The fine print.

Consider the following--together with the document I distributed in class--the full, unexpurgated, encyclopedic version of the syllabus. (And you thought the print copy was long-winded!) The text below includes additional details about certain of your responsibilities and obligations for the course (and the consequences of not fulfilling them), a special heads-up about plagiarism, and...well, sundry Other Stuff. Some of said Stuff I'm required by Humboldt State University, whose obedient servant I am, to provide. Some, I also truly believe in. Much else originates solely with me, and I’m fairly fervent about it. Come talk to me during office hours and I’ll tell you which stuff is which, if you can’t tell already.  In any event, you're expected to familiarize yourself with everything below, including (ulp) all the content at this universal, campuswide "Syllabus Addendum" site (which covers various campus policies and procedures, along with information about student resources and services) and to ask questions about anything you don't understand. As the late, great crypto-fascist Jack Webb used to intone on the old TV cop drama Dragnet:  Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Attendance:  It's not that every last class session will be scintillating or mind-blowing; I'm not that vain. And I know that at the college level, checking "attendance" can seem condescending. Still, in a discussion- and workshop-oriented course, it's important that everyone attend regularly. That's why you get credit for simply showing up, and it's why you're entitled to miss four (4) classes—no explanations and no apologies necessary—to cover all the contingencies of life: illness, family emergencies, busted alarm clocks, flood, fire, famine.  Note that well: the contingencies of life. You may choose to miss class on a given day because you're unprepared or hungover or the beach calls or you just don't feel like showing up; that's fine. But you may regret it later, when your car conks out or the Humboldt Crud unexpectedly keeps you in bed for three days or a genuine crisis arises in your life. So use these opportunities wisely and conscientiously.

I'll try to make an effort to let you know if and when you've used up your allotted absences, but ultimately the burden of record-keeping rests with you. I'll usually have my records with me each class session; feel free to ask me what your standing is if you're unsure. A sign-in sheet will circulate at the beginning of each class, and you should make sure you've initialed it in order to get full credit for this portion of your course grade. 

Miss more than four classes, and your final grade will suffer; the more you miss, the more it’ll hurt. You can fail this class because of excessive absenses. If I notice at some point that you've missed more than six classes (that’s 20% of the course!), I will strenuously encourage you to withdraw, assuming it’s not too late to do so. And hear me well: I don't want to have to distinguish between "excused" and "unexcused" absenses, which is why I regard a note from the Health Center attesting to your positive strep-throat culture as the functional equivalent of you sleeping through your alarm. I also don't offer any "extra" credit or community service that you can perform as penance. Experience tells me that when people inquire about "extra" credit, they usually mean substitute credit (as in "I failed to meet some course requirement so now I want a chance to do something else instead").

It should go without saying that missing a class doesn’t excuse you from completing any assigned work for the next session; remember, such information is generally available on the syllabus and/or the Updates page, whether you made it to class or not.  If you know in advance that you must be absent when a major assignment is due, then talk to me; I'm usually open to granting extensions when the request is justified and I'm given sufficient notice (see below, under "Deadlines and Late Work").  Otherwise, routine absences should not include sessions when major assignments are due. 

Finally: please don’t beg me to make individual exceptions here. One advantage of an arbitrary policy like this is that it applies blindly to everyone, and it means I don't get put in the uncomfortable position of having to judge the comparative validity of other people's (mis)fortunes or priorities. It ain't personal; it's just business.

"Tardiness" and Other Quaint Ideas: I know other instructors' classes sometimes go long, and sometimes you have to hump it all the way across campus in an impossibly short stretch of time. But unless you have a compelling reason, then please get to class on time (and don’t leave make a habit of leaving early). And bear in mind that it’s especially bad form to arrive late on a day when work is due. 

