English226: World Lit II

      Course Policies

Requirements, Grading, and Timely Advice


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Online Attendance:  You should check for email messages nearly every day.  Most weeks you will post to the course Message Board at least two or three days a week.  Answers to the questions on the readings should be posted by the evening of the day they are due. (See the Course Schedule for due dates.  It's fine to post them a day or two before the due date, of course.)  As the Syllabus indicates, a day or two later, after you've had time to read what others have said, you'll also discuss others' responses, quoting from at least two of your classmates.

Keeping Up with the Reading: Most of the readings are interesting and enjoyable.  It’s a lot of reading, though – 2 novels, 3 novellas (short novels), and a book-length collection of short stories.  And some may seem pretty challenging – especially Kafka's strange stories.  So plan plenty of time for the reading.  Let me know beforehand if you're having trouble keeping up with any of it.  If you anticipate that illness, accident, or family or work difficulties will prevent you from keeping up with discussion due dates, contact me as soon as possible to discuss what we can do.

Communication: If anything on the course website isn’t clear to you, let me know.  If during the course any messages or announcements aren't clear – or if you have a question about anything – just post your question on the Message Board, using the "Question Box."  If your question is too personal to post publicly, then send me an email message & I'll reply.  If necessary, we can also arrange a phone conference to discuss more complicated matters at length.

Discussion Required: This is a discussion-oriented, participatory online class.   Students who have not kept up with the class discussion will not be able to pass the course.

Paper Format: Papers should be carefully edited and proofread and then submitted via Campus Cruiser's Submission feature in "My Assignments."

Late Work: Papers should be submitted when due.  If you expect to be busy when work is due, make alternative arrangements with me prior to the due date.  If you are having a problem with an assignment, consult with me before it becomes a real problem.  I will be happy to give you more time with no penalties.  (Just a quick email is all it takes.)  However, if you don't contact me beforehand, the paper will be downgraded for each day of lateness and, after three days, you will be given a zero for the assignment.

In-Person Exams: You will take a Final Exam in person, as listed in the Syllabus.  I'll consider adapting the times if there is a better time when everyone can make it.  In any case, you cannot pass this course without taking the Exam.

Paper Grades:  The Papers will be graded based primarily on the strength of their interpretation and understanding of the novel, story, or articles interpreting the work.  Certainly a paper that shows detailed analysis and an ability to make significant connections will get a higher grade than one that does little more than retell the story.  If a paper requires some research, a student's ability to find and appropriately use strong sources will also be part of the evaluation.  Other factors that can raise or lower the grade: the paper's clarity, organization, use of examples and details, phrasing, and thoughtfulness.  Of course, I will reward a paper that is particularly articulate or cleverly phrased or one that is lively & engaging, but a paper that is insightful and persuasive is what I value most.  The Exam will test your familiarity with and comprehension of the assigned works but also your ability to interpret them.

 

Course Participation Grade:
This grade will be based primarily on how reliably and helpfully you post to the class discussion of the readings.  In general, if you submit all the required posts, you should expect at least a "C” for this part of the grade – assuming your posts show you have done the reading and most of your posts are not hurried, misleading, superficial, and/or derivative.  If you submit all the required posts pretty much on time, and most of your posts show some real thought & engagement with the readings &/or you sometimes help to get some lively dialogue going, you should expect at least a "B” for this part of the grade.  Finally, if you not only submit all the required posts on time, but most of your posts are fairly articulate or you take the time to explain your thinking in detail and at length or you often work to stimulate and maintain lively and relevant interactions with others in the class, you should expect an "A” for this part of the grade.

I try to encourage students to see their postings on the readings as their territory, their chance to discuss the readings with each other, rather than as "homework" submitted to the teacher.   In fact, I may not always read all of what you say in every posted comment.  (I rely on you to post a question in the “Readings Questions for Dr. Roth” topic whenever you feel the class discussion has not clarified something you need help with or would like to understand better.)  I will keep track primarily of whether you post, when you post, and how complete and engaged most of your posts are.  I hope some of you can sometimes stir up controversy, or help the class sum up the discussion and the issues, or help others rethink some of their interpretations.  If you disagree with another student’s interpretation or analysis, please challenge it.  Be tactful and kind, but let your classmates know that you see something differently.  If you aren’t sure how you’re doing in the course and need more feedback from me, please ask me.

Calculating the Final Course Grade:

The final grade for each student will be calculated thus:  Papers: 25% each.  Exams (Final): 25%.  Course Participation: 25%.

Plagiarism Warning!  You will need to attribute all ideas not your own to your sources, and to put quotation marks around any words you have taken from a source. If you have not learned how to avoid partial or "patchwork" plagiarism, see the links on the Tools page.  When in doubt, ask me for help.  We all know that the Internet is filled with student papers, essays, canned discussions, etc.  If you panic and decide to hand in a paper that is not completely your own writing, you will be risking not just an "F" on the paper but an "F" in the course and the possibility of suspension from the College.