English 122LE Section Guidelines

English/Environmental Studies 122LE
Professor Ken Hiltner, hiltner AT english DOT ucsb DOT edu
Fall 2011
Lecture: Tu/Th 9:30-10:45, Girvetz 1004
§ 64881 (Eng.) / 64741 (E.S.): Tu 5 p.m., SH 1415
§ 64899 (Eng.) / 64758 (E.S.): Tu 6 p.m., SH 1415

Teaching Assistant: Patrick Mooney

Office Hours: Tuesdays 4pm-5pm & Wednesdays 3pm-4pm in South Hall 2432K, or by appointment; virtual office hours Fridays 12pm-1pm or by appointment.
Mailbox: English Department mail room, South Hall 3421.
E-mail: patrickmooney AT umail DOT ucsb DOT edu
Voicemail: (805) 272-0069

Course Requirements

Important Dates

Section Meetings

Discussion sections are an important part of the course. We will be reviewing major course topics and themes, looking closely at particular parts of the texts we are reading in class, and exploring additional related issues. At the same time, the course discussion section is your opportunity to explore additional implications of course readings or issues that you find interesting, fascinating, questionable, or unclear. You will find section more rewarding and enjoyable if you (a) come to lecture and are prepared when you arrive there, and (b) and bring specific issues, interests, and questions with you when you come to section on Tuesday evenings.

Attendance at both lecture and section is necessary in order to do well in the course. Each section that you miss automatically impacts your grade for the quarter, so try hard to be at section every week. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, although I do appreciate hearing from you if you know in advance that you're going to miss section. (If you have a genuinely unusual situation that impacts your section attendance, please see me: perhaps we can work something out.)

Simply showing up at section each week is not sufficient to earn participation points. Please remember that this is a discussion section. Your section grade is largely based on the degree to which you make meaningful contributions to the group discussion on a regular basis. Besides attendance, I have only three basic expectations related to discussion: that you contribute meaningfully to the group's discourse; that you arrive promptly in section prepared to discuss the readings in a nuanced and engaged manner; and that everyone in section treat each other respectfully during discussions, even (especially!) when disagreements arise.

Course Readings

You should always prepare for lecture and section by reading the assigned texts carefully and critically. Engaging directly with the text (writing in the margins, underlining, throwing it physically across the room when you are frustrated or in violent disagreement) promotes comprehension and retention, and is a good way to stay prepared for tests and to be ready to write when paper topics are assigned.

Although our reading list is lighter this term than for some other junior-level English classes that you can take, you should still expend a substantial amount of time and attention on the assigned texts. You should always have completed the assigned readings by the date indicated on the syllabus. If you are seeking background reading on a topic, please let me know, and I can make suggestions for additional reading material. (This may be one way to develop a topic for a paper.) Multiple readings of assigned texts -- ideally on separate days -- will promote understanding and retention, and will help to ensure that you are prepared for the midterm and final exams.

You should always bring the week's readings with you to both lecture and section.

Paper Guidelines

Papers are due according to the schedule on the syllabus, and always at the end of lecture. Failure to turn in your paper by the end of lecture will result in a reduction of one-third of a letter grade per day (an A- becomes a B+ if up to one day late) unless you have either made arrangements with me (at least 24 hours in advance) or have a genuinely serious and unavoidable emergency (family death, serious injury, natural disaster, etc.). If you turn in a late paper, you should put it in my box in the English Department's mail room (South Hall 3421) and must e-mail me before 5pm that day to be sure that I notice it and give you credit for turning it in on the proper day. (If you have taken English classes before, you may be used to dropping off material for professors or TAs in the Sankey Room. Please use my mailbox on the third floor instead.) I do not accept electronic copies of work except in emergencies.

I do not accept work more than two weeks late, or after the final exam, except in genuinely extraordinary circumstances. Note that this implies that failing to turn in a paper within these deadlines also means that you will automatically fail the course, as it is necessary to complete all assignments in order to receive a passing grade.

Papers must be formatted according to the MLA standard (one-inch margins, double-spaced, no extra spacing between paragraphs or other layout elements, 12-point standard serif font, standard list of works cited and standard citation methodology for phrases and ideas originating elsewhere, etc.). Any deviations from MLA standard (unless they are very, very small) will negatively impact your paper grade. Moreover, as this is a junior-level English class, you are expected to use the standard conventions of formal writing (including using appropriate grammar, punctuation, and properly observing other mechanical concerns), and any substantial problems with these matters will also negatively impact your grade. If you have questions, please consult a writing handbook, or see me during my office hours. We will discuss expectations regarding papers at greater length before your first paper is due.

