Policies | ENGL-202-03

Introduction to Literary Study
ENGL-202-03

Policies

Academic Honesty
   Students are expected to be honest in their academic work. The University has defined academic dishonesty as any of the following: plagiarism, collusion, cheating, giving or receiving answers on an exam, using previously prepared material during exams and quizzes, and submitting work completed for a previous course. If you plagiarize or commit any form of academic dishonesty, you may face severe penalties, including but not limited to, a failing grade for the assignment, a failing grade in the course, disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion from the University. In addition, you are ethically responsible to report any incidents of academic dishonesty of which you are aware. Further details on academic honesty can be found in the Academic Honesty brochure available from the Arts and Sciences Office.
   To avoid problems with plagiarism, give credit where credit is due. If you consult an encyclopedia for information, cite it. If an essay you read sparks new insight for you, make note of it in your paper. If you use someone else's words, put quotes around them. Acknowledge sources from the start. Plagiarism is plagiarism whether it's in a draft or in the final product. Claims that you were "going to add the citations in later" will not be accepted.

Attendance
   You are allowed three (3) unexcused absences during the term. Any additional absences may result in your semester grade being lowered by 1/2 a letter grade per additional absence. Five (5) unexcused absences will likely result in an A/F grade for the course.
   Excused absences include:

Religious holidays
Participation in SLU sponsored activities (a note from sponsor/coach prior to the absence is required)
Illness (a doctor's note is required).
Civil responsibilities (documentation is required)
Unavoidable absences deemed reasonable by the instructor (documentation is required)

Please note that extended or excessive excused absences may necessitate withdraw from the course. If circumstances, whatever their nature, make it difficult for you to attend class, please come talk to me. You do not need to give me details-for instance, you can just tell me it's due to personal or family issues, but we will need to discuss how we can make arrangements so that you can pass the course or withdraw. In such cases, I will require documentation from your academic advisor, counseling services, or other appropriate entity verifying your situation.
   Missing class, excused or not, does not exempt you from turning in work when it is due. When you return to class after an absence, excused or not, I expect you to be prepared for class and ready to turn in any work that is due on that day. If your absence is excused, I will need appropriate documentation upon your return. Missing class for religious holidays, participation in SLU sponsored activities, and civic responsibilities will only be considered excused if you notify me before the planned absence.
   Students who are late three (3) times will accumulate an absence. That is, being late three times equals one absence. Students who are fifteen minutes late to class are considered absent. If you are late, it is your responsibility to consult with me about missed work and class. If you arrive late but before the 15-minute cut-off, you are responsible for checking in with me, after class, to ensure you are not counted absent. Quizzes and in-class work missed due to tardiness cannot be made up.

Classroom Behavior
   Because a productive learning environment is essential to all members of the class, the English Department assumes polite and considerate behavior will be the norm in all classrooms. From the simple courtesies of not interrupting a speaker, to the more complex demands of showing respect for ideas and beliefs different from one's own, students should demonstrate patience, cooperation, maturity, and mutual respect as they listen to presentations and/or engage in discussions. The instructor does not believe it should be necessary to elaborate further on the full range of possible concerns in this area. As the instructor of this course, I reserve the right to dismiss disruptive students from the class.

Course Content Disclaimer
In this course, students may be required to read texts or view materials that they may consider offensive. The ideas expressed in any given text do not necessarily reflect the views of the instructor, the English Department, or Saint Louis University. Course materials are selected for their historical and/or cultural relevance, or as examples of stylistic and/or rhetorical strategies and techniques. They are meant to be examined in the context of intellectual inquiry of the sort encountered at the university level.

Grading
For this course, you will receive both a midterm grade and a final grade. Midterm grades are nothing more than an indication of your work to date and are not necessarily a reliable indicator of how you will do at the end of the term. Your final grade will be determined as follows:

Essays	30%
Exams	30%
Participation (discussion, in-class work, quizzes, short assignments)	10%
Journals	10%
Short papers	20%

A	93-100%
A-	90-92%
B+	88-89%
B	83-87%
B-	80-82%
C+	78-79%
C	73-77%
C-	70-72%
D	60-69%
F	0-59%

Incompletes
The grade of Incomplete is reserved for students who, because of documented medical, personal, or otherwise serious reasons, are unable to complete the coursework for the semester. Students should not assume that because they have not completed all of the work in the class they will be granted an Incomplete; students seeking the grade must approach the Instructor and request the Incomplete so that the appropriate paperwork may be completed. Students who request an Incomplete should not assume that they will automatically be granted it; Incompletes are issued at the Instructor's discretion. Once the grade of "I" has been reported to the Registrar, the student has one year in which to complete the requirements for clearing it from their record; if the student fails to do so, the grade is automatically converted by the Registrar to an "F". In the case of graduating seniors, this conversion will take place 30 calendar days after the commencement date. This is an automatic conversion process and will be run by the Registrar's office on the last day of the term one year after the term in question or, in the case of graduating seniors, 30 calendar days after the commencement date.

Late Work
Unless arrangements are made with me beforehand, late work will be penalized. Work is considered late if it is not turned in when I collect it. When you must turn in work late and are unable to get approval from me beforehand, turn the work in as soon as possible. I will check my mailbox in the Saint Louis Room of Pius XII Library daily (note: I check my mailbox in the English Department much less frequently. Late work should not be turned in there). I will, upon proper documentation, consider waving late penalties on a case-by-case basis. If you will not be able to turn in work on time due to a planned absence, you must get the work to me before the due date unless you specifically get approval from me beforehand to turn it in late.

Revision
You have the option of revising the Short Papers and the Essays (note: to be allowed the option of revising the second essay, it must be turned in by December 1). To revise a paper:

Read over my comments and develop a revision plan, or, at least, some questions and ideas about how you might revise your paper.
Meet with me to discuss your revision plan.
Revise your paper.
Hand in both your revised paper and the draft with my comments by the last day of class (Essay 2 revisions need to be in by December 7). Revisions not accompanied by the original commented draft will not be accepted.

Students with Special Needs-Disability Services
Any student who feels that he/she may need academic accommodations in order to meet the requirements of this course-as outlined in the syllabus, due to presence of a disability, should contact the Office of Disabilities Services. Please telephone the office at 314-977-2930, or visit Room 131 in the Academic Resources Center, 3840 Lindell Blvd. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries.

Last Modified: 30 August 2005

Contact: John Walter

This syllabus is subject to change. Announcements will be made in class and to the course Web site. It is your responsibility to keep track of such changes.

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