English 101/244/271 Syllabus

Fall 2017

Instructor:            Donna Cowan

E-mail:                  dcowan@bellevuecollege.edu                

Office location:    R230

Office Hours:       1;30 to 2:20, Mondays and Wednesdays 

Course Information:

Welcome to a wonderful class in which we will survey American literature up to the Civil War. We will read from a variety of source materials, letters, essays, short stories and poems..

I love reading and always have. I started reading at age four and for much of my youth, read a book a day. I know everyone does enjoy engrossing themselves in a good book, so I have chosen fairly short readings.

While we will enjoy literature in its own right, we will also connect with American history, so I have chosen several videos which will give us background. In addition, I will lecture on American history, and we will have numerous readings about it.

In addition, we will also consider various themes as they emerge: defending a territory, war, race relations, the writing of women and native Americans. These are themes that run throught the time period. In fact, for your final project, I will ask you to present in a group, regarding a theme of your choice.

After several readings, I have brief, four to six multiple choice questions, which I expect you to do before class the next day. The results of these quizzes will make up 40% of the final gradeThis gives me a good idea of who is understanding the readings, and indeed, who is doing the readings. In addition I will ask you to write a letter and two essays.

Of course, I expect you to do all of the readings and be prepared for discussion in class the next day. If you miss more than three classes, that will start to impact your grade. Ten absences will result in absolute failure in the class.

While some see literatureas dry and dusty, I see it as exciting and passioante. I will end here with a poem that also will conclude our course.

Wild nights! - Wild nights!

By Emily Dickenson

Wild nights- Wild nights!

Were I with thee

Wild nights should be

our luxury!

Hopefully, at least some of our wild nights will be spent whith our literature. A kind of substitute for "thee".

Grading

All work is expected by the beginning of class the day it is due. Papers should be sunmited on paper, for the first draft, so we can do peer review, then online once changes have been made. Students will have the chance to rewrite papers within one week of receiving them back with a grade. If you think you are going to miss a dealine, please talk to me in advance. Otherwise, you will not receive credit for the assignment.

The College Grading Policy is explained in the current Course Catalog and can also be found at this link: Grading Policy

Books and Materials Required

The Norton Anthology : American Literature, shorter eighth edition, Volume 1, Nina Baym editor

Writing about Literatur: Step by Step, , Pat McKeague

Help with Canvas

Students can find help with Canvas by following the link here: Student Canvas Help

Classroom Learning Atmosphere

Instructor’s Expectations

[Replace this text with expectations for students and student success in the class.]

Accessibility

The online elements of this course are designed to be welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including students who are English-language learners, have a variety of learning styles, have disabilities, or are new to online learning. Be sure to let me know immediately if you encounter a required element or resource in the course that is not accessible to you. Also, let me know of changes I can make to the course so that it is more welcoming to, accessible to, or usable by students who take this course in the future.

Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect.

Affirmation of Inclusion (https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/inclusion/)

Religious Holidays

Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or any other assignments because of their religious observance should be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent, preferably at the beginning of the term. Students who are absent on days of examinations or class assignments should be offered an opportunity to make up the work without penalty (if they have previously arranged to be absent), unless it can be demonstrated that a makeup opportunity would constitute an unreasonable burden on a member of the faculty. Should disagreement arise over what constitutes an unreasonable burden or any element of this policy, parties involved should consult the department chair, or Dean.

Policy 2950 Accommodations for Reasons of Faith or Conscience (http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/policies/id-2950p-2/).

College Anti-Discrimination Statement

Bellevue College does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity; creed; color; national origin; sex; marital status; sexual orientation; age; religion; genetic information; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; or veteran status in educational programs and activities which it operates. Bellevue College is prohibited from discriminating in such a manner by college policy and by state and federal law. All college personnel and persons, vendors, and organizations with whom the college does business are required to comply with applicable federal and state statutes and regulations designed to promote affirmative action and equal opportunity.

Equal Opportunity (http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/equal/)

[Spanish and Chinese versions of the anti-discrimation statement are available at Important Links should you wish to link to them or include them in your syllabus.]

Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our one-on-one meetings. I will seek to keep information you share private to the greatest extent possible. However, I am required to share with the Title IX Coordinator any and all information regarding sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct (e.g. dating violence, domestic violence, stalking) that may have occurred on campus or that impacts someone on campus. Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting the BC Counseling Center at (425) 564-2212. The Title IX Office can be contacted at 425-564-2641 and more information can be found at Title IX (http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/titleix/).

If you have any concerns, you may report to: Report Concerns (https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/reportconcerns/).

Division Statements

You can read the Arts and Humanities Division’s policies regarding attendance, plagiarism and cheating on the Arts & Humanities web site under “Student Information.” Information about Bellevue College's copyright guidelines can be found at: College Copyright Policy This link provides a good, short summary of how to avoid plagiarism: Avoiding Plagiarism This 22-minute video also provides a good overview of how to avoid trouble when using sources: From the college home page select SERVICES, then LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER, then DATABASES, then FILMS ON DEMAND. At their site, search by title for PLAGIARISM 2.0: ETHICS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity

Any act of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source), and fabrication and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Dean of Student Success for investigation. Specific student rights, responsibilities, and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct