 4: Instructor Policy
Technology Policy: Please mute your cell phone BEFORE entering the classroom. If your cell phone goes off more than once while class is in a session, you will be asked to leave. I fully encourage whatever technology suites your learning style, accommodations, or interests whether they are laptops, tablets, apps on smart phones, etc, as long as they do not distract from our purpose in the classroom. Paper is totally fine too.
With that being said, during opening and closing remarks in class focus should be away from technology and on discussing our goals and outcomes for the day. Please remove all earbuds before entering class and keep them removed until you leave the room at the end of class.
In my classes, I have an expectation students will have access to email and computers in general. All of your work will be submitted to via your RCBC Gmail account and returned, with annotated comments, via Google Drive. Given there are public and school libraries, the ILRC, coffee shops, etc, students need to budget their time better; I do not see any excuse for having “no access” to email outside of the classroom.
Students are expected to check their RCBC Gmail account on a regular basis. I do not accept the excuse, “I didn't check my email for two weeks” as a valid problem. Digital correspondence should be written using proper grammar and form. I will not reply to emails filled with texting speak (2, u, 4, lol, j/k) or poor grammar and/or misspellings. Please include a subject and "sign" your email with your name, student ID number, and course section. If you miss class, please check the syllabus for information about assignments, due dates, and outcomes from class. Do not email the professor and ask “did we do anything in class today?” or any variations on that theme. (Updated Spring 2013 by NC, MS, MM, LG)
Writing Policy: My expectation for this class is that all of your work will be free of errors. Papers, projects, etc should be proofread for spelling, mechanics, and grammar. I will mark down for these errors: Please do an exhaustive job of proofreading and revision. All papers should follow standard MLA 8 formatting: Typed; titled; double spaced; page numbers, with your last name, in the top right hand corner; and a page break before your works cited page. All papers will be digitally shared via Google Drive by 23:59 to my RCBC email (wwend@rcbc.edu) on the due date. I will not be accepting print copies of your papers. No matter the email students submit their work from, all work will be returned to their school email.
If you use Microsoft Works, please convert your file (.wps) to something more accessible (.odt or .doc is fine) before submitting your paper. Same goes for .pages files. Please do not submit a .pdf file.
Upon sharing your paper via Google Drive, do not consider your paper submitted until, if and only if, you receive a confirmation reply (usually within 24-48 hours). If you do not receive a confirmation email, it is the student’s responsibility to get in touch with me about their work. I am not responsible for making sure you hand in your assignments.
Please make sure you are backing up your work to an external hard drive, flash drive, cloud based source, or other backup method. I will not accept excuses involving crashed computer or broken files.
Please follow the “24 hour rule” for graded work. I do not discuss returned student work until 24 hours have elapsed since I returned them. There will be no discussion, in person or via email, until that time window has elapsed.
All submitted work should be completed by the due date. Please consult the extension policy for details about asking for, and receiving, an extension. With prior permission to submit late work, a full letter grade will be taken off for each day that it is late. (Updated Spring 2015 by AB, CD, and MW)
Revision Policy: I strongly believe one of the most important lessons I learned about writing was that quality work almost always entails rewriting, but also reflection on what lessons can be learned and implemented in future writing. In this class, in place of a straight paper revision, you will analyze the mistakes I noted in comments on your paper and write a response discussing the comments and how you would correct them in future writing. This means if you are not satisfied with your grade, you may submit a response (directions are below), shared to my school Google Drive (wwend@rcbc.edu), within 3-5 days after I comment on your paper.
My expectation that for every mistake you are fixing, there is a brief paragraph discussing how to correct your work. I would consider directly citing our book readings (and the writing manual from ENG101) or your notes from class discussions in this response. Please do not cite random writing from the world wide web. There should be a second paragraph discussing specifically how you would fix it in your own essay as well.
If you are unsure what to write about, you can always schedule an appointment during office hours whether in person or electronic. Regardless, I would strongly suggest meeting with me to make sure you understand your grade and how to improve it.
Anywhere between one (1) to three (3) points can be added to your paper proportionally depending on the overall point total of the paper.
Of course, there are no revisions on term papers. Also, you may not use your revision to correct a plagiarized paper (see academic honesty policy below). Finally, revisions on your citation practice and source blend assignments do not count towards your revision. (Revised Fall 2015 by HC, DH, TC)
Extension Policy: Extensions are gifts, not a right. College work involves responsibility and ownership over your individual situation. With that in mind, here are a few caveats about extensions. First, I need to know 48 hours before an assignment is due if you need an extension. This will be clearly addressed on the class schedule. To apply for an extension, we must speak in person or over email immediately. A rough draft of your paper in progress will be required to be handed in at this time. I will then determine whether to grant or deny the extension and how much time would be allotted for it.
To apply for an extension beyond the 48 hour mark for reasons of hospitalization, bereavement, military service, observance of religious holidays, legal reasons (jury duty, etc), or work related issues (ie: getting called into work at the last minute), written documentation not given before the due date must be in by Saturday night after the due date.
For the following reasons, extensions will not be permitted: Short term illnesses and family vacations.
