Course Description and Learning Outcomes (General)

Required Texts:
Maimon, Elaine and Janice H. Peritz.  A Writer's Resource.
O'Connor, Flannery. A Good Man Is Hard to Find.
25th Hour (Lee, 2002)
Malcolm X (Lee, 1992)

Other Material:
One zip disk or thumb drive for computer use
Access to a computer for WebCT readings

ENGL 1102 Film Screenings: (* = best times for this class to see the film)

Day	Time	Location	Film
Wednesday, June 7	5:00pm	TLC 1303	Malcolm X
Thursday, June 8	5:00pm	TLC 1303	25th Hour
Wednesday, June 28*	5:00pm	TLC 1303	25th Hour
Thursday, June 29*	5:00pm	TLC 1303	Malcolm X
Wednesday, July 19	5:00pm	TLC 1303	Malcolm X
Thursday, July 20	5:00pm	TLC 1303	25th Hour

Course Policies (General): Note: these policies include a discussion of plagiarism and academic honesty.

Assessment of In Class Writing

Assessment of Out of Class Writing

Students With Special Needs: The University of West Georgia adheres to the Americans for Disabilities Act, known as ADA, which requires that all programs at the university be accessible to people with disabilities.If you have a registered disability that will require accommodation, please see me in my office at the beginning of the semester. If you have a disability that you have not yet registered through the Disabled Student Services Office, please contact Dr. Ann Phillips in 272 Parker Hall at (678) 839-6428.

Course Evaluation: There are four types of assignments for this class: readings/screenings, three essays, in-class writing and quizzes, and two in-class exams. You must complete the reading assignments before each class and be prepared to be called on about the content of the readings. Occassionally, there will be a quizzes at the beginning of class to encourage consistent reading practices and timely screening of films. The reasoning for this form of assessment is simple: it is highly unlikely that you will make insightful contributions to class discussion if you have not done the reading or seen the films. Students will receive the largest portion of their grade from a combination of the three assigned out of class essays. These essays will be evaluated according to the standards set forth by the department (see above link to assessment of out-of-class writing).  Students will also be evaluated on the completion of both in class and out of class writing assignments, as well as in-class quizzes.  In addition, students will be given two essay exams, one during the mid-term exam period and one during the final exam period.

***A Note About Averages***  Because you are aware at the beginning of the semester the percentage each assignment counts and you will also have the grade for each assignment when the assignment is returned, it is your responsibility to keep track of your average during the course of the semester. Maintaining an awareness of your average may influence your decisions on withdrawal, revision opportunities, etc.

Grading Percentages:

Essays (out of class):  70%    [Poetry - 20%; Fiction - 25%; Film - 25%]

In-class Writing, Quizzes, Homework, Participation:  15%

In-class Exam Essays:  15%  [The highest grade of either the Midterm or the Final will constitute the 15%]

**NOTE: A grade of "C" of better is required to exit this course. Unless this grade requirement is met, this course will not be credited toward graduation.

Grading Scale: The following chart will be used when calculating your numerical grade at the end of the semester with regard to letter grades received on out-of-class essays: A+=98, A=95, A-=92, B+=88, B=85, B-=82, C+=78, C=75, C-=72, D+=68, D=65, D-=62, F=50. The following chart will be used when calculating your numerical grade at the end of the semester with regard to the number grades (0-4) received on in-class essays: 4 = 95, 3 = 85, 2 = 75, 1 = 65, 0 = 55.

Film screenings: The two films will also act essential 'reading' assignments and should be regarded with the utmost scholarly attention. For the day they are due, these films are your primary text and they should be treated as such. With this in mind, I recommend you take notes during your viewing or just after--your class discussion will depend on it. I will place a copy of each film on four-hour reserve for this class in the Writing Center and there are six scheduled screenings (see note above). Since these are recent films by a well-known director, you also might be able to find them at your local video store.You must have viewed the films sometime before the day they are due.

Class Participation and In-class Writing/Quizzes: You will be expected to participate as much as possible in this class. Active participation involves, of course, attending class, but you are also expected to have done all the reading before class and screened the films, to listen attentively to the instructor and your other classmates, and to offer provocative and interesting questions or contributions to class discussion. Throughout the semester, you will be given informal writing assignments (both in-class and as homework), which are meant to facilitate class discussion, as well as to prepare you for formal writing assignments. These informal writing assignments, together with occassional reading quizzes, will factor into your in-class grade. Your in-class assignments, homework, and participation accounts for a significant portion of your final grade (15%), so I highly recommend that you come to class with your own discussion questions in mind and that you stay on top of any and all absences or tardiness problems.

Attendance: Class attendance is mandatory. There is too much material to cover in the short time allowed in the short summer session to be able to afford an absence. I understand, however, that emergencies occur. Do your best to keep me aware of when and why you will miss a class. Be advised, though, that more than 4 absences will result in an administrative withdrawal from the course. Because of the short summer session, 4 absences is the equivalent of missing more than two weeks of class; therefore, the student will be withdrawn at the 5th absence. Although, again, I understand that emergencies occasionally arise, consistent tardiness will not be tolerated. If this becomes a problem (i.e. I have to speak to you about it), you can expect to receive half an absence for each occurence of tardiness after the warning.

