Books

Scott Leonard and Michael McClure, Myth and Knowing: An Introduction to World Mythologies (McGraw Hill, 2004)

Bulfinch’s Greek and Roman Mythology (Dover Thrift Edition, unabridged)

Online readings as indicated on class web page

Current Prentice Hall Reference Guide or MLA Handbook (may be shared)

Requirements

Class preparation and involvement (including your oral presentation): 24%

Three reflection papers: 12% each (36%)

Major paper or equivalent: 25%

Final exam: 15%

Grading Scale

A  94-100; A- 91-93; B+ 88-90; B  84-87; B- 81-83; C+ 78-80; C  74-77; C- 71-73; D+ 68-70;
D  64-67; D- 61-63; F  0-60. Graduate students do not have plus/minus grading.

Grading
Standards

On my web page I will provide links to my rubric for grading essay exams and a rubric for class participation in literature classes. See my Literary Analysis Rubric for the standards I use to grade your written efforts.

Course Goals

1. To familiarize you with some of the major mythological systems of world literature in both print and other media

2. To introduce you to the major subject matters, origins, and functions of world mythology, particularly as they prepare you to study other forms of literature and to take standardized exams like the GRE

3. To introduce you to some of the major works of secondary literary criticism involved in the study of myth and to appropriate literary research tools for studying, writing about, and teaching world mythologies

4. To reinforce your critical reading, interpretative, and writing skills through in-class examinations and
out-of-class writing assignments, leading to the creation of materials suitable for revising as a conference paper submission or classroom instructional unit. See a complete listing of course goals for the Department of English at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals/index.htm.  Goals for teacher certification majors: http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals.htm#englished.

 

Turnitin.com

We will use www.turnitin.com for submitting and grading papers in this class. Your class ID # is and the password will be given to you in class. Tutorials for using turnitin.com:  http://www.winthrop.edu/dacus/About/studentTIIinstructions.htm. >

Accommo-
dations

If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290 (or ext. 3290 from campus), as soon as possible. Once you have your professor notification letter, please notify me so that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first time you need accommodation.

Safe Zones

This classroom is a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thoughts is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. I expect that ALL students will be able to consider our classroom a safe environment.

Late Paper
Policy

Papers must be uploaded to www.turnitin.com before class begins on the day they are due. You may take a one-day extension on one of the three reflection papers, provided that you notify me before class on the day the paper is due. Otherwise, no late papers will be accepted because of the short turnaround time in summer session.

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")–whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not. It is also a violation of section V, "Academic Misconduct," of the Winthrop Student Conduct Code (http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm). The English Department has prepared The Correct Use of Borrowed Information to explain plagiarism (see www.winthrop.edu/english/plagiarism.htm .) You will be required to print out this statement, sign the last page, and bring it to your rough draft conference. Ignorance or failure to consult this material is no excuse.

Duplicate
Submissions

You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance. This is to conform to the Student Code of Conduct, §V, which states: "Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to … presenting the same or substantially the same papers or projects in two or more courses without the explicit permission of the professors involved." (Student Code of Conduct §V: http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm ). Duplicate submission is normally grounds for failure in the class.

Expectations

1. This is a reading- and discussion-intensive course. Emphasis will be placed on a lot of discussion. Therefore, you are expected to do the reading before class and to come to class prepared. It’s summer school and this is a small class, so you need to be aware of the time/reading commitment you are making. The heaviest reading assignments are for Mondays; and definitely use the weekends to get ahead with the following week’s readings!

2. As a 500-level class, you will be expected to dip into secondary criticism of the works we read as well as the primary texts themselves and to discuss that criticism in class. Each section of M&K contains a list of suggested readings that should be the basis for your exploration, whether for class discussion or for your writing.  I will assemble a list of online resources on the class web page that may also be of use.

2. Attendance is expected. If you miss more than two classes, expect your final grade to be lowered at least five points for every absence.

3. You are expected to purchase the texts and bring them to class as assigned. If you do not choose to purchase them from the Bookworm, please check the ISBNs for the texts so that you can get the right editions wherever you choose to shop. Some materials will be available online so that you can reduce your costs. If you choose not to print these materials out, then make detailed notes (with quotes!) so that you can participate intelligently in discussion.

4. Plagiarism of any sort is unacceptable in the class and will result in an F grade for the class, at minimum. Please ask me in advance if you have any questions about how you are using borrowed materials in your work. All work is presumed to be original for this class unless I give explicit permission otherwise.

5. All written work must conform to MLA style. See Harris’ Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Composition or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, current editions, if you have any questions.

6. The classroom is not the place for multi-tasking. Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off during class. If yours goes off during class, you will be counted absent for the day. Repeated offenses will seriously affect your class participation grade.

7. Graduate students will note that there are some additional course requirements for them. This is required by the SACS accreditation board for joint undergraduate/graduate classes.

Everything else

To save paper, I will be putting assignments, handouts, and other materials online on the class web page. Any material in this syllabus or schedule of readings that is updated after this is printed (on June 5)  will be on the web page, and the web version will be the “official” version. Please check this site frequently for updates, especially updates to the schedule of reading and presentations!  URL: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/kosterj/engl508x.htm.