Dr. Gloria Jones                                                           Office Hours:

246 Bancroft                                                               TR 11 – 11:30

Office Phone - 4573                                                     W 9– 11:00

Fall 2007                                                         email:  jonesg@winthrop.edu

ENGLISH 300

Texts

Gibaldi, et. al. - MLA Handbook for Writers of Research                                                       Papers – 6^th or 7^th Ed.

Charles Bressler – Literary Criticism – 4^th edition

Henry James –The Turn of the Screw (ed. Peter Beidler – 2^nd edition )

A text of your choice

Goals

• To identify the standard research methods and sources used by scholars and a variety of theoretical approaches to literature.
• To learn to use the library and its resources efficiently and effectively.
• To recognize and discuss a wide range of critical theories which we will then apply to specific literary works. 
• To heighten our awareness of why and how we read and interpret texts as we practice different critical approaches.
• To hone our analytical skills--the skills we use as thinkers, researchers, and writers.

I see this course as an introduction to the profession of literary studies; therefore, I expect you to participate as young professionals, dedicated to the study of your chosen field.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Annotated bibliography of 20 secondary

            sources on your selected text                          10%

Four short (1-2 pages) essays evaluating

essays in James’ casebook                              20%

Review of Literature on your selected text                   10%

Critical essay on your text                                           20%

Casebook (Four {1-2 pages} essays preceding

            your 4 selected essays on your text)                20%

Final Exam                                                                 20%

                                                                                 100%

Each student will choose a text to work with for the entire semester.  You may choose a favorite work or one that you have always wanted to study more thoroughly.  I suggest that you not choose a short poem since you will be writing extensively about this work from several critical approaches. (I must approve all selections).  Our goal will be to select four excellent critical essays representing four different critical approaches that might be included in a critical edition of your chosen text.  Your own essay will be the fifth one.

Unless otherwise indicated, all out-of-class work must be typed or word-processed.  I expect your critical essays to be carefully researched and documented.  I want you to take an original angle on your text and produce an analytical essay worthy of presentation to a scholarly group.

GRADING SCALE

            As you know, the university initiates the +/- grading option this semester.  I will use this grading scale.  On individual assignments, as I average your final grades, I will use the following equivalencies:  A = 95, A- = 90, B+ = 89, B = 85, B- = 80 and so forth.  F will be figured in as a 55 numerically.  When I record your FINAL grades, the following will be my scale:  93-100 = A, 90-92 = A-, 88-89 = B+, 83-87 = B, 80-82 = B- and so forth.

ATTENDANCE

            I allow only three absences in this class.  You are responsible for finding out what you missed when absent.  TWO tardies will count as one absence

Your final grade will be lowered by five (5) points for every class missed over the allowed three.

LATE PAPERS

            I will accept late papers—up to a point, but they will be penalized—a letter grade for every day late.  Papers over one week late will not be accepted.

REVISION POLICY

You may revise a selected number of papers for this class:  You may revise 2 of the 4 short essays and either the Review or Literature or the Annotated Bibliography.  You must have earned a C or lower on the original submission.  No revisions on the major paper and the casebook.  All revisions must be accompanied by the original paper and must be submitted within one week of your receipt of the original paper. I WILL NOT GRADE A REVISION THAT IS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY THE ORIGINAL PAPER.  NO REVISIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED ON PAPERS THAT EARNED A GRADE OF B OR HIGHER.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

            I will not tolerate plagiarism.  If you are unclear about how to document borrowed material, please download the handout “Avoiding Plagiarism” on the English Department Web Page.  Work that is not yours and/or is not properly documented will receive a “0”; and I reserve the right to fail you for the class, depending on the nature of the plagiarism.  I will report all incidents of intentional plagiarism to the Dean of Students, and evidence of this plagiarism will go in your permanent file.

CELL PHONE POLICY

                If you bring a cell phone to class, it must be turned off or set on “vibrate.”  You may not leave class to answer your phone unless there is an emergency situation involving one of your family members.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

                I expect you to be prepared for class.  You must have done the reading, and you must ask questions or offer insights.  It would be wise to come with a prepared question or comment every class.  If you are bored, pretend not to be.  If you are shy, get over it.  If you are sleepy, stand up.  You must be conscious in order to be counted present.

EMAIL POLICY

            I will read my emails every morning around 8 and every afternoon before I leave and try to respond at those times.  I may read emails during the day, but I may not be able to respond immediately.  I will allow you to email me the draft of a paper, but I will not correct your paper and email it back to you.  If you wish to confer with me about a draft, we will have that conference in person.

The English Department’s web page is located at http://www.winthrop.edu/english

Resources for many of our courses can be found at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/core.htm   You will find a number of links to literary theory and links to specific authors on this web page also.