Disruptive Behavior: Students will be administratively withdrawn from class for exhibiting behavior that disrupts the learning environment of others.  Such behavior includes—but is not limited to—arriving late for class, allowing cell phones to ring, speaking disrespectfully to the instructor and/or to other students,  checking email or surfing the web, and using personal audio or video devices.

*Please turn off all cell phones and pagers before class begins.*

Deadlines and Late Papers: All drafts of papers are due at the beginning of class and late papers (even 15 minutes into class) will be penalized. We are often starting new material on the days papers are due, so a late-comer will miss course material and disrupt discussion. More seriously, late papers, including drafts, will lose 1/2 of a letter grade for each day they are late. After a week (seven days late including weekends), the paper will automatically receive a failing grade (F ). If a student has a verifiable medical excuse or family emergency and requests an extension (by e-mail, phone, or in person) before the paper deadline, then an extension can be granted. Excuses such as having papers or exams for other classes, discovering a schedule conflict with work or other responsibilities, or simply feeling overwhelmed occur too commonly to be considered "serious" and will not result in an extension. Finally, papers cannot be handed in electronically. Since all papers require the original draft attached when handed in, electronic submission cannot work. Please contact me about handing late papers in (in the box outside my office) so that I can pick them up in a timely fashion. Do not ask someone else to verify the time when you handed the paper in. You are supposed to contact me about the appropriate time and place for handing papers in.

Paper Formatting: Papers should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font (preferably Times New Roman or another standard serif font) with 1" top and bottom margins and 1-1.25" right and left margins, and without title pages. Using large margins and enormous fonts (i.e. Courier New) to fulfill the page requirement fools no one, least of all me (I used to work in desktop publishing and I know all the tricks), so follow these guidelines and come for extra help or use the writing workshops to learn how to present a full, well-supported argument that meets the page requirements. All out-of-class essays should follow MLA formatting and citation. Please see Writer's Resource, Tab 6: MLA Style.

Academic Honesty: Plagiarism is the act of claiming the ideas or actual words of another as one's own. This act can take several forms: copying an essay from a printed source or the internet, taking answers from another student's paper, or using the language and/or ideas from any source without proper citation. The work you turn in should be your own; however, if you borrow an idea, you must either express it in language entirely your own and acknowledge your borrowing with a parenthetical reference or footnote or indicate the exact extent of your debt to the actual words of the source by enclosing them in quotation marks and documenting the source according to MLA conventions. The penalties for academic dishonesty are severe, and ignorance is not an acceptable defense. Flagrant violations of this policy (e.g. copying papers from the internet or cheating on exams) are grounds for failing the course. I will pursue (and have pursued in the past) any irregularities I detect, and, if necessary, I will begin formal proceedings according to university policy.

Office Consultations: If you feel you need help or if you have any questions regarding the class, come by my office, Room 2243 in the TLC. I will always be in my office and prepared to offer assistance during my office hours, which will be from 10:00-12:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays. If for some reason you are unable to see me during my office hours, I can arrange an alternative meeting time. Always bring your notes and past assignments with you when you come to see me so that I can better determine how your preparation is affecting your overall performance. Please do not come in to an office consultation with your paper and ask me to "look at it" or "go over it." The writing process is about your being able to evaluate your own work and so specificquestions are the best. For example, you might come in with concerns about the organization of a particular section of the paper or you might bring in your thesis and have a list of queistions and concerns regarding that thesis. Also, you can always e-mail me at bbrickma@westga.edu, but remember that e-mail correspondence is not the best way to have a dialogue about a paper and your concerns. E-mail questions must be even more specific than office ones.

A Valuable Student Resource -- The Writing Center: The Writing Center assists all students in the development of their writing skills. Make an appointment with an instructor and focus on improving your writing. The instructors will not proofread or edit your work, but they will assist you in your endeavor to become a better writer. Become familiar with the Writing Center, check it out, and use it. Its mission is to work with you and help you become a better writer regardless of your level of ability or proficiency. The Writing Center is located in the Parkman Room, TLC 1201 and the summer hours are MW 10-5 and T Th 10-3.

THE REGENTS’ EXAMINATION: The Regents’ Examination is a two-part test of minimum-level reading and writing proficiency.  Students must take this examination while enrolled in English 1102 or after 30 hours of coursework.  In the hour-long written portion of the Regents’ Exam, students are required to write an  essay based on personal experience and a general understanding of current events.  The essay is expected to be clearly focused, well articulated, and relatively free from patterns of error; however, no particular studying should be necessary for the exam besides a few general rehearsals, a general cognizance of current events, and close attention to the lessons of English 1101 and 1102.  Students who do not pass the Regents’ Exam by the time they have completed 45 hours of coursework are automatically placed in classes which provide additional writing support. General Information on the Regents Exam Sample Topics