Springfield College in Illinois

posted: 1/23/2007
revised:  3/2/2007

Spring 2007 (session B)
Room D225
Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m.
tmorrissey@sci.edu
morrissey@wcusd15.org

Ted Morrissey (CV)
“Office”: D225
5:45, after class or by appointment
H: 496-3012 (not after 9 p.m.)
W: 566-3361 (daytime, Williamsville HS)

ENGLISH 230-70—INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN AUTHORS (3 Credit Hours)

I. Course Description: English 230 Introduction to Women Authors is a course with a select focus on signficant women authors. The course examines common literary characteristics and the human experience described by nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first century English-speaking authors. A student must earn a grade of "C" or better to receive credit toward graduation. Prerequisite: English 111 with a grade of "C" or better. IAI H3 911D; IAI EGL 920.

II. Textbooks:

DeShazer, Mary K., ed. The Longman Anthology of Women’s Literature. NewYork: Longman, 2001.

Shelley, Mary W. Frankenstein. [1818 edition.] A Longman Cultural Edition.  Ed. Susan J. Wolfson. 2nd ed.  New York: Longman, 2007.

Available at SCI's Bookstore.

III. SCI Mission Statement: The mission of Springfield College in Illinois is to provide students the best liberal arts education in the Ursuline tradition of a nurturing faith-based environment. We prepare students for a life of learning, leadership and service in a diverse world.

IV. Goals, objectives and outcomes:

A. Goals:

1. To understand and articulate the difference between “feminine” issues and “feminist” issues.
2. To gain a sense of the chronology and evolution of feminist issues, especially in the United States.
3. To become familiar with key women authors, both living and dead.
4. To make connections between various “texts,” including but not limited to print and film.
5. To develop analytical expression in both writing and oral presentation.

B. Common Student Learning Objectives:

CK-1 Content Knowledge (Lifelong learning): Know and apply the central concepts of the subject matter
CK-1 Content Knowledge (Lifelong learning): Use current research to support assumptions and beliefs
CS-1 Communication Skills (Lifelong learning and leadership): Communicate effectively in oral and written forms
PS-2 Problem-Solving Skills (Lifelong learning and leadership):Seek information and develop an in-depth knowledge base, grounded in research
SR-2 Social Responsibility (Service and Leadership): Make ethical and informed decisions
SP-1 Self-Direction and Personal Growth (Lifelong learning): Develop a sense of intellectual curiosity
GP-1 Global Perspectives (Diversity): Recognize the importance of diversity of opinion, abilities and cultures.

C. Course Based Student Learning Objectives: Students who have successfully completed ENGLISH 230 will be able to . . .

1. Explore together and individually the visions and values, the norms and the human experiences embodied in the works of women authors. (CK-1, SR-1, SR-2, GP-1, SP-1)
2. Develop an insight into female and male roles in society as defined by cultures and as demonstrated in fiction from the viewpoint of women authors. (CK-1, SR-1, SR-2, GP-1)
3. Examine various techniques used by authors to create meaning in texts. (CK-1)
4. Develop the abilityto listen to others' opinions, and to communicate one's own opinion in class discussions, written work, and presentations. (CK-1, CS-1, SR-3, GP-1, SP-1)
5. Develop the power of reflection and the ability to formulate questions in response to literature and critical articles about the literature. (PS-1, PS-3)
6. Develop the ability to make critical judgments in response to literature and to support those judgments through analysis. (CK-1, CK-2, CS-1, PS-1, SR-1).

SCI’s Academic Resource Center: http://www.sci.edu/academicresourcecenter.html
SCI’s Resource Director: Joanna Tweedy: jtweedy@sci.edu

V. Teaching Methodology:

The classroom is considered a discourse community in which students collaborate in the learning process. Students will be involved in peer work, group discussions, pre- and rewriting activities, and projects. There will be intervention in students' writing process, and response to student writing, by both the instructor and other students. To be successful, students must come to class prepared, which means having all reading and writing assignments done before they are due.

VI. Course Requirements:

Attendance: As in every other class, absences will negatively affect your grade. To avoid class disruption, students must be seated by 6:00. Arriving between 6:00 and 6:05 will be considered a “late” (three lates equal one-half hour absence); between 6:05 and 6:30, one-half hour absence; between 6:30 and 7:00, one hour absence; etc. Missing an entire class session equals 4.0 hours. Missing six hours is an automatic F, regardless of a student's current grade.