I'm also aware that social conventions, including ideas about manners and etiquette, change with time and context. But (here comes a "You kids get off of my lawn!" rant): where I come from, routinely wandering in and out of class is considered just plain impolite. Same goes for other old standbys like staring out the window, attending to personal grooming, and doing personal reading (or reading for another class). Under the broader category of discourteous behavior, I would add more contemporary forms of electronic rudeness like e-mailing, texting/IM'ing, web-surfing, checking Facebook or Snapchat or Instagram or Yik-Yak, etc., etc. If you're using a smartphone, pad, netbook or laptop to take notes, do class-related research, Google some unfamiliar term or concept, or even read an assigned text (on a smartphone? really?), that's cool. Otherwise, not so much. Save all that for your own time. And if you know you're a screen addict who can't go five minutes without messaging your BFF (or worse, your mom), then just turn it off.

(See also "Disruptive Behavior" under the Miscellany section, below.)   

Updates: You're expected to monitor the course website regularly, especially the Updates page and/or the Moodle page, where I'll keep you all apprised of what's due for the next class session and/or any changes to the schedule (within reason, of course; I won't hold you responsible for any changes made with less than 24 hours notice). As I mentioned above: missing class is not an excuse for being unprepared.

If you don't have access to the web at home, then you'll have to plan on dropping into a computer lab.  Normally, I try to post updates no later than 12:00 midnight each class day.

Before and after class: I often need the few frantic minutes before class to focus on classroom setup and/or to curse at computers and projectors; if you try to collar me then, you may find me preoccupied and distracted (even brusque!).  After class, I am usually available for a brief time to answer questions, schedule appointments, and listen.

E-mail: When contacting me via e-mail, be sure to include the course number in the subject line and your full name in the body or the signature of your message.  I try to respond to messages in a timely fashion, but since I receive dozens, sometimes hundreds, of messages each day, I ask that you use e-mail judiciously.  Here are some guidelines:

• It’s reasonable to e-mail me to set up or cancel an appointment, or to contact me in the event of an emergency.
• There is no need to contact me about your routine absences from class (unless you will be gone for several consecutive periods due to severe illness or emergency).  I will leave it up to you to decide how to best schedule your time; I have already spelled out how excessive absences may affect your final grade for this course. 
• For questions about what you missed when you were absent, consult the Calendar, a trusted classmate, and/or the “Daily Updates” page of the class website instead of e-mailing. 
• Subjects that are best handled face to face (or, as a last resort, over the telephone) include the following:
• questions about course concepts and readings, and the nuances of specific assignments;
• desire for feedback on your performance, grades, completed assignments, and work in progress.

Messages and voicemail: You can leave a written message in my mailbox in the English Department Office (Founders 201), or you can leave a voicemail on my office phone. I do not check voicemail messages daily, however, and I generally do not return student calls, except in emergencies. Tacking messages to (or sliding them under) my office door is never a good idea.

Moodle posts are generally ineligible for extensions. They're part of the required preparatory work for class discussions--and in part, anyway, they're meant as proof that you've done that preparation.

Keep in mind, too, that other people--not just me--will be depending upon you to make deadlines for any "group" work that may be assigned in this course.

You should compose all of your assignments on a computer (or at least transpose them to a computer at some point in the process).  From time to time you'll need to print out hard copies of various assignments, but for the most part you're welcome to bring a computer or tablet to class so that you can read and work (and/or take notes, consult online reference materials, etc.). Please don't submit formal projects and papers electronically without prior permission, however. If a sudden, unexpected emergency takes you away from Humboldt on a due date (for instance), then I may allow you to submit a major assignment by email, but otherwise I figure it's not my job to print out your work for you.

Plagiarism / Academic Dishonesty: I take it for granted that as members of an academic community, we all support intellectual inquiry and freedom by upholding rigorous personal standards of honesty and integrity.  And I think it should go without saying that plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty undermine the very purpose of the university and diminish the value of an education.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “plagiarize” as “to take and use as one’s own the thoughts, writings, or ideas of another,” to represent someone else’s words or ideas as your own. The general rule is that if you incorporate any information (e.g., analysis, opinions, interpretations, or facts that are not common knowledge), into a paper, exam, discussion forum post, presentation, and so on, then you must honestly and accurately credit and document the sources of those words and ideas.  Even a close paraphrase of someone else’s words—borrowing the sentence or paragraph structure while making small changes in wording or phrasing—can be construed as plagiarism, especially if you have not properly attributed the source.  Sources include not just books, journal articles, and other printed materials, but also lectures and interviews, as well as information of any kind posted on the Internet—regardless of whether that information is attributed to a specific author or authors.  Submitting any part of a borrowed, stolen, or purchased paper to fulfill all or part of an assignment also constitutes plagiarism—never mind that it’s a pathetic and desperate act.

In recent years, plagiarism has become a major headache for universities across the country. Countless articles have appeared in the popular press about the casualness with which students steal material, especially from the Internet, that they attempt to pass off as their own. Still, it may interest you to know that professors have a finely tuned "ear" for prose that their students probably aren’t capable of producing.  And while the web has made it much easier to buy or steal work produced by someone else (never mind that the web rarely observes the same standards of punctiliousness that the academy does), it has also made such fraud much easier to spot, thanks to plagiarism-detection websites and ever-improving search engines. At the end of the day, however, HSU doesn't require a professor to have a "smoking gun" to nail someone for plagiarism; the standard of proof is a "preponderance of evidence." 

The university definition of and policies regarding plagiarism and other types of academic dishonesty can be found online and in the HSU catalog; it's your responsibility to know these policies and to ask questions if you don't understand them.  If you are unsure about what counts as plagiarism, then play it safe and consult with me (preferably before turning in an assignment!), as ignorance of the policy is not an acceptable excuse for failure to comply.  Like any good Midwesterner, I shrink from conflict and confrontation, and I really don't like playing cop. But if you plagiarize in my course, you will automatically fail the assignment and, in most cases, the course.  Additionally, I will notify the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.  Consequently, you may be subject to further University disciplinary action, such as special counseling; dismissal from certain programs and organizations; and academic probation, suspension, or even expulsion.  If you are having difficulty completing an assignment on time and through honest means, then please come talk to me before resorting to plagiarism.  For a free on-line tutorial about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, consult one or all of the following resources:

• HSU Library
• HSU Learning Center
• HSU Composition Director Tracy Duckart's Instructional Website

Miscellany

Course meeting time and place (Fall 2016)
Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00-2:50 p.m., Art A 027

HSU Catalog description
"Read and discuss significant works of literature in translation. Topics vary: themes, genres, historical periods, major figures."

Course mode and format
This course is classified by the university as a "lecture-discussion" course.

English Department Learning Outcomes
...may be available upon request.

This course is also meant to contribute to your acquisition of skills and knowledge relevant to several of HSU’s 7 overall Learning Outcomes, according to which HSU graduates will be able to demonstrate:

1. Effective communication through written and oral modes.  This course uses class discussion and requires written responses of different lengths.

2. Critical and creative thinking skills in acquiring a broad base of knowledge and applying it to complex issues.  Students in this course should learn some of the concepts, vocabulary, and practices typical of the discipline of literary study, and they should understand some of the mechanisms by which different forms of textuality achieve various effects.  They should be able to use and draw upon this knowledge in discussion, on exams, and in their written work.

4.   Appreciation for and understanding of an expanded world perspective by engaging respectfully with a diverse range of individuals, communities, and viewpoints.  Students will read texts by writers from diverse and sometimes underrepresented groups, and they will sometimes be asked to discuss and write about these texts in relation to the political and ideological implications of their production and consumption, often with respect to such issues as class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.

6.   Responsibility for lifelong learning.  Students will begin to learn how to read and think critically about cultural texts, and how to make cultural and aesthetic choices for their individual enrichment and their social responsibilities.

7.   A commitment to social justice, environmental responsibility, and economic improvement in the workplace and the community.  Both literary and critical texts in this course take up issues connected with these themes.  Modern English Studies strongly emphasizes an understanding of the historical and social contexts and the ideological underpinnings of many different kinds of texts.

Hours outside of class required for course preparation
"In general, it is expected that the successful student will spend two hours of preparation per week for each unit earned" (Humboldt State University Catalog 2010-2011 p. 56).  For a 4-unit course, this means you can expect to devote at least 8 hours per week outside of class to this course, on average.  Let me emphasize: that is the recommended minimum. (Given the heavy reading load in a typical English class, the standard figure is almost certainly low.) I hasten to point out, however, that merely putting in the requisite number of hours does not by itself guarantee a particular letter grade, passing or otherwise.