Only one extension will be granted per semester, although an "emergency" extension can be granted under certain circumstances. (Updated Fall 2011 by LD, EP, AF)
Course Contribution Policy: I have found in past semesters that "participation" isn't a sufficient means of assessing students. How do you grade shy, or otherwise quiet, students who do very well in your class? At the same time, does a student who does very poorly on papers/quizzes/etc, but "participates" in class deserve a high grade? Instead, I have switched this to an assessment of a student's contribution to the course. How do you do in group work? Are you always on task, or do you take others off task with your actions? Do you bring useful ideas and thoughts into class? Do you go beyond commentary that is intended to please me or make you look smart? Do you experiment, take chances, and offer untested commentary? Do you attend our peer review sessions to not only accentuate your own work, but also help your classmates? Are you punctual and always prepared? Do you do more than just listen to me? What about your presence in the class adds to it? These are some of the factors I will consider when assessing your class contribution grade.
Finally: Students in my classes are responsible for reading and understanding these course policies. Do you have questions?
- Send me an email: wwend@rcbc.edu
- Talk to me before or after class
- Come to my office during office hours (Laurel Hall 110)
- If you are a student who has progress reports for a sport, EOF, or anything else, I will only fill these out during office hours. I will not fill them out at the end or beginning of classes.
- The syllabus is a living document. Sometimes, things might not work and we will need to make a change. This syllabus is subject to change at all times. Any changes will be discussed in class.
- Just a reminder that all readings should be completed before class begins.
- Finally, a matter of general respect: I do not tolerate homophobic, misogynistic, ableist, or racist language in the classroom.
Session One
- Attendance Sheet
- Class Introduction
- Discuss Syllabus
- Introduce Professional Email Assignment
- Introduce Paper #1
- Introduce Citation Practice
- Introduce 20% Project
- Log Into Your Email/Web Advisor/Set Up Signatures/Check Contact Information
For Next Week: Read The Intro, Advertisement, and Chapters One-Four of Vindication of the Rights of Women.
Session Two
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discussion of Vindication of the Rights of Women
For Next Week: Read Chapters Five-Eight of Vindication of the Rights of Women.
Session Three
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discussion of Vindication of the Rights of Women
Session Four
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discussion of Vindication of the Rights of Women
For Next Week: We Will Have Our First 20% Project Day. We Will Also Discuss Chapter Two of Ian Watt's The Rise Of The Novel.
Session Five
- Attendance
- Announcements
- 20% Project Day
Session Six
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discussion of Chapter Two of Rise of the Novel.
For Next Week: Read the Following Sections of The DeCameron: Prolouge, Day One Story One, Day Three Story Ten, Day Four Story One/Three.
Session Seven
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discussion Of Decameron: Prolouge, Story One/Day One, Story Ten/Day Three
Session Eight
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discussion of Decameron: Day Four Story One/Three
For Next Week: Read Coetzee's Disgrace.
Session Nine
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Disgrace
Session Ten
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Disgrace
For Next Week: Read Le Fanu's Carmilla
Session Eleven
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Carmilla
Session Twelve
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Carmilla
For Next Week: We Will Have A 20% Project Day. We Will Peer Review Our First Paper.
Session Thirteen
- Attendance
- Announcements
- 20% Project Day
Session Fourteen
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Peer Review “Speed Dating” For Our First Paper
For Next Week: Read Chaucer's The Miller's Tale and Gordimer's Essay On The Short Story. Read Danticat's Ghosts.
Session Fifteen
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Gordimer's Essay
- Discuss The Miller's Tale
Session Sixteen
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Danticat's Ghosts
For Next Week: We Will Have Our Five Minute Meeting Day. Read Twain's The War Prayer.
Session Seventeen
Session Eighteen
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Twain's The War Prayer
For Next Week: Read Joyce's Araby and Diaz's Alma
Session Nineteen
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Joyce's Araby
Session Twenty
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Diaz's Alma
For Next Week: Read Borges' The Gospel According To Mark. We Will Peer Review Paper #2.
Session Twenty One
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Borges' The Gospel According To Mark
Session Twenty Two
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Peer Review “Speed Dating” For Paper #2
For Next Week: We Will Have A 20% Project Day.
Session Twenty Three
- Attendance
- Announcements
- 20% Project Day
- Introduce Paper #3
For Next Week: Read Atwood's Siren Song and Millay's Love Is Not All: It Is Not Meat Nor Drink. Read Whitman's The Untold Want, Darwish's I Will Slog Over This Road.
Session Twenty Four
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Atwood's Siren Song
- Discuss Millay's Love Is Not All: It Is Not Meat Nor Drink
Session Twenty Five
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Whitman's The Untold Want
- Discuss Darwish's I Will Slog Over This Road
For Next Week: Read The Dream of the Rood and Milton's Adam, First Man Of Men. Read Smith's Not Waving But Drowning and Hughes' Let American Be America Again.
Session Twenty Six
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss The Dream of the Rood
- Discuss Milton's Adam, First Man of Men
Session Twenty Seven
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Discuss Smith's Not Waving But Drowning
- Discuss Hughes' Let America Be America Again
For Next Week: We Will Peer Review Our Final Essay.
Session Twenty Eight
- Attendance
- Announcements
- Peer Review
During Finals Week We Will Meet To Wrap Up 20% Projects On _ At _.