Your goal should be to attend all classes and to have an absence only when it is a true emergency. If you know you are going to be absent (or late), you should contact me as early as possible. This will not “excuse” the absence, but it is considered the appropriate behavior in college. College is like a job in this respect: If you were going to miss work, you presumably would call your supervisor in advance—you would not simply fail to come to work, then wander in the next time you were scheduled (if so, you would not be scheduled a next time).

Behavior: Be attentive to the instructor and your classmates. Private conversations and jokes are rude and disruptive. Turn off your cell phone too.

Work:

1. Completion of all assigned readings and writings according to given deadlines.
2. In-class and out-of-class assignments.
3. Participation in peer activities, sharing of written work, and group discussions.
4. Active involvement in mechanics of all writing projects, including posting responses to the turnitin.com discussion board.
5. Conferences regarding writing assignments as needed.
6. Final project.

VII. Evaluation Criteria:

There are numerous required activities for this course, and not all of them will be graded. Work (generally described as “homework”) that does not receive a numerical score, may be given one of three grades: A check mark indicates an assignment was completed in an acceptable and timely manner; a plus signifies that an assignment was completed with special thoroughness and accuracy; a minus signifies that an effort was substandard. Each check is worth one point; a plus 1.5 points, and a minus .5; the total will be multiplied by an appropriate number determined by the instructor to establish a homework grade. Students are expected to complete all assignments, graded or not.

Points will be deducted for issues of misspelling and nonstandard mechanics according to the SCI English/Speech Department Guidelines for the Evaluation of Formal Composition (unless the departures from standard written practice are knowingly done for creative effect).

Late papers will not be accepted, and each will be scored as a zero. Assignments are due even if you are not physically in class.

Plagiarism—presenting the ideas or words of another as if they are one’s own—is literary dishonesty and will not be tolerated. Nor will others forms of academic dishonesty be tolerated. If the instructor deems that the plagiarism is a willful attempt to cheat, the student will receive a zero for the paper with no opportunity to revise, and the SCI administration will be notified.

Midsemester grades will be based on work completed and graded at that time.

Final Grade will be based on a percentage of the total score: A- to A+ = 90 to 100%; B- to B+ = 80 to 89%; C- to C+ = 70 to 79%; D- to D+ = 60 to 69%. Note that plus and minus will be affixed to the letter grade as deemed appropriate by the instructor based on various factors, including attendance, work ethic, attitude, and overall participation.

Incomplete grades:  According to the SCI catalog, students requesting an incomplete grade for a class must have completed at least 75% of the course work.  Students must make a request to me in writing no later than one week before final exams explaining in detail why they cannot finish the remainder of the coursework.  Acceptable reasons are student illness requiring bed rest or hospitalization, major family crisis, or circumstances beyond the student’s control.  I will only issue an incomplete grade at my discretion.

Directions for Written Work:

Keep all assignments, formal and informal, prewriting, revisions, and final drafts until final grades are received.

On the first out-of-class literary analysis, students may earn back all points deducted for errors by making the appropriate corrections and submitting the revised story along with the previous draft within one week of its being returned to the student.

Out-of-class Paper Requirements:

Each paper must be . . .

1. Typed (printed) in 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
2. Presented in MLA style and format (see A Writer's Reference (from ENG 111 or 112)), or another printed or online MLA source, like the following:
http://www.library.ilstu.edu/assets/pdf/handouts/mlaprint.pdf (print sources)
http://www.mlb.ilstu.edu/ressubj/subject/intrnt/mla.htm (electronic & online sources)
3. Three to five pages in length (not including required Works Cited page) and represent a “completed” paper.
4.  Submitted to turnitin.com
Class ID: 1796699
Enrollment Password:  english23070

Three Keys to Success:

* Attend all classes and be on time.
* Turn in all assignments on time.
* Ask for help when you need it.

One or More of the Following Will Lead to Failure:

* Miss class and/or consistently be late.
* Fail to turn in assignments or to turn them in on time.
* Not asking for help when you need it.

VIII. Weekly Assignments: (Note: Syllabus is subject to change. Also, all page numbers refer to The Longman Anthology of Women's Literature, except for those referring to Frankenstein in weeks 2 and 3.).

