Saturday, May 18, 2024 : TES > Courses > 2111 > Policies
ENGL 2111: World Literature I
Classroom Policies
Assignments
Your work represents you. Therefore, I expect everything you turn into me to exemplify the very best of your professional self. Every out-of-class assignment must be typed (word-processed) on white, wrinkle-free paper. I will not accept any hand-written assignment, period. Please plan ahead so that you have plenty of time to make your assignments as presentable as possible.
Essay Submission and Format
All essays must be typed, double-spaced, and contain your name, SS# (just the last four digits is fine), class name and number, my name, and date in the upper-left-hand corner of the first page; all pages must have the your last name followed by the page number in the upper-right-hand corner 1/2-inch from the top. Additionally, the essay’s title should be centered and appear directly before the introduction. Use a twelve-point, serif font (no smaller or larger) and refrain from superfluous underlining, bolding, etc. Also, be sure to review the Editor’s Checklist before turning in your essays. Finally, always keep copies of your assignments, especially when they have been graded and returned.
All essays should be submitted in a folder with pockets. Do not attach your essay to the folder; put it in the pocket with anything else required for the assignment. If you submit an assignment late or early for some reason, please do so through my departmental mailbox located in the Humanities office. Do not slide anything under my door, as it may get lost.
Electronic Submission
As the computer becomes increasingly part of my classroom, I encourage electronic submission of work, including exams. If you opt for electronic sumbission, you should send all assignments to dropbox at litmuse dot maconstate dot edu as RTF (rich-text format) attachments (including the three-letter extension .rtf), unless otherwise instructed. If you send your assignments to my regular email address they will not be accepted, so always submit work at the dropbox address and communicate with me via my regular email address. Always specifically label your assignments with the assignment name/number and your name — especially if your name is not evident by your email address. Emails with blank subject lines will automatically be deleted!
One final warning: always keep copies of all your work in case of computer and human error.
Attendance
Attendance will be taken at every class meeting. A sheet of paper with the day’s date will be sent around at the start of every class; your name must appear on this list, or you were absent for that day. If you come in late, it is your responsibility to ask me for the attendance sheet so that you may sign in.
The college’s official attendance policy states that students should not be penalized for missing two (2) class periods (three hours), but a student’s grade will be negatively affected if absenses exceed two (2) in one semester. There are no “excused absences” in my class, but you are allowed to miss two (2) classes, no questions asked, before your grade suffers.
If you attend all classes, you final class participation grade will receive an additional three (3) points. Missing two (2) classes has no beneficial or adverse affect on your grade. Each additional class missed beyond two will decrease your class participation by one-and-one-half (1.5) points, and on down the line. Two (2) tardies — i.e. coming late or leaving early — count as one absence.
Remember: the only thing that counts here is the physical presence of a body in class; excuses will not help this measurable fact at all. It is your responsibility to discover what was missed in class and any assignments. Quizzes and in-class activites cannot be made up for any reason.
Children
Since class lecture and discussion will often touch on the controversial, this classroom is not an appropriate place for children. Please make arrangements to have your children looked after while you attend class.
Class Time
Because discussion and active participation are integral to the learning process, I rarely lecture. Therefore, time in class will be spent on discussion of readings, student writing, and exercises with the occasional short lecture. Quizzes, practice essays, discussions, and lectures are designed to benefit the entire group while personal problems and concerns should be handled during office hours.
Deadlines
Late work is not acceptable and will receive a zero. Allowing for a single contingency, one late assignment will be accepted; this assignment cannot be more than a week late. After this limit, I can accept no late assignments. The reason for this: what you write for each class will create the class. If you write nothing, then the class does not exist. To ensure the existence of class, you are allowed only one late daily assignment. Plan ahead and turn in your work on time. Late essays cannot, for any reson, be rewritten for a grade increase.
Course Materials
Course readings are integral parts of the class and should be brought daily. When readings are assigned to be discussed in class, please bring a copy of the reading with your reading notes ready to participate in the discussion. Do not come to class without your books.
Electronic Communication Devices
Please leave all distracting electronic devices, cell phones and beepers, in your car, or silence them during class. I understand our contemporary need to be in contact with everyone all the time, but do not let this personal need distract the rest of the class. In addition, I do not allow class discussions to be taped, so do not bring any voice recording devices to class, though I do encourage your bringing an ink interface and dead trees on which to take notes.
Grades
| A | 90-100 |
| B | 80-89 |
| C | 70-79 |
| D | 60-69 |
| F | 0-59 |
Final grades will be based upon a traditional ten-point scale for letters and then a plus or minus for a more accurate grade, see Table 1. Also see individual course requirements for specific requirements. You are not in competition with each other; you will each receive the grade you earn. For a description of what letter grades mean, see grade descriptions or refer to the Macon State College Academic Catalog.
I do not transmit grades electronically at any time. I have no problem apprising you of your current standing in this class, but I will not do so over any electronic medium, including email or the phone. If you would like to know your official grade, you should see me during my office hours or make an appointment.
Incompletes
This course will strictly abide by University and departmental policies regarding incompletes. An incomplete can only be given if a small portion of the course work is missing and you’re doing otherwise satisfactory work. “I” grades are not assigned automatically, but only upon consultation with me. You have one semester to remove an “I” grade; otherwise it is changed to an “F.”
Library Research Days
At least one day during each semester is designated as a library research day. These days, as evident by the name, are assigned for library research and reading on assigned topics relevant to the study of the course work. The specific time when class would normally be held should be spent in the library doing research or reading.
Notes
Students must keep thorough notes, both from classroom lecture and individual reading. Even if students are absent, they are held responsible for obtaining missed notes. Notes should not only reflect good listening skills, but individual interest in every topic discussed in class. Students are encouraged to individually research topics discussed in class. Although notes will not receive a grade, they should be diligently kept in all classes. One should always endeavor to improve note-taking skills.
Special Needs
Any student who has special needs because of a disability should contact Ann E. Loyd at the Counseling and Career Center (478-471-2714 / S-230) and fill out the appropriate paperwork. The student shoud then see me with the documentation so that the necessary accommodations can be made.
Plagiarism
The Oxford English Dictionary defines plagiarism as “the wrongful appropriation or purloining, and publication as one’s own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical, mechanical, etc.) of another,” or “a purloined idea, design, passage, or work.” Any time you use ideas that are not your own in anything that you write, you must supply a citation in an identifiable citation method, e.g., MLA, Chicago, etc.
Plagiarism will result in automatic failure of this class and will be pursued to incite the utmost penalty for such dishonesty. Academic falsehood, in any form, will constitute class failure.