People of color in the land of Mounties, Molson’s, moose and muskellunge?  Brothers and sisters chilling with Bob and Doug?  Let’s face it: Canada’s international iconography doesn’t feature a whole lot of black, brown, and beige.  In the minds of most Americans, the category “famous Canadians” is pretty much exhausted after Wayne Gretzky and Céline Dion—and the presumption is that everyone else north of Niagara is every bit as pale-skinned as they.

But even if it’s called the Great White North for good reason, the reality is that like most places, Canada is more complicated, ethnically speaking, than its stereotype might suggest.  Canadians, in fact, like to think of their country as eminently culturally diverse: “multiculturalism” is an ideal enshrined in Canadian federal law and an object of public policy—in the 1990s there was even a government Ministry that bore the name, though it has since been superseded by the Ministry of Canadian Heritage—and for the past five years, as any Canadian will tell you proudly, the country’s Governor General (the Queen’s official representative in Parliament) has been the Haitian-born former refugee Michaëlle Jean.

Canadians’ beaming pride in their country’s tolerance and inclusiveness is somewhat out of proportion with its actual demographics—and it’s not entirely supported by the nation’s historical record in matters of race, either.  But there have nevertheless been communities of color in Canada (in addition to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, that is) since the early 17th century.  In the past quarter-century especially, writers of color (Neil Bissoondath, Nalo Hopkinson, Michael Ondaatje, et al.) have ensured that the world’s list of renowned Canadian authors extends past, say, Margaret Atwood.

This course takes up a narrow but prominent segment of that list, limiting itself not just to Black Canadian writers but to Caribbean Canadian writers—albeit writers who themselves represent a variety of constituencies within and beyond their presumed community.  Reading their fictions together with scholarly and other work on issues of race and multiculturalism will allow you to get some small sense of Black Canadians’ contribution to the True North’s modern literary landscape—and of their challenges to Canada’s evolving cultural identity.

Course requirements:  a colloquium, loosely speaking, is an informal seminar devoted to focused discussion (rather than, say, the presentation of advanced research).  “Colloquy” means conversation, so even though there will be times when I need to hog the floor, the ideal we’re aiming for is freewheeling democratic dialogue.  Consequently, you’ll be credited largely on your overall engagement in our collective talk—that is, on the degree of preparation, intelligence, inquisitiveness and enthusiasm you bring to the proceedings, both in responding to one another and to the materials under scrutiny, and in helping to control the direction and flow of the discussion.

• In order to prime the colloquial pump, I used to require everyone to write down, before each week’s class, some informal responses to the things they’d read and heard, to the tune of around 500 words per week.  But several years’ worth of kvetching colloquians convinced me that, although they ultimately found this forced labor intellectually valuable (I kid you not!), it finally amounted to too much work—together with the ton of reading I’d become famous for assigning, that is—for a 1-unit, Pass/Fail class. 

So on that count, anyway, I’m putting you on the honor system:  the airwaves will be open (i.e., I’ll set up Moodle discussion forums of which you can avail yourself), and it’ll be up to you to fill them.  Forcing yourself to think about what’s passed before your eyes and transform those thoughts into bytes and pixels is one of the best ways I know of to shape inchoate ideas into something more pointed and coherent.  Not only that:  if you do it ahead of time, it gives you ready-made material—however threadbare—to embroider in class (and it gives other people something provocative to think about beforehand and return to in class, as well).  In my experience, a class session can be a lot more interesting if you’ve had a chance to read, hash over, and perhaps even respond to what other folks are thinking before you all sit down in a room together.

Even if you’re not swayed by my “this-medicine’s-good-for-you” argument, I’ll still exhort you to treat the forum as a complement to our infrequent meetings, a chat room you can enter at will during the 166 hours per week when our class does not meet—to solicit spontaneous conversation about the texts, the class in general, or relevant extra-curricular matters; to air gripes, pose questions or make announcements; to comment on something that someone did or didn’t say in class.  Be freewheeling but civil, take control of your own education, and have some fun. 

