Course Syllabus
Overview
Below is the course syllabus, which contains all of the technical information you will likely need to navigate the course. Much of the material here is repeated from our "module one" learning unit and I will be going over this in class. But please read it when you get a chance, as the information is critical to your success in English 2.
About Your Instructor
Hi all, my name is Dr. Glenn Keyser and I have been teaching in the English department at SCC since 2005. I went to UC Santa Cruz as an undergraduate and received my PhD in English from U.C. Davis in 2003. I'm married, have two children, and two cats. If I'm not teaching writing and reading I'm probably out hiking at Pt. Reyes National Seashore or down in the Santa Cruz mountains. I have a variety of other interests, however, including art, architecture, urban design, old books, and astronomy. I like to go to thrift stores and find valuable old books. I even once found a book printed in 1632 in a local thrift store! I can't draw to save his life.
Contact information
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Email address: canvas conversations/inbox tool preferred, but also gkeyser@solano.edu
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Text number: 707-980-2861 (text me anytime!)
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Office hours: I will hold office hours after class on Wednesdays from 1-2 in our classroom, room 708. However, the location may change if I discover a better one. I will keep you posted!
Technical Course Information
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CRN: 002-80475
- Course Title: Critical Thinking and Writing About Literature
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Meeting Times: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 am - 12:50 in room 708, building 700, on the main Fairfield Campus.
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Assignments Due: Typically, homework assignments are due Monday and Friday nights. Additional assignments are due in class.
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Number of Units: 4.0
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Prerequisites: Successful completion of English 1.
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Co-requisites: none.
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Advisories: none.
Course Description and Student Learning Outcomes
English 2 is described this way in the Solano Catalog:
• Critical Thinking and Writing About Literature Prerequisite: ENGL 001 with a minimum grade of C. The development of critical thinking, reading, and writing skills as they apply to the analysis of fiction, poetry and drama, literary criticism, and related non-fiction from diverse cultural sources and perspectives. Emphasis is on the techniques and principles of effective written argument as they apply to literature. Essay examinations, critical papers, and some research projects are required. C-ID ENGL 110. Four hours lecture.
In a nutshell, the course is centered on the same basic skills as English 1: critical thinking skills, effective writing strategies, and effective reading tools—just with a more narrow focus. The bottom line is that an institution and a department our educational goals for you are that you learn how to read, write, and conduct analysis at a sophisticated level that will prepare you for your other college courses and to participate in a global society that is increasingly complex, confusing, and even disturbing. You will learn to use appropriate rhetorical patterns and reading and writing strategies to demonstrate that you have learned these skills. In order to keep track of these goals, the college has developed technical language—what are called student learning outcomes (or SLOs) for English 2. These include:
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- Compose analytical essays that demonstrate knowledge of literary genres and their constituent elements and functions, using textual references and literary criticism as support.
- Logically discuss and analyze literature and ideas presented by others.
All of our assignments are designed to help you achieve mastery, or at least competence, in these areas, and thus to fulfill your educational and life goals with success. Also note that, to the best of my ability, I will continue to link individual assessments, including daily hands-on activities, to these SLOs as frequently as possible. But if you have any questions about how my assignments align with these SLOs, please contact me for further explanation.
Course Content Outline
To achieve these objectives, you will be required to do the following:
• Read approximately 30 - 50 pages per week, including both course readings and online instructional material.
• Write a variety of essays, include argumentative and synthesis essays.
• Engage in a variety of hands-on activities
• Engage with the class in a variety of interactive activities, including course discussions.
• Engage in the writing process, including revision and peer review.
I have tried to align our coursework with these SLOs carefully, but please ask me if you have any questions. :-)
Course Themes and Overview of Major Essay Assignments
The course will be divided into three units, each of which will consist of required online course readings, and a variety of assessments directly related to the unit. In addition, there will almost always be additional online instructional content to read that introduces and reinforces important reading, writing, and critical thinking skills that are required to complete the unit. The three units are as follows:
- The short story. In this unit, we will read a variety of short stories by authors both living and dead and representing diverse backgrounds and cultural experiences. In addition, we will learn key concepts that will help us analyze and thus gain a greater appreciation for the short story as a form of art, and also to engage with a variety of important cultural and social issues related to the themes of these stories. The major assignment for this unit is a compare/contrast essay that asks you to analyze two of the stories we have read for the semester and eventually come to a conclusion about which is stronger and more deserving of a place in the "literary canon." Part of this assignment will ask you to comment on the ultimate ability of these stories to engage us with critical social and cultural issues of our times.
