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I
expect you to attend class and make it to class on time.
Attendance is mandatory, both in terms of receiving the practical
experience needed in order to pass the course and in terms of
being eligible to receive a grade (I cannot give you a passing
grade if you do not show up). This class is an interactive seminar
on reading and writing about literature—it loses its interactive
quality if you are not here to participate. You are allowed two
absences gratis, but after two absences I begin deducting 20
points from your total grade for each absence or tardy entrance
(Confidentially speaking, I usually do not have to deduct these
points because students who miss more than two classes end up
failing themselves without my help). If you do miss a class meeting,
do not ask me what you missed or if it was something important;
any absence will deprive you of a significant segment of this
course. If a serious illness, a family emergency, or some other
crisis occurs during the term, you must contact the Dean of Students
Office (831-8939) as soon as possible. This office will assist
you in notifying your instructors as to the need for an extended
absence. This office can assist you in notifying faculty and
in validating for your teachers what has happened. Such validation
will be necessary for you to make up missed classwork and assignments.
I
expect you to come to class prepared, which includes
reading all the assignments, completing your assigned writing
tasks, and being ready to discuss both. Come to class with questions,
concerns, opinions and (constructive) rants, so that you may
contribute to the discussion. This class is discussion oriented—so
I will expect active participation from every member. If you
have difficulties participating in class discussions, please
talk to me about it as soon as possible.
Preparation
also implies your careful attention to your University of Delaware
E-mail account as well as our website. In this section, you are
expected to have an activated University of Delaware account by
the second week of classes and to check your mail regularly regarding
course activities and assignments. You are also expected to have
access to our website and the University
of Delaware Databases.
I
expect that you will turn in all assignments on time.
No late secondary assignments (anything handed in after class,
discovered in my mailbox later in the day, or e-mailed to me
that afternoon) will be accepted. Unless otherwise specified,
no primary assignments will be accepted without your physical
presence in the classroom. Missed secondary assignments cannot
be made up and will receive a 0. Late primary assignments are
accepted with a 25 point deduction for each calendar day. Essays
are to be word-processed in double-spaced, 12 point “Times
New Roman” font and use the MLA format for name placement,
page numbering, and the like—this can be found in the Bedford
Handbook or online. Should anything horrific, debilitating, or
emotionally scarring arise that would prevent you from turning
in a paper on time, you must plead your case before the due date,
because I do not give extensions after-the-fact.
I
expect that you will make yourself familiar with my grading
standards for writing. I also expect that everything
you
hand in will
be your own work. All work submitted (regardless of its draft or final copy
status) must be conceived and actualized by you (none of this “my friend
typed it for me” stuff). Any words, ideas, or data (including statistics,
graphs, and visual aids) must be properly documented. Lack of documentation
is considered plagiarism. The University of Delaware protects the rights
of all students by insisting that individual students act with integrity.
Accordingly,
the University severely penalizes plagiarism and other forms of academic
dishonesty. One place to learn the University of Delaware’s policies
towards academic integrity (under the heading of “Forms
of Academic Dishonesty”)
is through the website for Judicial Affairs. See also my brief discussion
of MLA Citation and Plagiarism. Plagiarism
is a serious academic infraction and
I will zealously prosecute any offenders.
I
expect you to take advantage of two things during this course:
I am here to help you with your writing about and understanding
of literature. I will
do my best in the classroom, and I assume you will as well. If you need
additional assistance with the class, particularly regarding writing
skills, please
ask and I will do my best to accommodate you. My purpose is to assist you
in communicating
intelligently about occasionally abstract and often symbolic things. You
also have the opportunity (or excuse) to partake in the English Department’s
Writing Center. It is located in 016 Memorial and provides free one-on-one
instruction to students who have writing assignments in this or any course.
You may make an appointment by visiting the Center's
Web Site. (The telephone
number is 831-1168.)
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