• From Week 3 onward, while I would urge all of you to do all of the reading (on the principle that most of you are graduate students, and on the theory that the more you read, the more profound your understanding of the subject will be), I’ll be asking one or two people at a time to take responsibility for each week’s “recommended” reading—and to fill the rest of us in.  For a few minutes at the beginning of class, it will be their job to mount a kind of informal panel discussion in which they explain how the recommended texts shed light on the imaginative work we’ve all read and on the broader issues of the course.  They’ll put their heads together and compare notes, and hash out, in front of us, what they consider to be the “gist” of the recommended reading (or, if it doesn’t advance an argument per se, then its most salient facts) and explain—for the benefit of someone who hasn’t read it—how this might enhance our understanding of the rest of the work on the evening’s agenda.  I want to emphasize:  this is not meant to be a formal presentation, just an enlightening conversation for the rest of us to overhear (and perhaps join in).  Still, anything else the panel members can do to raise the collective level of enlightenment (design a few good PowerPoint slides; show us some good web sites; distribute talking points, reading notes, discussion questions, or pithy quotes, either in class or ahead of time via Moodle) would be most welcome.

Finally: for the affluent and/or studious, I can make available an extensive bibliography of further reading; just ask.

Grading:  OK, let me come clean:  as far as I can determine, no one seems to know precisely what sorts of standards or expectations to enforce in these colloquia.  Mainly what I expect is a seriousness of purpose and some degree of lively, critical engagement on your part.  (And I expect you to show up, of course:  missing more than one of eight classes can only seriously jeopardize your fate.)  Since this course is only offered on a Pass/Fail basis, it’s true that you need only do standard, “normal” work to receive a passive—er, passing—grade.  But since you’ve already marked yourselves as extra-ordinarily interesting and dedicated students simply by signing up for a class on such an esoteric topic, I hope that most of you will take the liberty to do some stunning and outstanding work, too, especially since the pressure to do so is off.  You must complete all the requirements listed on this syllabus to receive a passing grade.  And I won’t grant Incompletes for this course.

     The quality and quantity of your responses—in class and/or online—to the things you read and study will together count for about 80% of your course grade.

     The informal panel you take part in will count for the other 20%.

Texts.  There are three books that you should pick up at the HSU Bookstore or anywhere else you can find them: 

• Austin Clarke, The Meeting Point (Vintage Canada)
• Dany Laferrière, How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired (Douglas & McIntyre)
• Dionne Brand, What We All Long For (Thomas Dunne/St. Martins)
•  
• I will make all other required reading available on the Web, usually in PDF format.  (See the “Course Reader” page of my “Black Canada” website, not Moodle or “ONCORES.”)  Since most publishers in the age of late capitalism have adopted an uncharitable position as to what constitutes “fair use” for educational purposes under U.S. copyright law, I’ve restricted access to this material, and you’ll be asked to enter a username and a password to view it.  (For obvious reasons, these only appear on the print copy of your syllabus. E-mail me if you've mislaid them.) New items will appear throughout the semester; please be patient.

Miscellany

Disabilities:  Please let me know of any documented disabilities and recommended accommodations that would promote your success in this class.

Plagiarism:  I take it for granted that at the graduate level particularly, everyone in the room takes academic dishonesty as seriously as I do.  Passing off part or all of someone else’s work or ideas as your own will result—at the very least—in a failing grade for the course.  The university definition of and policies regarding academic dishonesty can be found in the HSU catalog.  Please be aware that plagiarism and other forms of dishonesty can result in expulsion from the University.

Communication:  I will send any official communiqués (reading questions, schedule changes, afterthoughts or announcements I forgot to make in class, etc.) by e-mail and/or via an “Updates” page on the course website, so if you don’t do so already, get in the habit of checking that page and your own e-mail nightly.  I will read and/or respond to any work you want to give me, I’ll serve as your panel consultant if you ask me (though you shouldn’t feel obliged to), and I’ll be happy to meet with you any time to talk about your progress and prospects.

If a personal disaster befalls you in the course of the semester—your home burns down, your computer crashes, a marauding horde carries off your livestock—please don’t be embarrassed, and don’t just disappear: let me know, and as soon as humanly possible.  At the very least, I can direct you to campus resources that may help, and together we may be able to devise a plan to get you through the semester in one piece.  I don’t guarantee that I can accommodate every unexpected turn of events; you should also be prepared to withdraw from one or more courses, or from the university entirely, if the situation is dire enough.  But there are sometimes contingency plans that can be put into effect if students alert their faculty promptly of personal crises that will interfere with their academic performance.

