Professor Alisse Theodore
Email Address: alisse@umich.edu
Office: 4174 Angell Hall, 764-6370
Office Hours:
Mondays 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. and by
appointment
Mailbox: 3161 Angell Hall
Welcome | About these Activities | Texts | Requirements |
Bypassing the Requirements | Office Hours | Communication | Grading |
Writing Center | Services for Students with Disabilities | Academic Integrity | A Final Note |
What is Literature?
English 239 Home | Schedule of Assignments | Grading Criteria | Announcements and Updates | Contact Information |
Welcome
Welcome to English 239.
This course has as its title a deceptively simple question: "What is
Literature?". That question invites discussion, both serious and playful,
more than it points to a correct answer.
What do you think about the title of our class being in the
form of a question? For me, the very idea that we are setting out to
answer a question this semester implies activity: critical reading,
collaborative discussion, analytical writing. Although English 239 is a
prerequisite for concentrators in English and the English Honors Program,
this course will be useful to students at a variety of skill levels. It
will offer you an opportunity to learn, practice, and strengthen skills
which are simultaneously basic and complex: reading, inquiring, thinking,
conversing, and writing.
Frequently, you will have the chance to consider ideas with which you disagree or examine things from a completely new or foreign perspective. Additional objectives of this class are that you increasingly will exhibit what Howard Gabennesch of the University of Southern Indiana calls "the willingness to grant due process to [different] ideas . . . before rendering an informed and reasoned verdict" and that you will "recogni[ze] that the world is often not what it seems." To help us achieve these objectives, would you please keep them in mind as you read and participate in the activities of this course?
A Word (or Two) about these
"Activities"
A common misconception about college these days is that it is a
"commodity."
But the commodity metaphor does not work as a way to understand higher
education. You are not a consumer in the sense of one who pays for a
product; in fact, even if you pay full tuition at the University of
Michigan, you pay for only part of the cost of your education (the rest of
the tab is picked up by tax-payers, corporations that fund research,
etc.).
In addition, according to the University's Code of Student Conduct,
"when students choose to accept admission to the University, they accept
the rights and responsibilities of membership in the University's academic
and social community." If you choose to accept rights and
responsibilities as a member of this community, clearly you are an active
participant in what must be, then, an activity rather than an object or a
product. Your diploma is simply a symbol of your completion of the
processQthe activity that is your undergraduate
education.
Texts
In this class, we will read, discuss, and write about five American texts,
Frederick Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An
American Slave; Mary Austin's Stories from the Country of Lost
Borders;
Gertrude Stein's Three Lives; Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man;
and Walker
Percy's The Last Gentleman. Though the texts are quite varied,
each of
course uses language to express ideas and shape meanings. Who has access
to such a powerful tool? Who doesn't? How does the way something is
expressed--for example, its style, the patterns of the language, a
particular narrative focus--shape the meanings we make? And why does any
of this matter?
Requirements
The schedule of assignments includes readings
and three formal essays.
Occasionally, short (one-page) writing exercises will be assigned, and
quizzes are a possibility. Writing exercises, quizzes, and your
active engagement in small-group and class discussions amount to the
participation component of the course. Attendance is required.
Readings
This course is based on discussion, not lectures, so I expect you to read
all of the texts on the syllabus carefully and come to class ready to talk
about your reactions to them. I recommend that you read with a pen in
your hand, so you can jot notes or ideas in the margins of your book. I
use a color such as blue or red to contrast with the black ink publishers
use--that way, I can find my notes easily by paging through the text.
Stay
away from highlighters: they encourage passive reading, particularly since
they cause you simply to mark a passage without writing a note or a
thought. If I notice a theme or something that interests me, I usually
make a note to myself on the front or back cover (better yet, a blank page
in the book) and start a list of the page numbers for relevant passages.
Imagine how that kind of active reading will help you when you want to
make a point in class or in one of your writings. What other kinds of
"active reading" strategies work for you?
Writing Exercises and Papers
Writing exercises are short, thoughtful responses to questions posed in
class. They will be evaluated on a scale of 1-10. Papers are chances for
you to develop your ideas, analyses, and arguments about the texts we're
reading. I will distribute assignment sheets for papers two weeks before
each is due. We will talk in greater detail about writing exercises and
papers in
class, and I will distribute and we will discuss
grading criteria for
formal essays before your first paper is due.
Papers and writing exercises must be typed, double-spaced, left-justified, and printed in a standard font of 10- or 12-point, with one or one and one-quarter inch margins. All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Writing exercises will not be accepted after the start of class on the day they are due; instead, you will receive a zero for the assignment. A paper placed in my campus mailbox between Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. and the following Monday at 1:00 p.m. drops two letter grades. I will not accept a paper after 1:00 p.m. on the Monday following its due date; instead, you will receive a zero for the assignment.
Participation
In other classes, have you found that your participation increases the
learning you achieve? Class participation will be informally but clearly
reflected in your papers, since your papers will benefit from the clarity
of thought and expression and the exchange of ideas which
class discussions provoke. In addition, class participation is formally
accounted for in your grade for this class. Class participation includes
(but is not limited to) involvement in large and small group discussions,
writing exercises, and an occasional unannounced quiz. Some active
participation is taken as a given. Intelligent, frequent participation
which forwards class discussion or consideration of relevant issues can
raise your grade (questions you ask, by the way, may be as interesting as
the answers we come up with). Failure to participate at a basic level,
including by virtue of excessive absences, can reduce your grade, as can
negative or inappropriate participation.
