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E312: British Literature since 1760 Course Policies Alfred J. Drake. Office: 424 University Hall Required Texts: Abrams, M.H. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 2. Seventh edition. (Titan Bookstore on campus.) Wilde's "The Decay of Lying" (PDF e-text, requires Adobe Acrobat) OR Wilde's "The Decay of Lying" (HTML e-text) Course Objectives: A good survey course should provide you with a viable set of paths you might want to follow as you build upon your knowledge of the periods, authors, and movements studied. My lectures will provide some historical, thematic, and structural commentary, while leaving room for you to develop your own thoughts about the texts we study. While no single course could provide an exhaustive introduction to even one of our assigned periods, a survey of the sort we are about to undertake is no less valuable for its incompleteness: my aim is to cover a broad spectrum of works, while focusing with especial intensity on a selected number of them. As always in a survey, it is essential to maintain a productive balance between depth and breadth of study. Study closely all assigned materials, whether or not we discuss them at length in class. I have some further thoughts to offer, so please read the following two handouts as time permits: How to Get the Most from College Using the Internet and Email Efficiently Major Study Units: The course will follow a chronological order, and it will consist in the following major period divisions: Romantic, nineteenth-century, and twentieth-century. Classroom Strategies: Lecture; class discussion based on prior study questions and impromptu questions; web study guides by instructor. There will be a strong web presence for the course, with as many materials as possible being made available online as well as (in some cases or as requested) in "hard copy." An online discussion forum is available from this course web, and students are encouraged to use it to air questions and offer insights. If there is a demand for it, I shall offer review sessions, and of course I will hold regular office hours. Methods of Evaluation: Methods of Evaluation: There will be two relatively brief (#1 5-7 page, #2 5-7 page) papers, and an in-class midterm and final. I'll determine percentages for these assignments as seems best, though a likely breakdown would be 20% for each paper, 25% for the midterm, and 35% for the final exam. Students are encouraged to keep a journal of responses to study questions available on our course web site. If you regularly maintain a journal, you will no doubt find the lectures more worthwhile and will perform better on the exams. Those who do so and turn in a copy of their journals at the midterm and final will receive an appropriate amount of extra credit on the relevant exam, ranging from nil to 2/3 grade. See the study questions for journal instructions. Classroom participation is encouraged. Please be aware that exam and paper due dates are subject to change at the instructor's discretion. Attendance, Make-up Exams, Paper Drafts, Recording Lectures: Regular attendance is required; missing more than three classes is likely to result in an appropriately lowered course grade. The two most recent lectures will be available online for a limited time, and at appropriate points I'll make a cd of lectures to date and place it on library reserve. (I tape class sessions with a digital voice recorder.) You have my permission to tape lectures. As for make-up exams, they will be possible at the mutual convenience of instructor and student, with one provision: the exam will be 2/3 of a grade lower than it would otherwise have been. Late final drafts of papers will be marked down 2/3 grade for the first three days of lateness, and one full grade thereafter. I reserve the right not to accept papers more than one week late. I encourage you to provide me with a rough draft in time for me to comment on it, and even if you decide not to do that, I require that you turn in an early draft along with your final draft; I reserve the right to downgrade or even to refuse to accept papers without this early draft. A paper becomes late when one doesn't get it to me (in person or as an email attachment) by midnight on the day the paper is due in class. If you email your paper, I will respond with a verification; it is your responsibility to call me at 714-434-1612 if you do not receive a timely verification message. Plagiarism: As I'm sure everyone in this class knows, cheating on papers and tests will result in an "F" for the course and more -- in severe or repeated cases, it can lead to suspension or even expulsion from school altogether. But since many problems in this area are caused by students not knowing how to deal with source materials, I require that everyone read my guides Proper Citation and Plagiphrasing before writing the first paper. Additional Requirements: Please maintain access to the internet and check your email regularly. School Links: CSUF Home Page | CSUF Library | CSUF Eng. Dept.
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