English 209.01: Past Times: Literature and History

Spring, 2008, Coulter 304, MWF 9:05-9:55, 42 class periods

Instructor: Dr. Terry Nienhuis (9-hice), Coulter 415, nienhuis@wcu.edu, 227-3926

Office Hours: MWF, 10 am; home phone: 293-7479

Web site: http://paws.wcu.edu/nienhuis

I. Rationale/Purpose: The WCU catalog description of this course is: “focuses upon the relationship between literature of the past and historical events, historical documents, and the events and texts of our time.” The course satisfies the P4 category for Liberal Studies.

II. Course Aims and Objectives:

Aims: to introduce students to the interface of literature and history. In what ways does the study of literature enhance the study of history and vice versa? In what ways do literature and history transcend time and place?

Objectives: by the end of this course, students will:

                        Be familiar with the standard periodization of world literature and history

                        Be more familiar with some of the basic texts of world literature

                        Be more familiar with some of the basic events of world history

                        Be able to discuss some texts in both literary and historical contexts

                        Be able to communicate more effectively in speaking and writing           

III. Course Materials:Literature of the Western World, Volumes I and II, book rental, free at bookstore

IV. Expectations of Students/Course Policies,

Statement on Accommodations for students with disabilities:

Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities. Students who require disability services or reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and provide current diagnostic documentation to Disability Services. All information is confidential. Please contact Disability Services for more information. Phone: (828) 227-7127 or 144 Killian Annex.

Statement on Academic Integrity (including plagiarism),

WCU’s Academic Honesty Policy:

Western Carolina University, a community of scholarship, is also a community of honor. Faculty, staff, administrators, and students work together to achieve the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense at Western Carolina University because it threatens the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend on knowledge and integrity. Academic dishonesty includes intentional cheating, plagiarism, and the facilitation of the academic dishonesty of other students.  Consult the WCU Undergraduate Catalog, The Record, pp. 70-72, for a detailed description of the university’s procedures for cases involving allegations of academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism—avoid it in Out-of-class Writing:

To avoid plagiarism, use the “Look Away” method of note taking

“Malicious Plagiarism” (conscious cheating)--an immediate F in course

“Inadvertent Plagiarism” (sloppy note-taking)—a zero on the assignment

Attendance Policy: I adhere to the official WCU Class Attendance Policy (pp.82-83 of the WCU Undergraduate Catalog, The Record): all undergraduates are expected to attend all meetings of the courses in which they are enrolled; any absence is incurred at the student’s own risk. Coming to class is your “job” at this point in your life; therefore, coming to class every day is like showing up for work every day. I urge you to build good work habits now and to maintain these disciplined work habits throughout your working life. If, in missing a class, you miss an assignment, you will have one week from that event to complete any make-up work; students are responsible for initiating all make-up work. Any student who misses 20% of the semester’s course meetings (8.4 absences with 42 class periods), for any reason, will not be able to receive a passing grade in the course (this number will be adjusted whenever the class does not meet as a whole and the total number of class meetings changes during the semester). This semester, the regular W-Day is Wednesday, April 2; the medical W-Day is Wednesday, April 23.

V. Grading Procedures:

Grading Scale:

96-100    A+    (WCU does not record the A+)
91-95      A
88-90      A-
86-87      B+
81-85      B
78-80      B-
76-77      C+
71-75      C
68-70      C-
66-67      D+
61-65      D
58-60      D-
All final grade averages of .5 or better are rounded up

(notice that my grading scale is 2 points lower that the typical 10-point scale; this is because I think that my academic standards tend to be higher than the average)

Final Grade:

Participation—25%

Out-of-class writing—25%

Midterm Exam—25%

Final Exam—25%

Participation:

There will be some out-of-class and many in-class exercises during the semester designated as Participation Exercises. Each will earn + or – Participation Points ranging from .0 to 1.0. The total number of Participation Points for each student will be used at the end of the semester to calculate a Participation grade based on a class curve.

Out-of-class Writing:

Please read carefully the “Writing Help” section on my web site (under “Additional Links”). Bring these materials to class each day.

Include for each out-of-class essay:

a description of your writing process (the steps you went through to create the essay),

a source narrative (a description of the sources you used, if any),

a self evaluation (your evaluation of the essay’s quality)

General Requirements for Out-of-class Writing:

Staple multiple pages

No “fuzzied” paper (torn out of notebook with spiral “fringe”)

Midterm (TBA) and Final Exam (Tuesday, May 6, 8:30-11:00). These in-class writings will demonstrate how well you have met the course Aims and Objectives.

Two Behavioral Rules for the Classroom:

No eating

No cell phones