I expect you to come to each session prepared, with reading and writing assignments completed. I also expect you to be attentive and responsive to other members of this class--your colleagues. This classroom must be one of mutual respect and open exchange. The University's Code of Student Conduct names as the University's "central purpose . . . maintaining a scholarly community [which] . . . promotes scholarly inquiry through vigorous discourse. Essential values which undergird this purpose include civility, dignity, education, equality, freedom, honesty, and safety. . . As members of the University community, students are expected to uphold its values by maintaining a high standard of conduct." If you have any questions, please talk with me, review this code at http://www.umich.edu/~oscr/ Newcode.html, or call the Office of Student Conflict Resolution at 936-6308.
Attendance
Attendance is required. It is a prerequisite for class participation
(discussion,
workshops, quizzes, etc.); thus, your presence will
have a direct and important effect on your grade in this
course. If you are absent, seek out
two classmates for an explanation of what was covered that day, and then
see me during office hours. You may have two absences without penalty (if
you are absent on a day a
paper or writing exercise is due, the assignment still must be submitted
by the start of class on the due date to avoid late penalties). For each
unexcused absence after that, your final grade will be lowered by
one letter grade. Two late arrivals or early departures (of less than
fifteen
minutes) convert to one
absence. If you miss more than fifteen minutes of a class, you will be
considered
absent.
Bypassing the
Requirements
If you have questions about course procedures or if you want to bypass a
course requirement or deadline, write me a memo or send me an email well
in advance. Make clear for what you are asking and tell me whatever I
need to know to make a decision, which I will convey to you in writing or
via email. I can't usually give you full attention in the moments after
class. I will make better decisions if I am given good information and
time to consider a question or
problem.
Office Hours
I will hold office hours throughout the semester. Office
hours are an extension of the classroom. You are welcome to come by with
questions, comments, and concerns. If you are enjoying a novel and would
like to discuss it further, if you are having a problem with
the course, if you don't understand something, come and see me. I am
happy to talk with you about your writing exercises or papers during
office
hours, whether it is to work with you at the brainstorming stage or to
give you some feedback on a draft. Why not stop
by?
Communication
With Me
Do you use email? The most efficient way to get in touch with me outside
of class time and office hours is email. During the semester, I check my
email every weekday--more frequently than I check my campus mailbox for
notes. The English Department does not provide faculty with voice mail,
so I have an answering machine on my office phone, but I check that
only on days when our class meets. You will be much more likely to
receive a quick response from me if you email rather than leave a message
for me on campus.
I will use email to contact class members in case class is canceled because of snow or some other emergency, or if I want to pass on useful information about the class. I recommend that you check your email regularly so that you will receive such updates. I will also post this sort of information on the website for the course, http://www-personal.umich.edu/~alisse/ENGL239w00.html.
With Your Classmates
Your classmates are an integral part of your English 239 experience. I
recommend that you introduce yourself to people in this class (you will
have opportunities to do so early in the semester), and that you exchange
email addresses with several classmates so that you can form study groups,
find out what you missed in case of an absence, etc. This email exchange
is voluntary, so if someone declines to give you her or his email
address,
please respect that
choice.
Grading
Your final grade in this course is a compilation of assignments, as the
list below makes clear. Notice that the weight of each assignment
increases during the semester. Do you expect
your writing to improve with practice and feedback? The additional weight
on later assignments rewards such improvement.
Paper #1 | 20% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paper #2 | 25% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paper #3 | 35% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Participation | 20% |
Remember that absences, late arrivals, and early departures also have an impact on your overall grade for the semester (see the "Requirements" section above for more information).
The Gayle Morris Sweetland Writing
Center
You may find the Sweetland Writing Center to be a valuable resource when
you write papers for this and other University of Michigan classes. If
you are interested in finding out more about their services, including the
On-Line Writing Lab, Writing Workshops, and Peer Tutoring, visit the
Sweetland at 1139 Angell Hall, call 764-0429, or check out their
website
at http://www.lsa.umich.edu/swc.
Services for Students with
Disabilities
If you think you may need an accommodation for any sort of disability,
please contact Services for Students with Disabilities (G-625 Haven Hall,
763-3000, http://www.umich.edu/~sswd/ssd)
and make an appointment to see
me during my office hours within the first two weeks of the
semester.
Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating, double
submission of papers, aiding and abetting dishonesty, and fabrication,
will not be tolerated. Carefully review the English Department's
handout
on plagiarism I will
distribute in class. If you have any questions about "what counts,"
please see me
immediately.
A Final Note
These course policies and the schedule of assignments are subject to
change. If you are
absent, it is your responsibility to find out about such changes.
A.T.00
Welcome | About these Activities | Texts | Requirements |
Bypassing the Requirements | Office Hours | Communication | Grading |
Writing Center | Servives for Students with Disabilities | Academic Integrity | A Final Note |
What is Literature?
English 239 Home | Schedule of Assignments | Grading Criteria | Announcements and Updates | Contact Information |