English 102: Composition and Literature

Section 013 MWF 2:30-3:20

Gambrell Hall, Room 205

http://www.carcosa.net/donathl/engl102

Spring 2003

Instructor: Lori Donath

Office Hours: Welsh Humanities Office Bldg. 320

MWF 10:00-11:00 (and by appointment).

Email: donathl@carcosa.net

Office Phone: 777-2145 (Please note that I do not check messages

or occupy the office outside of office hours)

Course Description

English 102 asks you to apply the argumentative writing skills you learned in English 101 to literature. We will read a wide variety of literature of different genres and time periods, considering them individually and in relation to each other and the world around us. We will explore the purpose of literature and, more importantly, develop your own ability to read a text and say something interesting and intelligent about it. Developing this ability is the primary focus of this course. We will learn several different critical approaches to literature and use them to construct arguments about the literature we read. Learning how to construct an argument and developing an awareness of your cultural resources (both of which are necessary for writing about literature) are certainly among the most valuable things you can learn in college. Fortunately, for most people, they're also fun and satisfying abilities to nurture.

Materials

Please purchase the following at one of the campus bookstores:

• Texts and Contexts, by Steven Lynn.

• Literature for Composition, ed. Sylvan Barnet, et. al. New York: Longman, 2003. **6^th edition.**

• Writers and Writing at Carolina. 2002-2003 edition. University of South Carolina, 2002.

• Two floppy disks, on which you'll save copies of all the major essays you write this semester.

• A college-level, unabridged dictionary (if you do not have one already).

• *A manila folder will be provided for you at the end of the semester, in which you'll turn in your disk plus a printed copy of the major essays you write this semester.

Assignments

You will write five major essays during the term, using in each a different approach to evaluating literary texts; in addition, you will write journal entries on the readings assigned (to be graded weekly), contribute to discussion in an electronic forum, and complete numerous assignments in and outside of class. Assignments are weighted as follows:

Essay 1: Close Reading (New Criticism) (10%)

Essay 2: Reader Response (15%)

Essay 3: Biographical Criticism (15%)

Essay 4: Historical Criticism (15%)

Essay 5: Feminist Criticism (15%)

Reader's Journal (10%)

Participation: Quizzes, Course Website Postings,

Homework and In-Class Work (10%)

Final Exam (10%)

All work completed outside of class should be word-processed, double spaced, Times 12, and formatted according to MLA guidelines. It should also be neatly stapled and labelled at the top with your name, the class and section, the date you are turning in the assignment, and the name of the assignment. I cannot accept essays that do not conform to these guidelines.

Attendance

You are needed and wanted in this class. Your opinions matter and your participation will help make the class work for everyone. Class discussion and interaction is an important part of this course. You should therefore be in class every time we meet. If you know in advance that you must miss class, you should arrange for a classmate to take notes and collect any handouts, and you should let me know in advance that you will miss. There is no penalty for arriving late to class, but chronic tardiness may result in a low participation grade since quizzes and other assignments will be given at the start of class.

In accordance with university policy, I will drop your course grade by one letter if you miss more than 10% of our scheduled class periods (for every 5 class periods); you will fail the course if you miss more than 25% (11 class periods). If an emergency forces you to miss several class periods, contact me as soon as possible so that we can discuss your options. I will not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences; you should use your 5 free days at your own discretion, as you would use sick days in the workplace.

Writing Centers

I encourage you to take advantage of USC's Writing Center, which offers you free, professional feedback on your writing outside of class—at any stage of the writing process, on any assignment. The main center is located on the ground floor of the Humanities Classroom Building, but there are also numerous satellite locations (in dorms, for example). Call 7-2078 to make a 30-minute or 1-hour appointment for any of the sites. Another resource: The Center for Business Communication is located in the Darla Moore School of Business, on the 7^th floor. Call 7-5904 to make a 1-hour appointment with one of their assistants. (Keep in mind that you may need to plan ahead in order to get an appointment, since the centers may become booked up at certain times during the semester).

Note that you will not receive extra credit for attending appointments at any of the centers, nor will you be required to attend. But working earnestly with a writing center assistant can improve your papers (and your grade in the class). Moreover, doing so will greatly facilitate your development as a writer. Remember that attending a writing center appointment entails your active participation; it is by no means a passive process.

Essays and Revisions

The process of revision was a major focus in English 101; you will continue to develop your ability to critically assess and rethink your work in this course. For each major essay in this class, you'll turn in two drafts. I will give comments and feedback on your first draft, but I will only give you an estimated grade on your second draft. Though I will not write a letter-grade on your first draft, if you do not turn in a completed first draft within a week after it is due, you will receive an "F" for that assignment—without the opportunity to raise that grade. You will have the option of revising your paper again after you receive a grade. Every revision you turn in must be accompanied by (stapled on top of) previous versions; highlight or underline your changes and additions on the most recent (top) copy.