March 8
Finding a Feminist Voice

Before the first session, read:
* “The Author to Her Book” (A. Bradstreet 669)
* “A Room of One’s Own” (V. Woolf 16-72)

Note:  It is imperative that you purchase the texts for this course; however, if you aren’t able to get them prior to the first class, the Woolf and Bradstreet readings are available on line – I’ve linked their names.

Course Introduction / Reflection on readings / Discussion / Quick Response

March 22
Finding a Feminist Voice, cont’d

Read:

* Letters through Volume II, Chapter V of Frankenstein (M. Shelley 5-91)
* Also, submit your Discussion response from Week 1 to the turnitin.com discussion board.

Reflection on readings / Discussion / Quick Response

March 29
Finding a Feminist Voice, cont’d

Read:
* Vol. II, Ch. VI through end of Frankenstein (91-179)
* “Reviews and Reactions” (Ed. S. Wolfson 369-401 – pick out about 10-12 pages worth of reviews ( not necessarily the first 10-12 pages) and read them in anticipation of discussing them.)
* Also, submit your Discussion response from Week 2 to the turnitin.com discussion board.

Reflection on reading / Discussion / Quick Response

 

Prewriting for first critical paper:  Feminist issues in Frankenstein

April 5
Finding a Feminist Voice, cont’d

First Critical Paper Due: Feminist issues in Frankenstein (400 pts.) – make sure to also upload your paper to turnitin.com (requirement)

 

Read:

* “‘So Spake Our General Mother’: A Portrait of Mary Shelley as a Young Novelist” (handout from the instructor or Link)

* Film: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (2:03)

Reflection on readings & film / Discussion / Quick Response

April 12
20th-Century Feminist Issues

Read:
* Chs. I - XXI of The Awakening (K. Chopin 696-741)
* Also, submit your Discussion response from Week 4 to the turnitin.com discussion board.

Reflection on reading / Discussion / Quick Response

April 19
20th-Century Feminist Issues, cont’d

Read:
* Chs. XXII - XXXIX of The Awakening (741-78)
* “the mother” (G. Brooks 808)
* “The Last Quatrain of the Ballad of Emmett Till” (812)
* “The Disquieting Muses” (S. Plath 814-15)
* “Childless Woman” (817)
* “Edge” (817-18)
* Also, submit your Discussion response from Week 5 to the turnitin.com discussion board.

 Reflection on readings / Discussion / Quick Response

April 26
20th-Century Feminist Issues, cont’d

Revision of Frankenstein Paper Due (optional)

Read:
* “Talking Back” (b. hooks 73-76)
* “Xuela” (J. Kincaid 1044-58)
* “Recitatif” (T. Morrison 1224-37)
* “The Abortion” (A. Sexton 532-33)
* “The Celebration of My Uterus” (533)
* “For My Lover, Returning to His Wife” (534-35)
* Also, submit your Discussion response from Week 6 to the turnitin.com discussion board.

Reflection on readings / Discussion / Quick Response

Prewriting for second paper: Modern feminist issues

May 3
Reflection on Women Authors & Feminist Issues

Second Critical Paper Due: Modern feminist issues (400 pts.) – make sure to also upload your paper to turnitin.com (requirement)

 

In-class Final Project & Presentation Due: Intertextuality (200 pts.)

Grades:
First Paper 400 pts.
Second Paper 400 pts.
Final Project & Presentation 200 pts.
“Homework” 100 pts.

Total 1,100 pts.

IX. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

Springfield College in Illinois provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in educational programs, activities and services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in college-sponsored programs, activities, and services or to meet course requirements should contact the Director of the Resource Center as early as possible.

X. Assessment:

Assessment will be an on-going part of the course. In addition to providing feedback on essays and homework assignments, the instructor will ask that you complete a Quick Response form at the conclusion of each class period. Your responses may be shared with the class if the instructor determines that it would be useful to do so.

Instructor assessment: You are invited to visit RateMyProfessor.com, and give your instructor an informal evaluation. This is purely for the instructor's own use; your rating has no bearing on his employment with the college; nor will it affect your grade since it is completely anonymous.

XI.  Illinois Articulation Initiative:  ENG 230 has been approved by the Illinois Articulation Initiative as meeting the criteria stipulated for H3 911D Literature and Gender; and EGL 920 Women’s Literature.