As for more routine problems:  if you’re falling behind in the class, feeling as though you’re not “getting” something, or just having an intangible problem either mild or severe, then please, please, please: don’t sit around fretting and cowering—come and talk to me without delay.

If your schedule absolutely cannot be changed to make my regular office hours, that doesn’t mean we can’t meet.  I will try to accommodate requests for appointments at other mutually agreeable times—just stop me after class or email me if you’d like to talk one-on-one. 

Calendar

Warning:  all quantities approximate!  Contents have not settled!  Class topics, reading assignments, and due dates are subject to change.  Please listen for announcements, watch for communiqués, and check the “Updates” page of the course website (which trumps this calendar) regularly for any news.

August 24th (Week 1):          
            Bureaucracy and housekeeping.  Introduction: no black in the Maple Leaf?

August 31st (Week 2):
            Black Folks in the Great White North.  Required reading:  Winks, Chs. 10 & 14 (Course Reader).  Recommended reading: Web resources (see online Course Reader).

September 7th & 14th (Weeks 3 & 4): 
            “In Another Man’s House.”  Required reading: Austin Clarke, The Meeting Point.  Recommended reading:  TBA.

September 21st & 28th (Weeks 5 & 6): 
            “My Only Chance. Take It.” Required reading:  Dany Laferrière, How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired. Recommended reading:  TBA.

October 5th & 12th (Weeks 7 & 8): 
            O, (Multicultural) Canada!  Required reading:  Dionne Brand, What We All Long For. Recommended reading:  TBA.

Addendum: Other Course Policies and General Information

Some of the following information I’m required by the University (whose obedient servant I am) to include.  Some, I provide out of more than a mere sense of obligation; I actually believe in it.  Much else originates purely with me rather than my employer, and I’m fairly fervent about it.  (Come talk to me during office hours and I’ll tell you which is which, if you can’t tell already.)  In any event, you’re responsible for familiarizing yourself with all of it.

Course meeting time and place (Fall 2010)
Tuesday 6:00-7:50 p.m., Founders Hall 125 (through Oct. 12 only).

HSU Catalog description
"Intensively examine a select topic." "Issues in the history of Canadian multiculturalism, with work by and about Canadian writers of Aboriginal, African, Asian, and Caribbean descent." (Well, okay--that last part has changed. We'll discuss why.)

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

English Department Learning Outcomes

Stay tuned.

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 liteary and other 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 1-unit course, this means you will need to devote at least 8 hours per week to this course outside of class.  This is the recommendedminimum.  Spending 8 hours per week does not guarantee a passing grade, however, nor does it guarantee any particular letter grade.

Campus resources that may increase your academic success

• Writing center: Lower Library 32
  http://www.humboldt.edu/english/UniversityWritingCenter.htm
• Learning center: Lower Library 55
  http://www.humboldt.edu/learning/

Academic (dis)honesty
All members of an academic community are responsible for supporting intellectual freedom and openness through rigorous personal standards of honesty and fairness.  Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty undermine the very purpose of the university and diminish the value of an education.  All cases of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, will be handled in accordance with University policy.  Students are responsible for knowing HSU policy regarding academic honesty.  These guidelines, along with sanctions for violations, can be reviewed athttp://www.humboldt.edu/studentrights/academic_honesty.php

Plagiarism
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 your papers, examinations, discussion forum posts, presentations, and so on, you must honestly and accurately credit and document the sources of those words and ideas.  This includes not only books and other printed materials, but also formal lectures and interviews, as well as information of any kind posted on the Internet—regardless of whether that information is attributed to an identifiable 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 desperate and pathetic. 

Professors have a finely tuned “ear” for prose that their students probably aren’t capable of producing.  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.  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’s also made such fraud much easier to spot, thanks to plagiarism-detection websites and ever-improving search engines. 

