ENG 298: Introduction to Literary
and Cultural Studies
Fall 2006
Section:                       HA: TR 2:30-3:45
                                    MOS 212
 
Professor:                   Dr. Kelli Lyon Johnson
                                    217 Rentschler Hall; 785-3036
                                    johnso58@muohio.edu
 
Office Hours:              TR 3:45-5:00 in Hamilton (REN 217)
                                    WF 8:00-5:00 in Oxford (MMH 127)
                                    and by appointment
 
Course Web Site:       www.users.muohio.edu/johnso58
 
Required Texts:        
Reference Books
Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, 4th ed.
MLA Handbook, 6th ed.
 
Assigned Reading
Eavan Boland, Lost Land
Thomas King, Green Grass, Running Water
Mario Klarer, Introduction to Literary Studies
Steven Lynn, Texts and Contexts, 4th ed.
Gloria Naylor, Mama Day
William Shakespeare, The Tempest: A Case Study in Critical Controversy (You must have THIS edition because it includes supplemental readings.)
various readings on Electronic Reserve (see weekly schedule)
 
Course Description
From the Miami Bulletin: Introductory skill-based course to be taken within one semester after declaring literature major. Covers critical and interpretive terms and basic concepts of literary genre; develops skills of close reading, interpretation, and critical analysis; provides instructions in techniques of research and citation; and introduces various critical methods and approaches.
 
Although we will consider several texts from various periods in literary history, this course introduces you to some of the critical and theoretical "conversations" that have occurred in the fields of literary and cultural studies since the beginning of the twentieth century. We will begin the semester learning and reviewing various skills required in literary and cultural studies, including Internet research skills; MLA citation conventions; scansion; and literary research challenges.
  
We will then consider several important critical and theoretical approaches, their relationships to one another, and the ways that theories function as texts themselves. You will practice and improve your analytical skills with primary texts and develop your skills in analyzing secondary texts. The work of the semester will culminate in your creation of a Critical Edition of a selected text, in preparation for which you will complete an Annotated Bibliography, a critical analysis of a literary text, and a critical analysis of a critical journal article.
 
Course Grading
Short Writings                                       20%
Participation                                          10%
Critical Analysis Paper (2 @ 15%)         30%
Annotated Bibliography                          15%
Critical Edition                                       25%
 
Course Requirements
Class Participation. You will be graded on your active and positive participation. You may choose to participate by completing homework, engaging in group work, and volunteering during class discussion. You should bring the assigned readings to every class meeting. Participation in these areas will be graded on the following criteria:

A =      Regular active participation demonstrating superior understanding and analysis of assigned material; willingness to engage theories, perspectives, and group members

B =      Frequent participation that demonstrates accurate and thoughtful familiarity with the material; participation in group interaction

C =      Contributions are infrequent and/or demonstrate little familiarity with the material; or contributions are not relevant to material being discussed

D =      In attendance but does not participate in discussion

0 =       Not in attendance or sleeping in class


Group Work. At the beginning of the semester, I will assign you to a group with which you will work all semester. Groups will collaborate for in-class assignments and small-group discussion. Group work will be calculated in your participation grade.

Written Projects. You will complete several analytical assignments in this course. You will receive in class both written explanation and detailed descriptions of the assignments. Projects may not be submitted electronically because technology is not always reliable. Late papers will be penalized 10% per calendar day after the due date; all papers turned in after 2:35 p.m. on the due date will be counted late and penalized 10%. Exceptions may be made under extraordinary circumstances. (Please note that computer problems do not constitute extraordinary circumstances.) Students who fail to turn in one of the major course projects cannot pass the course.

Short Writings. Throughout the semester, I will assign fourteen short papers, based on readings or lectures, to be word-processed in advance and brought to class. Short writings are formal papers and should be revised and formatted according to paper guidelines. These assignments offer you the opportunity to focus your ideas and comments before coming to class. The short assignments will be collected at the end of each class. Your best ten scores on the fourteen assignments will count in the calculation of your final grade. No late papers will be accepted. Electronic submissions will not be accepted because technology is not reliable. You must be in attendance for the entire class period in order to turn in a short writing (no exceptions).