- Poetry. In this unit, we will read a variety of poems by authors both living and dead and representing diverse backgrounds and cultural experiences. In addition, we will learn key concepts that will help us analyze and thus gain a greater appreciation for poetry as a form of art, and also to engage with a variety of important cultural and social issues related to the themes of these poems. The major assignment for this unit is a compare/contrast essay that asks you to analyze three or four of the poems we have read for the semester and eventually come to a conclusion about which is stronger and more deserving of a place in the "literary canon." Part of this assignment will ask you to comment on the poems' ultimate ability to engage us with critical social and cultural issues of our times.
- Drama and Literary Theory. In this unit, we will read a variety of plays by authors representing diverse backgrounds and cultural experiences. In addition, we will learn key concepts that will help us analyze and thus gain a greater appreciation for drama as a form of art, and also to engage with a variety of important cultural and social issues related to the themes of these plays. The major assignment for this unit is a compare/contrast essay that asks you to two plays we have read this semester, and to discuss them using the terms and key concepts of one major school of literary theory—either Feminism, Oost-colonialism, reader-response theory, or New Historicism. Part of this assignment will ask you to comment on the ultimate ability of these plays engage us with critical social and cultural issues of our times.
Critical Administrative Dates
| Term: | Fall 2023 |
|---|---|
| Last day to drop with a refund: | August 25 |
| Last day to add class: | September 1 |
| Last day to drop without a "W": | September 1 |
| Census Date: | September 5 |
| Last day to drop with a "W": | November 17 |
Critical Administrative Dates For Section provide key registration deadlines related to adding and dropping this specific section.
| Description | Key Information |
|---|---|
| Term | Indicates the term the CRN/section is assigned. Fall/Spring semesters are scheduled in 18-weeks and have associated full-term course deadlines. Summer sessions are scheduled in 6-weeks or 8-weeks and have associated short-term course deadlines. |
| Last day to add a class | Indicates the last date that the student may enroll in a section. Once the section begins, students may only enroll with instructor permission with an add code. |
| Last day to drop with a refund | Indicates the last date the student may drop the section and receive a refund on enrollment fee based on District policy. |
| Last day to drop without a "W" | Indicates the last date the student may drop the section and receive neither a grade or "W" (withdrawal) on their academic records. |
| Last day to drop with a "W" | Indicates the last date the student may drop the section and receive a "W" (withdrawal) on their academic record. District policy limits a maximum of three (3) withdrawals for a course. |
| Census Date | Indicates the date that enrollment is reported by the District for the section for apportionment (State funding). Students must be enrolled no later than the day before Census. |
Critical Course Due Dates
• Official Start of Course: Monday August 14
• First Major Essay: Monday October 9
• Midterm Exam: Wednesday October 11
• Second Major Essay Due: Friday November 3
• Final Major Essay Due: Friday December 1
• Final Exam: Monday December 11 - Wednesday December 13 (it will be held over several days)
Note: These dates are tentative and are subject to change as necessary. You will be given plenty of notice if this is required, however. Also, I will never move a date "forward" so that it is sooner than it appears initially in Canvas and on this syllabus. I will only provide you with more time on assignments, if I deem it necessary. I practically guarantee that this will happen at least once over the course of the semester.
Important Holidays
The following holidays will have an impact on our usual schedule:
• Monday September 4: Labor Day. No Classes or assignments due on September 4.
• Friday November 10: Veteran's Day. No assignments due on November 10.
• Thursday November 23- Sunday November 26: Thanksgiving Break. No assignments due on November 24.
• Finals Week: December 9 - 15. Special Schedule This week.