Your final product (including all drafts that led up to each paper) will be graded as part of your portfolio at the end of the semester. Remember that "draft" means a complete, well-thought-out version of a paper, not a scribbled outline, initial paragraphs or freewrite. Also, revision does not guarantee a higher grade than the earlier version(s). If you simply correct minor errors rather than address fundamental weaknesses in your essay, the grade will likely not improve.

Grades

Major papers will be letter-graded. The grade for late papers will be reduced by one-half of a letter grade for each day that they are late. Daily (in-class and homework) assignments will receive a check, (complete and satisfactory, full credit), a minus (partly satisfactory, half credit), or a zero (incomplete or unsatisfactory) on the day they are due. These will not be accepted late.

You'll find a general description of English 102 grading criteria in your Writers and Writing at Carolina textbook; I'll specify more detailed requirements in each paper assignment. If you have a question about a grade you receive on an assignment, please make an appointment to discuss it with me. I won't be able to address questions about individual grades during class.

Grading Scale:

Academic Honesty vs Plagiarism

Studies have shown that plagiarism usually occurs when students run out of time or lack confidence. If you are afraid you cannot succeed, or if you encounter problems completing an assignment, see me immediately. My own experience has demonstrated that students sometimes underestimate teachers' perceptiveness (and/or computer literacy). Remember that English teachers are trained to be careful readers; they are sensitive to stylistic clues. Please do not use papers or parts of papers written by friends, roommates, or acquaintances during previous semesters; please do not consider purchasing or downloading for free any paper or part of a paper from the internet. The First-Year English Program employs several search engines that are especially adept at identifying these papers and, on my own, I have identified downloaded papers in the past. Additionally, after the semester is over, a certain number of folders from this class may be randomly selected by the First-Year English Office for detailed plagiarism checks. If plagiarism should be detected or suspected at that time, you could then be contacted.

The usual penalty for one instance of plagiarism in a First-Year English course includes failing the course and possibly expulsion from school. University regulations require all instances of academic dishonesty to be reported to the appropriate Dean, and a special committee determines what additional punishment will be imposed. This punishment may include suspension and even expulsion. Plagiarism is described in detail in Writing at Carolina, in the Scott, Foresman Handbook (656-60), which is used in many English 101 classes, and in many other resources.

I will ask you to sign a statement indicating that you understand what plagiarism is. Do not sign this form if you have any uncertainties or questions. Your work must be entirely your own, or you must indicate what assistance you have received. You should cite, of course, any books, newspapers, magazines, or websites you've used, but you should also acknowledge assistance from a friend or tutor or parent or anyone else. For instance, you might add a footnote that says, “I would like to thank my friend, Randy Newman, for proofreading my opening paragraph and suggesting the word ‘linguistics’ instead of ‘language study.’” If you receive help from anyone, that help must be specifically acknowledged in your paper. This requirement includes help from the Writing Center. When in doubt, document—or ask me.

Plagiarism is simply not worth the risk and the worry. Do your own work.

Office Hours, Email, and Course Website

In order to complete the assignments for this course you will need to have a working email address—and to know how to use it, as well as how to access the course website at www.carcosa.net/donathl/engl102. (We will use this website rather than the university's Blackboard website for the course; however, you can still ask for assistance at one of the campus labs if you have trouble). Also, I may send you announcements or answer questions that come up between class periods via email and the course website. (If your phone number or email address changes during the semester please notify me immediately).

Please feel free to drop by during my scheduled office hours or to make an appointment for other times. If you can't drop by, I check my email regularly, so don't hesitate to send me a message if you have questions or concerns about the class. You may also call me in the office during office hours. (I am rarely in the office at other times).

Our Schedule

The following schedule lists most reading assignments and paper due dates, but does not list all quizzes and in-class work. I will expect you to read the pages assigned for homework for each class session. (The chapters to be read for daily homework in Literature for Composition: Essays, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama and Texts and Context: Writing About Literature with Critical Theory are listed in separate columns; other homework is listed in a third column, and major projects (but not short assignments) due on a given date are listed in the last column). Note that I will provide you with an updated syllabus (for the second half of the semester) at a later date; in general, I may amend this schedule to meet our needs as a class.

Final Portfolios due Wednesday, April 30 (by 5:00 pm).

FINAL EXAM: Monday, May 5, 9:00 am (in our room).