Semester: Fall
2005
Sec:
001 Time:
MWF 8:30 - 9:20 pm Place: Kuy
408 CRN:
72241
Sec:
002 Time:
MWF 10:30 - 11:20 pm
Place: Kuy
304 CRN: 72242
Instructor: John Zuern
Office: Kuykendall 219
Office Hours:
MWF
9:30 - 10:20
(and by appointment)
Email (the best way
to contact me): zuern@hawaii.edu Telephone: 956-3019
This course is designed to introduce you to the multifaceted discipline of English studies. We will focus on the methods and theories that are used in the production, analysis, interpretation, and assessment of a variety of texts, including works of fiction and poetry, student compositions, information systems, and cultural objects like films, commercial products, and advertising campaigns. One of our goals will be to understand how critics have reflected upon the aesthetic and social dimensions of writing in a number of historical periods. Throughout the semester, we will be placing "classic" texts into dialogue with one another and with present-day critical perspectives, emphasizing significant continuities throughout the history of scholarship in literature and rhetoric and at the same time examining the critiques and transformations that basic critical concepts and approaches have undergone in the course of their development.
Our particular focus will be on the complex problem of interpretation. What critical procedures allow us to grasp and to convey the meaning of what we read? How do we know that our interpretations are valid? What are the social and political consequences of our interpretations? In addition to providing you with a background in English studies, this class is designed to build skills in careful reading, critical thinking, and lucid argumentative writing.
Gibaldi, Joseph. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Sixth Edition. Modern Language Association. 2003.
ISBN: 0873529863
Leitch, Vincent et al., eds. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Norton, 2001.
ISBN: 0393974294
Linmark, R. Zamora. Prime Time Apparitions. Brooklyn: Hanging Loose, 2005.
ISBN: 1-931236-45-3
Yamanaka, Lois-Ann. Blu's Hanging. Perennial, 1998.
ISBN: 038073139
All books are available from Revolution Books :: 2626 South King :: 944-3106.
The packet is available from Campus Copy in the Student Center.
Our class web log (blog) is hosted by Blogger at http://www.hitech.blogspot.com.
Some readings and other materials will be available on the
Resources section of this site.
You must have an active email account and reliable access to the Internet with a current browser.
Semester grades will be based on your performance in the following assignments:
Assignments are due by class time on the day on which they appear in the schedule. You must complete all assignments to receive a passing grade in this class. Grades for late assignments will be lowered by one letter grade for every day past the due date. I will not read drafts that are submitted more than two days past the deadline.
I will assign grades based on the +/- system. I will use the following values to compute your final grades:
A+ = 4.0 A= 4.0 A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.3 D = 1.0 D- = 0.7
F = 0.0
In compliance with university policy, I will give incompletes only in cases of documented medical or family emergencies.
I expect that you will attend this class regularly and on time. It is especially important that you show up promptly for Chat sessions, as late arrivals in the Chat space can be especially disruptive for others in the class. More than six (6) unexcused absences will result in a failing grade for the class. If circumstances arise that make it difficult for you to attend on-campus classes and MOO sessions, or to complete your assigned work, please inform me immediately. Don’t wait until the end of the semester, when it will be harder to make accommodations.
Your relationships with your classmates and with me are governed by the Student Conduct Code, which also applies in all the online environments we will be using this semester. I expect you to act in a professional and respectful manner in all of these settings. I also expect you to adhere to the Interim Policy for Responsible Computing and Network Access and the policies of the English Studies Computing Center.
If you feel that the conduct of another student in the class is interfering with your ability to work productively, please speak with me about the problem immediately.
The University of Hawai‘i regulations strictly forbid plagiarism and collusion. Submitting someone else’s work as your own, arranging for someone else to do your writing for you, or purchasing papers will earn you a failing grade for the assignment and may result in a failing grade in the class. Please review the Department of English Statement on Plagiarism and ask about any issues you do not understand.
If you feel you need reasonable accommodations because of the impact of a disability, please contact the KOKUA Program at 956-7511 or 956-7612 in Room 013 of the QLCSS. You should also speak with me privately to discuss your specific needs. I am happy to work with you and the KOKUA Program to meet your access needs related to your documented disability.
Created August 2005 by John Zuern, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Department of English.
Duplication for teaching purposes is permitted as long as this notice is included in all copies.
last updated 08/21/05 by jz