English 103B
Professor Julie Carlson
Spring 2011
Lecture: M/W 12:30-1:45, Girvetz 1004
Section 50062: M 5 p.m., Girvetz 2123
Section 50070: M 6 p.m., South Hall 1609
Teaching Assistant: Patrick Mooney
Office Hours: Monday 4pm-5pm & Wednesday 4pm-5pm in South Hall 2432K, or by appointment.
Mailbox: English Department mail room, South Hall 3421.
E-mail: patrickmooney AT umail DOT ucsb DOT edu
- Attendance and participation in class and discussion sections (15% of final grade). Missing more than two sections (excused or otherwise) will result in an automatic reduction of your total grade for the course.
- Midterm exam (15% of final grade).
- Final exam (30% of final grade).
- One three- to four-page paper, due on April 18 (15% of final grade).
- One four- to six-page paper, due on May 18 (25% of final grade).
- All course assignments must be completed in order to receive a passing grade for the course.
- Extra credit (up to 2%) is available for recitation or performance of a poem in lecture.
April 15: Last day to add a course.
April 18: First paper due in lecture.
April 22: Last day to drop a course.
May 2: Midterm exam.
May 13: Last day to change grading option.
May 18: Second paper due in lecture.
June 7, noon: Final exam.
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 come to lecture prepared and bring specific issues, interests, and questions with you when you come to section on Monday evenings.
Attendance is necessary, and more than two absences will automatically reduce your final grade for the quarter. I do not distinguish between excused
and unexcused
absences, so it is wise to save your allowed absences in case you need them due to illness or unavoidable scheduling conflicts. (If you have a genuinely unusual situation that requires more than two absences and is truly unavoidable, 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.
You should always prepare for lecture and section by reading the assigned texts carefully and critically. Printing out the few online readings (rather than reading them on your computer screen) will be helpful, because engaging directly with the text (writing in the margins, underlining, having something to throw physically across the room when you are frustrated or in violent disagreement) promotes comprehesion 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 spend 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. Moreover, I highly recommend that you read the introductory sections that cover the assigned readings, even when those introductory readings do not themselves appear on the syllabus. 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.
Papers are due according to the schedule on the syllabus. Failure to turn in your paper on time will result in a reduction of ½ letter grade per day 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. Note that the Sankey Room is normally locked at 4:30pm. If you must be absent from class on the day that your paper is due, you may leave your paper in my box before lecture begins.
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 appropriate grammar, punctuation, and 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.
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 the Sankey Room, 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.
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.
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) removal from the course, 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.
If you are a student with a disability and require special accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible and apply for services with the Disabled Students Program (http://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu/).
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. Professional 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 constitutes harassment and is unacceptable. This includes unwelcome sexual advances.
More broadly, 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.
If you have questions or concerns about university policies on equal access, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you do not feel comfortable speaking with me for any reason, you may contact UCSB's Title IX Compliance Office (http://www.oeosh.ucsb.edu/SexualHarssment/SexualHarassment.html), the Multicultural Center (http://mcc.sa.ucsb.edu/), the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/sgd/), or the Women's Center (http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/women/).
A collection of course materials can be found online at http://is.gd/umafuf (or, if you're fond of additional typing, at http://patrickbrianmooney.nfshost.com/~patrick/ta/s11/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.
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/awicix (or, equivalently, at http://patrickbrianmooney.nfshost.com/~patrick/ta/s11/eng103b/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.