Technology problems are not normally an acceptable excuse for late work. It is not safe to assume that your technology will automatically continue to be reliable throughout a writing process. Let’s face it: technology breaks. Batteries die, printers break or run out of ink, network connections go down, files become corrupt. These are not considered emergencies: they are part of the normal production process. You need to protect yourself by managing your time and backing up your work.

If you wish to dispute a grade you have received on a paper, you should provide a written statement indicating specific reasons why your grade should be different, and should take my comments on your paper into account. This statement should be delivered to me in person, dropped off in my box in South Hall 3421, or sent to me by e-mail. You must also provide me with a copy of your paper that has my comments on it. I do not re-evaluate papers based on general claims such as I just think I did better.

Contact Policy

I am available during and after section, after lecture (most days), during my office hours, and by e-mail. If you need to see me but cannot come into my office during office hours, let me know and we will arrange another time to meet. I take my pedagogical responsibilities seriously, and want to help each and every one of you to be successful. Although I am willing to answer questions by e-mail, substantial and/or complex discussions about course material are more likely to be beneficial to both of us if they occur in person instead of electronically.

I try to respond to e-mail in a timely fashion, although you should understand that it may take me a day or two during busy parts of the quarter to answer messages. E-mailing me with an urgent question the night before a paper is due or a test is scheduled, therefore, is a bad idea. Please schedule your writing and studying so that any questions arise sufficiently far in advance of the due date and you are not left without feedback at the last minute. Please also note that my daytime responsibilities on campus may mean that I do not check my e-mail the last few hours before a paper is due or a test is scheduled.

You should make sure that you have enough space in your U-Mail box to receive messages. Although I rarely send students unsolicited e-mail messages, your U-Mail address is the primary means I will use to reach you if that becomes necessary. On a related note, you should check your U-Mail account regularly, even if you do not consider it to be your primary e-mail account.

Plagiarism

Anything and everything you turn in for class must represent your own original work. Although it is possible that your papers may build on existing research, it must always be clear which words and ideas in your paper are yours and which originate elsewhere. Plagiarized material will result in (at a bare minimum) no credit for the assignment, and may result in further disciplinary action from the University, up to and including expulsion. Your ultimate guide to all questions about plagiarism should be the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, which has a fairly comprehensive discussion of the subject in section two.

If you have questions about plagiarism or how to properly attribute ideas, please see me after section or during my office hours.

Disability Accommodations

If you are a student with a disability and require special accommodations, please apply for services with the Disabled Students Program (http://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu/) and let me know as early as possible in the quarter.

Equal Access Statement

University policy and Federal and state law require that all students be provided fair and equal access to educational services, regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or economic background. All students in this class are expected to treat each other with respect, and prejudicial or hate speech will not be tolerated. Collegial, thoughtful speech and demeanor is expected from everyone in class at all times. Behavior and/or language that intimidate or negatively impact the attendance or performance of another student constitute harassment and are unacceptable. This includes unwelcome sexual advances.

More to the point, we should be discussing texts and ideas, not attacking each other personally. Focusing on discussions of course material and related topics not only keeps us on task, but will ensure that everyone is able to participate effectively and gain as much as possible from the course.

Other Resources

A collection of course materials can be found online at http://is.gd/rorafe (or, if you're fond of additional typing, at http://patrickbrianmooney.nfshost.com/~patrick/ta/f11/index.html). At a bare minimum, that site will have electronic copies of all handouts that I distribute during section. There is also a Twitter stream for the course, accessible from the same location, providing reminders about upcoming events and additional course-related information.

In Conclusion…

I expect that you will put in the necessary work to be prepared to discuss the texts passionately and intelligently, that you will engage with the course material, and that you will work to make a substantial positive contribution to discussion in section. I want everyone to benefit from and to succeed in this course, and would be happy to hear input from you about how I can help you to do so. If you have questions or concerns, please let me know in my office hours, after lecture or section, or by e-mail.

I try very hard to be available to, supportive of, and understanding toward my students. If you are having difficulties with the course material, please come talk to me. If you have unusual, stressful, or bizarre things happen during the quarter that make it difficult for you to perform up to your potential in the course, please come talk to me. If you just can't seem to get started writing your paper, please come talk to me. If I can help you to be successful in any reasonable way, please let me know. If I'm not aware of what's going on in your life, however, it's difficult for me to assist you.

These guidelines are subject to change as the quarter progresses, and the most up-to-date copy of these guidelines is always available on the Web at http://is.gd/ijosim (or, equivalently, at http://patrickbrianmooney.nfshost.com/~patrick/ta/f11/eng122le/section-guidelines.html). However, please bring your hard copy of these guidelines with you to section each week so you can keep notes on any changes that I may find it necessary to make.

Section Requirements and Guidelines