Evaluation of short writing assignments will be based on the following guidelines (the criteria each week may be tailored slightly to the specifics of the individual assignment):
 
10 =     Demonstrates superior familiarity with the material as well as analytical and critical thinking; points are clearly articulated and easy to follow

8 =       Demonstrates basic familiarity with the material; points are raised but not developed or supported; or provides a solid summary of material but little analysis or reflection

6 =       Demonstrates only passing familiarity with material; analysis is absent or simplistic; points are poorly articulated or hard to follow; or provides only crude summary of material

5=       Turns in assignment, but demonstrates no significant familiarity with material or analysis of material; fails to respond to assigned prompt

0 =       Does not complete assignment
 
Student Responsibilities
Paper Guidelines. All projects and Short Writings will be word processed and double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman with standard 1”- or 1 ¼”-inch margins. You may use either Word or WordPerfect, but papers may not be typed on a typewriter or created in Word Pad. If you do not have Word on your home computer, you can obtain a copy from Miami for a small fee. If you do not have a computer, please take advantage of the campus computer labs, which I will be happy to show you at any time during the semester. You are expected to use MLA citation style, which we will review at the beginning of the semester.
 
Reserve Readings. Some of the readings for this course have been placed on electronic reserve for your convenience. I will give you our course password in class so that you may access the readings. You may access those through the MiamiLink homepage at www.lib.muohio.edu and read them on-line. You may also print them out at home, in a computer lab, or at the library. We will refer in class to these readings in almost every case, so you are encouraged to make an investment in printing these readings and to bring them to class. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free on-line, to read and/or print these files.
 
Attendance. Attendance will be taken at each class meeting. Regular attendance is expected and required. The University’s attendance policy requires that you attend every class. Beyond this policy, in ENG 298 HA, the following penalties apply to the final grade:
 
Absence(s) Deduction from final course grade
One (1) 0%
Two (2) 0%
Three (3) 1%
Four (4) 10%
Five (5) 20%
Six (6) or more 40% (failure)
Students receiving financial aid should consider carefully their absences as they are ultimately responsible for complying with regulations, and exceptions to the attendance policy will not be made for financial aid eligibility. Individual exceptions may be negotiated on a case-by-case basis under extraordinary circumstances.
 
Tardiness. You are expected to arrive before the appointed class hour so that we may begin class on time. Because students who arrive late disrupt class, tardiness will be penalized. Because we all sometimes encounter unexpected delays--traffic, phone calls, late babysitters--everyone will be allowed one late arrival. After that, I will count two tardies as an absence. Commuting among classes on various campuses does not constitute an excuse to arrive late regularly, so be sure to schedule a full hour between the end of a class at Hamilton and/or Oxford and your next class on the other campus. Students going to and from Middletown should probably allow ninety minutes.  
 
Technology. Please turn your cells phones and pagers OFF (not to vibrate) when you enter the classroom. Students who use cell phones or check messages--either voice or text--will be asked to leave the classroom and will be marked absent for the day. Missed work cannot be made up. Please let me know at the beginning of the class period if you have a sick child at home about whom you might need to be contacted during class.
 
Information for Students with Disabilities. If you have a disability or any other special circumstance that may have some impact on your work in this class, and for which you may require accommodations, please contact me early in the semester so that appropriate accommodations can be made in a timely manner. The Office of Disability Services at Hamilton, located in Rentschler Hall, is the designated office on campus to provide services and accommodations to students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Mary Vogel, Coordinator of Disability Services, by telephone at 513-785-3211 (TTY/TDD accessible) or via email at vogelmm@muohio.edu.
 
Plagiarism. I expect my students to have respect for their own work and for the work of others. Academic honesty is expected and required. All cases of plagiarism will be referred for trial to the Department of English. Miami University’s policy on academic honesty can be found in the Student Handbook.
 
Student Expectations
Students may expect me to hold appointed office hours; to make appointments to meet with students outside of class if they cannot attend office hours; to return student work within seven calendar days of the assigned due date; to encourage student participation in all aspects of their education; to provide detailed assignments and feedback on completed assignments; to advise students on study habits, time management, and writing practices; and to respect and encourage all  positive student contributions to the course.
 
By remaining in this course, you are agreeing to the terms of this syllabus.