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 what counts as plagiarism, 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 with the guidelines.  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, oreven expulsion.  If you are having difficulty completing an assignment on time and through honest means, 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
  

Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, both 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 may be blatant or subtle.  For a detailed description of and HSU’s complete policy on sexual harassment, see 
http://www.humboldt.edu/studentrights/sex_assult.php

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 House 71, on the north end of Library Circle, directly across from the HSU library.  It can be reached by calling (707) 826-4678 (voice) or (707) 826-5392 (TDD) or by emailing the director, Kevin O’Brien at kjo2@humboldt.edu.  For more information, go to http://www.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, click on the link below:
http://www.humboldt.edu/studentrights/attendance_behavior.php

Under the related category of rude and discourteous behavior, I would add such old standbys as inattentiveness, attending to personal grooming, and reading the newspaper--as well as newer forms of electronic rudeness like e-mailing, texting, Tweeting, web surfing, and checking your Facebook page. Please take care of all that on your own time, not class time.

Add/Drop policy 
Students are responsible for knowing University policy, procedures, and schedules for dropping or adding classes.  For more information see:
http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/registrar/students/regulations/schedadjust.html

To sum up
In the end, I’m asking you only to be reasonably disciplined and responsible in your approach to this course.  Please consider any and all obligations you have in addition to your course load.  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 carrying 20 units?—what are you, crazy?), but if you do, please recognize that you set your own priorities, and that I can’t and won’t cut private deals with you based on your individual circumstances—particularly when those circumstances are of your own making. (Medical emergencies that turn ugly and/or lengthy are a different kettle of fish; in such instances, I may be open to making special accommodations. But let's hope such situations simply don't arise for anyone in our midst!)

Safety information and emergency evacuation
Please review the evacuation plan for the classroom (posted on the orange signs) and review Campus Emergency Preparedness procedures by following the link below:
http://www.humboldt.edu/emergencymgmtprogram/campus_emergency_preparedness.php 

Information on campus closures and emergency information can be found at:  826-INFO (4636) or http://www.humboldt.edu/humboldt/emergency.  Try to avoid calling University Police for campus status information.

Exits, rally points, and EAP’s

• In each classroom or lab, identify the exit(s). Take note of alternate exits including doors and windows.
• Faculty and students must know how to get to the class “Rally Point” immediately outside the building. This is usually a commonly known outdoor landmark such as a specific walkway, staircase, fountain, or planter. Gather and count heads.  For this course we will gather outside the Natural Resources Building as our rallying point.
• Emergency Assembly Points (EAP’s) are for gathering people when our buildings aren’t safe to occupy (e.g. a following a major earthquake).  Each class should head there to organize themselves. Police arrival at EAP’s will be delayed.  For this course we will gather at the Lower Playfield, outside and across 17th Street from the Natural Resources Building.

What to do for the “Big Three”

• Earthquake: Duck, cover, and hold until the shaking stops. After shaking stops, head to Rally Point.
• Fire Alarm: Evacuate whether there is smoke and/or fire or not. Head to Rally Point.
• Gunshots/Criminal Activity: If at all possible, get out and get away.  Don’t linger at Rally Point.  If you absolutely can’t get out, lock the door and shelter in place.

Power outage procedures

• When electrical power is first interrupted, individual faculty members are responsible for deciding on a class-by-class basis, if the class should continue, be relocated, or be canceled.  I will tell you in class or, if class has not yet begun, post outside the classroom what to do in the event of a power outage.
• If the power outage appears likely to continue for several hours or longer, campus-wide information about continuing/suspending classes will be disseminated from the President through deans, departments, and chairs. Call this number for recorded information: 826-4636.

Students must get themselves prepared

• The North Coast is prone to earthquakes, severe weather, road slides, and utility interruptions. The campus cannot feed/shelter all of our students.
• Every student must store sealed bottled water, non-perishable food, flashlight, and a battery-operated radio.  More information is available atwww.prepare.org.
• Interested students may seek specialized training from the American Red Cross and/or by applying to Humboldt’s Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Learn North Coast safety risks

• River safety:  Take river safety training. Study the river with an experienced friend.  Watch for “sweeper” branches that can hold you under water. Stay sober.
• Coastal safety: Keep an eye on the ocean and for “sneaker” waves that may be 2-3 times larger than the surf pattern.  Sneaker waves pull victims out to sea every year. Hypothermia and powerful currents are deadly threats.  If the water draws down low or you hear a loud roar, head to higher ground immediately.

• Earthquake: duck, cover, and hold on during strong shaking. After shaking stops, evacuate.
• Tsunami: If you are at the beach and feel strong shaking, head to higher ground immediately. If you hear that a warning is in effect, evacuate ONLY if you are in a coastal zone (the HSU main campus is not in a coastal zone).