Note that some assignments that might have ordinarily been due on a holiday are being shifted to other days as a result of these holidays. More details TBA.
Required Course Materials and Technology
All of the course materials available online for free and are available either as an embedded part of your Canvas shell or are linked to our canvas shell. You will still need to have regular internet access, however, in order to complete your assignments. Please contact me at 707-980-2861 or through Canvas if you need help getting this access.
In-Class Materials Access Policy
It is important that you have access to the course materials—poems, fiction, plays, and lectures—during class. For this reason, please make sure that you can access the Canvas course on your mobile device. Also, consider printing out some materials, as this may make your accessing of these easier when we do discussions. However, this is not required.
Grades Overview
The course is graded according to the following scale. Note that, as I say above, I use a point system, but that all points are not created equal as each category of grade carries a different weight. See below for details and ask me if you have any questions about this.
Course Grading Scale
| Scale | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 100% - 90% | A |
| 80% - 90% | B |
| 70% - 80% | C |
| 60% -70% | D |
| 0% - 60% | F |
Course Grading Weights
| Assignment Group | % of Grade |
|---|---|
| The Three Major Essays | 50% |
| Midterm and Final Exam | 20% |
| Hands-On Activities | 10% |
| Discussion Forums | 10% |
| Quizzes | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Note: I use a point system to determine grades, but because each category is weighted differently, please note that note all points are equal. For instance, a point in the "major essay" category is worth five times what a point in the discussion category is worth—since the major essays are worth 50% of your grade total and the discussions are, overall, worth only 10%. Please keep this in mind as you plan your work: if you need to make a choice between doing a discussion post and turning in a major essay, it is much more worth your time to turn in the essay. See me about this if you're still not certain about how this point system works.
Methods of Evaluation
Details about the assessments of each of your assignments is included in each assignment. However, below is a summary of these assessment policies:
- The three major unit essays major unit essay assignments will, combined, make up 50% of your final grade. Each of these assignments includes a detailed prompt, either a suggested or a mandatory outline, and a rubric. Both the prompt and the rubric need to be followed carefully if you want a solid or exemplary grade. Typically I will give you both marginal and rubric comments in addition to an "overall" or "end" comment, and all three are designed to allow you to revise for a higher grade if you desire. Please contact me about this for more details. Please make sure that you know how to access all three of these on Canvas, which can be difficult. For instance, often students trying to access marginal comments through a hand-held device have trouble seeing marginal comments.
- Hands-on activities and discussions account for an additional 20% of your grade. Typically a short rubric will be included with these assignments as well, detailing why points will be deducted. In general, however, submissions that don't meet the minimum word counts for the assignments or that don't follow directions will not receive full credit.
- The midterm and the final exam will be multiple-choice tests and will be graded automatically as soon as you finish. Combined these make up 20% of your final grade. Typically, however, I will offer some extra credit after these exams to help you boost your score.
- Finally, most modules include graded multiple-choice quizzes at the end and, combined, these quizzes account for the final 10% of your grade. Unlike the midterm and the final, however, there will be no extra credit to help you boost your score on these exams, although I will allow multiple attempts on some quizzes (such as the first one!).
Major Essay Completion Advisory
It may be technically possible to complete the course with a percentage grade about 70% without turning in one of the three major papers. However, I do not recommend it, as it would defeat some of the purpose of the course, which is to improve your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Please consider talking to me if you are struggling with a paper, as I am happy to help you with brainstorming and even initial drafting. Happy to help! :-)
Log-in and Participation Policy
Even though this is a "face to face" course, It is expected that you will participate regularly and thoughtfully in the e-companion, logging on on average 3-4 times a week at least and for a minimum of about 4-8 hours per week ... which is on par with what you would be expected to do if the class were face-to-face. Total work for every week should be about 8-12 hours (see below), but some of that will be off-line.
