SPRING 2008

ENGLISH 2110—World Literature (Section 1)

Instructor: Lisa Propst

Office: Humanities 153                                                                         

Office Phone: 678-839-4155                                                                           

Office Hours: Wed. 12.30-4.30, Thurs. 9.00-12.00, and by appointment                                   

E-mail: lpropst@westga.edu

URL: www.westga.edu/~lpropst

Course Description AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
 

This course analyzes narratives about changing cultural identities and meetings between cultures. It covers texts spanning four continents and more than 3000 years – from tales of mythic Greek journeys to Celtic legends to contemporary literature from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. These narratives chart what Salman Rushdie describes as “the transformation that comes of new and unexpected combinations of human beings, cultures, ideas, politics, movies, songs.” They trace people’s efforts to translate the customs of one society into the language and ideas of another. They ask how people’s identities change when they are separated from familiar places and mementoes. As the course unfolds, we will consider the place of these narratives in literary history and ask what it means to classify a group of texts as “world literature.”

Relationship of course goals to program goals

COURSE MATERIALS, ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING

Required Texts:

·         Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Eds. Alden T. Vaughan and Virginia Mason Vaughan. London: Arden, 1999. ISBN 1903436087.

·         Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. Ed. Judith L. Raiskin. Norton Critical Edition. London: Norton, 1999. ISBN 0393960129.

·         Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. ISBN 0385474547.

·         Short readings which will be available online

·         You will also be responsible for watching the 1996 film version of Jane Eyre, either at an out-of-class screening organized by Dr. Propst or on your own time. A copy will be on reserve at the library.

Other Materials:

·          A college-level dictionary

·          A stapler

·          Internet access, a UWG e-mail account, and a reliable printer

·          A flash drive to save work for class

Assignments:

·          Two 5-6 page out-of-class essays. You can read the department grading rubric for essays 2000 level and above at: http://www.westga.edu/~engdept/fr/Ruby.doc

·          Two seventy-five minute exams, one in week 9 and one on the last day of class

·          In-class writing exercises, quizzes, peer editing, and short homework assignments

·          Class participation

Grading:

All assignments must be completed in order to pass this course. 

                  In-class writing, quizzes, and short homework assignments                            5%

                  Class participation                                                                                        5%

                  Essay 1                                                                                                        25%

                  Essay 2                                                                                                        25%

                  Midterm Exam                                                                                             20%

Final Exam                                                                                                   20%

Numerical grade equivalents: A+ = 98; A = 95; A- = 91; B+ = 88; B = 85; B- = 81; C+ = 78; C = 75; C- = 71; D+ = 68; D = 65; D- = 61; F = 50

COURSEWORK POLICIES

Office Hours and E-mail:

I encourage you to meet with me during my office hours any time you have questions or would like to discuss the course. If you cannot make it to my office hours, set up an appointment to meet with me at another time. You are also welcome to drop by my office, outside of scheduled office hours, whenever I am there. I welcome e-mail correspondence. However, e-mail cannot replace an actual meeting. It is difficult to respond to your questions and needs solely through e-mail, especially if your questions are general. E-mail is most effective when you have specific questions that don’t require in-depth discussion.

Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty:

The Department of English and Philosophy defines plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources. The Department expects that students will accurately credit sources in all assignments. An equally dishonest practice is fabricating sources or facts; it is another form of misrepresenting the truth. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the course.

You can find information about the University policies for handling Academic Dishonesty in the student handbook: http://www.westga.edu/assets/docs/studentHandbook2007.pdf (see “Student Rights and Responsibilities”).

The department of English has assembled the following resources to help prevent plagiarism: http://www.westga.edu/~engdept/Plagiarism/index.html

Excessive Collaboration:

You are expected to produce independent writing. Although classroom activities and out-of-class assignments may highlight collaborative learning and collaborative research, excessive collaboration (collaboration that results in the loss of a student's voice/style and original claims to course-related work) is considered another form of academic dishonesty and therefore will not be permitted.

Late Work:

I will deduct ten percent from the overall grade of an essay for each day (not each class period) that an essay is late. This means that if you submit your essay up to 24 hours late, it will lose ten percent; if you submit it between 24 and 48 hours late, it will lose twenty percent, etc. An essay is late if it is not submitted to me at the beginning of the class period. I will not accept assignments more than one week past the deadline. If you find it necessary to miss class on a day that work is due, you should submit your work to me before the class period in order to avoid losing marks. All assignments must be submitted in hard copy unless I specifically approve e-mail submission in advance. Extensions may be granted, at my discretion, only under exceptional circumstances (for example, medical emergencies) and only if you consult me in advance of the due date. If you have a serious problem that will affect your ability to complete your work on time, talk to me about it as early as possible.

Revision Policy:

You may revise and resubmit any out-of-class essay that earns a C- or lower, provided that you originally submitted your essay on time and that you participated fully in peer editing (i.e. you had a full-length essay on peer editing day, you peer edited someone's essay, and someone peer edited yours). Your revision is due one week after you receive your graded paper. The revision can receive no higher than a C+. Some revisions may result in a lower grade. In this case, I will count the higher of the two grades. If you choose to revise and resubmit a paper, I encourage you to consult me during your revision process.

 The Writing Center:

I encourage you to visit The Writing Center at various points in the writing process.  Regardless of writing skill level, one may always benefit from an intelligent discussion with knowledgeable peers.  The Writing Center is located in TLC 1-208.  To make an appointment, call (678) 839-6513.

Format for All Papers:

All work should be typed and stapled, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins, and should use MLA format.

Extra Credit and Previous Work Policy

·          There is no extra credit work in this course

·          Work completed for another class will not be accepted for fulfilling the requirements of this course.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Due Dates:

Tues. Feb. 12                                    Out-of-Class Essay #1: Final Draft

Thurs. Apr. 3                                    Out-of-Class Essay #2: Final Draft

Thurs. Mar. 6                                    Midterm Exam

Tues. Apr. 29                                    Final Exam

Holidays:

Tues. Mar. 18 and Thurs. Mar. 20    No classes: Spring break

CLASSROOM POLICIES

Attendance Requirements:

You are expected to attend every class, arrive on time, and be prepared to discuss the reading. Because attendance and participation are important to your success in this course, students will be allowed only four absences; any student who misses five classes will be withdrawn from the course. There will be no distinction between excused and unexcused absences.

Communication Policy:

The official communication method for this class will be through campus e-mail (MyUWG). You will be responsible for checking your MyUWG email, since I will be using that address to correspond with you. You should also look under “My Courses” on your MyUWG for relevant files, announcements and so on.

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. If you miss a quiz or a written exercise because of lateness, you cannot make it up. If you are sleeping during class, I will count you as absent.

Participation:

Participation is essential to your success in this course. Five percent of your grade is based on it. Participation does not mean right answers or brilliant comments; it includes any productive contribution to class discussion. Making thoughtful comments on the class material, asking questions, and responding supportively to your classmates all count.

Special Needs:

If you have a registered disability that will require accommodation, please see me 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 137 Parker Hall at (770) 836-6428.

COURSE CALENDAR

 While this syllabus is carefully planned, I may occasionally change portions of it (for example, readings, assignments, and due dates). I will announce changes in class. You are responsible for periodically checking the online syllabus for modifications, particularly if you have been absent. Unless otherwise noted, all readings and assignments are due the day they are listed on the syllabus.