Campus resources that may increase your academic success:

• HSU Writing Studio: Library Main Floor
  http://www2.humboldt.edu/learning/writing-studio
• Learning Center: Lower Library 55
  http://www.humboldt.edu/learning/

Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, whether between students or between a student and a faculty member, is illegal and will not be tolerated in the classroom or outside of class.  HSU defines sexual harassment as “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,” which can take blatant or subtle forms.  For a detailed description of and HSU’s complete policy on sexual assault, see "Sexual Assault, Intimate Partner/Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Policy."

Accommodations for students with disabilities or special needs
Please let me know without delay if you have special needs and are (or think you may be) eligible for disability-related accommodation, so that we can discuss any and all available aids and measures that would facilitate your success in this class.  Our campus Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) can assist you with determining eligibility for accommodations and obtaining necessary resources to meet your needs.  The SDRC is located in the Learning Commons (Lower Library).  It can be reached by calling (707) 826-4678 (voice) or (707) 826-5392 (TDD) or by emailing sdrc@humboldt.edu.  For more information, visit the SDRC's website at http://www2.humboldt.edu/disability/.  Please be aware that some accommodations may take up to several weeks to arrange.

Disruptive Behavior
According to HSU policy, “any student who has neglected the work of the course or is disruptive to the educational process may be excluded from a course...Disruptive student behavior in the classroom is defined as behavior which interrupts, obstructs, or inhibits the teaching and learning process. The faculty member determines what is disruptive and has a duty to terminate it. Disruptive behavior may take many forms: persistent questioning, incoherent comments, verbal attacks, unrecognized speaking out, incessant arguing, intimidating shouting, and inappropriate gestures...Faculty also have the authority and responsibility to establish rules to maintain order, and to eject students from the course temporarily for violation of the rules or misconduct.”  Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding attendance and disruptive behavior.  For more information, follow this link:
http://www2.humboldt.edu/studentrights/attendance-behavior

I would just add that in twenty-plus years at HSU, I've only had to ask one student to leave my class. But there's often a fine line between the sorts of discourteousness I described farther up and "disruptiveness" as defined by university policy. So if, for instance, you're persuaded that what we're doing in this class is pointless, then talk to me first. And if you're still unhappy, then withdraw from the class and invest your time in something you find more worthwhile, rather than, say, sticking around to scowl, look bored, and/or make snarky comments.

Add/Drop policy
Students are responsible for knowing University policy, procedures, and schedule for dropping or adding classes.  (N.B.: as of Fall 2016, the new drop deadline is much earlier--September 5th!) For more information see:
http://pine.humboldt.edu/registrar/students/regulations/schedadjust.html

Emergencies
Please review the evacuation plan for our classroom (posted on the orange signs), and review http://www2.humboldt.edu/risksafety/node/83  for information on campus Emergency Procedures regarding earthquake and fire, bomb or gun threats, etc. During an emergency, updated information about current campus conditions can be found at: 826-INFO or www.humboldt.edu/emergency

Finally: In the end, I'm only asking you to be reasonably disciplined and reasonably responsible in your approach to this course.  For my part, I'll try to be reasonably flexible, but I can't have an individually tailored set of policies for each student—and it's a sad fact that certain missteps lead to failure and can't be retraced. So please consider any and all obligations you have in addition to this class. I strongly advise you not to commit to more than you can realistically accomplish in the next fifteen weeks (you're working 30 hours a week? and you're on the volleyball team? and you're the choreographer for an upcoming production of The Sound of Music? and you're raising a kid? and you're carrying 20 units?--what are you, crazy?), but if you do, please recognize that you set your own priorities.

Medical or other unforeseen emergencies that turn ugly and/or lengthy are a different kettle of fish. In some such instances, I may be open to making special accommodations; in others, you may have to consider withdrawing from school. In all cases, I will work with you and the Dean of Students to sort out the most realistic options. For now, let's just hope such situations don't arise for anyone in our midst!