Instructor Initiated Contact Policy
I promise that I will contact you frequently and in a variety of ways, in addition to simply talking with you in class. First, through timely feedback on assignments: instructors are allowed up to two weeks to turn back assignments, but my goal is to get most assignments back within one week and, if possible, sooner. Second, I will be making frequent announcements, at least two per week and often more, in which I: a) provide feedback about course assignments; b) remind you of upcoming assignments; c) announce corrections / changes in the syllabus; and d) want to share something interesting in the news that is relevant to the course. Finally, I will try to contact you regularly through the Canvas conversations / inbox tool, especially if there is an ongoing issue that we need to discuss, such as trouble keeping up with assignments.
Student Initiated Contact Policy
It is your responsibility, and in your best interest, to contact me regularly both in person, and through the Canvas conversations / inbox tool or by text, especially if you have any questions about your grade or about an upcoming assignments. Please remember that I am happy to answer texts within 1 or 2 hours when you send them from 9 to 6 on week days, and often in the same time frame at other times of day or on weekend. Note, however, that I may take more time to return texts if sent at night or on Saturdays.
Student to Student Contact Policy
Part of any good online class is student-to-student contact. As a result, discussion forums are part of almost every module, and there are other opportunities for student-to-student contact offered throughout the semester as well, including most importantly through peer review of essay drafts. Keep in mind the following as you interact with your peers: please treat others with respect, even if you disagree with their arguments and ideas; please observe proper "netiquette" when interacting online; don't interrupt or talk over people during discussion; and so on.
Class Workload Expectation
Be prepared for about 8-12 hours of work per week in this course. A four unit "lecture" course, by virtue of what is known as the Carnegie Unit, mathematically establishes a standard the amount of work expected from a student (and the instructor) in a 18-week course. California state law upholds this, see California Code of Regulations, Education Code, Title 5, Section 55002.5.
| Type of Unit | Units | x Hours Per Unit | Total Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 4 | x 18 | = 72 |
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2 hours homework per hour of lecture |
4 | x 36 | = 144 |
| Hours of work per term | = 144 hours of student work | ||
| / number of weeks | = 16 | ||
| Hours of work per week | = about 8-12 |
Keep in mind that you will likely need to make tough decisions this semester about how much time to spend on any given assignment. As you do so, don't forget that different assignments have different weights—so make your decisions accordingly.
Overview
It is often easier to successfully complete your schoolwork by making use of the many campus resources available at our school, and in some cases it is required. Below are links and short descriptions of some of the most important of these resources, but please touch base with me if you would like more information on any of these or help locating them. I'm happy to help! :-)
Distance Education Resources
Are you new to Canvas? Do you want to jump start your semester? Check the schedule for information on Canvas Student Workshops and sign up today!
Link to Canvas Student Workshop Schedule
Canvas Help Desk
Click on the "Help?" question mark in the lower left corner of your screen for current help desk hours, phone numbers, and Canvas tutorials. The Canvas Student Guide is a great resource for how-to information and tutorials.
Student Services
Check out the Solano Student Services Website for further information about Counseling, Health Services, Career Center, Veteran Services, Student Government, and other resources. Let SCC help you succeed!
Library
The Solano College Library and librarians are here to help you with your research needs. It's a great place to study, use a computer (or check out a Chromebook/laptop), borrow a textbook, and more. The Academic Success Center is located inside the library as well. Check it out!
Library Services for Online Students
Academic Success Center
There is no need to struggle on your own. Tutoring is free at Solano and can pave the way to success in your courses. Sign up for an individual appointment or stop in for one of the hands-on workshops.
Link to the Solano Academic Success Center
Financial Aid
Secure the financial resources you need to succeed at Solano.
Link to Student Financial Services
Disability Services Program
Are you struggling in this course? Disability Services can help you.
If you have a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical, learning or other disability that may affect your ability to carry out assigned course work, Disability Services Program (DSP) is here to help you. The DSP team will review your concerns and work with you to determine what accommodations are appropriate. They can also refer you to care providers if you are not certain whether you have a disability. All of your information is kept confidential. They will give you information to share with me so I can ensure your needs are accommodated in this course.
Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
Solano strives to create a safe, welcoming environment for its students. Discrimination and sexual harassment will not be tolerated. Students have the right to file a complaint with the Vice President of Student Services.
Link to Solano Complaint Procedure and Forms
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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