Course Aims
- to complete a chapbook of fiction and/or
poetry;
- to learn beginning skills necessary for writing short
fiction and poetry;
- to help you locate and explore your own
centers of interest in a setting both supportive and challenging;
- to learn how to access local and national
resources for creative writers;
- to improve critical awareness, which
includes understanding the standards and expectations of various
literary communities, especially within the established (noncommericial, non-mass market) fine arts;
- to understand "literature" as
both corpus of knowledge to be studied and as evolving, living
enterprise;
- to enjoy stories and poems, and to explore a variety
of course readings for models.
In some ways this class is like the proverbial
arts enclave: a comfortable meeting place for writers who are seeking
the support, feedback, and stimulation of other writers. We sit down
together, share and discuss our writing. That's the gist of it.
This is also an academic experience, of course,
and I do need to ultimately assign a grade for each student. Though much of
the class is student-directed and open, you'll complete some assigned
projects as well as a self-published chapbook.
Grade Info
Grading is based on a simple point system, in which your aim is to earn as
close to 100 as possible. You’ll start the semester with 0, then earn credit
for the coursework described abo e. To arrive at a specific number of points
for a given assignment, I generally first assign a grade where Outstanding=A;
Very Good=B; Fair=C; Poor=D; Unacceptable=F. I then fine-tune that letter
grade judgment with points.
At the end of the term, I tally the points you've earned for all course
work and determine a semester grade where
90-100 pts. = A
79-89 pts. = B
68-78 pts. = C
57-67 pts. = D
Performance and
Participation Policies
Missing Deadlines
Weekly Cyber Assignments
Instructions for these assignments are generally posted on our class days.
Your completed work is then due by classtime of the following week.
Assignments handed in up to a week late will receive no point penalty, but will be graded according to a significantly higher standard because we will likely have discussed it in class. It will also be graded at my convenience, which which means that you may not know your score for quite some time, and thus
will be uninformed about your class standing. No work can be accepted after a
week. Please note: if this policy is abused, I may revise it!
Workshop Sessions
If you miss a workshop session you are scheduled for, you cause a lot of
problems and inconvenience for everyone. If you know in advance that you are
sick or will have to miss, you must email the class to let us know, then
request a rescheduling. In some cases late in the semester, there may be no
additional time for reschedulings. (Remember that
you are required to have two workshop critiques for the term.)
Chapbooks and Reflective Letters
These are handed in at the end of the term. Late items can only be
accepted with documented evidence of serious harship or illness.
Missing
Class
English Department
Attendance Policy: "In
compliance with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 333: Class Attendance
and Policy and Procedure, located at
<http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/333.htm>, the English Department has
established the following attendance policy. All English Department courses
require active learning. Students are expected to speak, listen, and
contribute. Therefore, prompt, regular attendance is required. Students who
miss more than four weeks of class during the standard academic semester
(e.g. twelve 50 minute classes, eight 75 minute classes, or their equivalent)
will not pass the course. Moreover, each student is accountable for all work
missed because of absence, and instructors have no obligation to make special
arrangements for missed work."
What do do if you miss class:
- Please DO NOT come to me asking, “What did we do?”
(Or, even worse, “Did we do anything?”). As soon as possible, contact 2 or
more classmates for full class notes, instructions, handout titles,
etc. If the classmates you contact did not take helpful notes or are
otherwise uninformed, you should contact someone else. (You are
responsible for knowing what transpires in each class session, whether
you are present or not.) If you know in advance that you will miss a
class meeting and/or class work, contact classmates well ahead of time
for assistance.
- After securing some notes, next check our Power Point
presentations in Bb for additional info.
- Finally, after you have done all of the above, you
may contact me with specific questions or to receive any needed
materials.
Failure to heed the above information may result in my sending you to the
"YOU ARE A DORK" web page.
Coming Late to Class
...is A
BAD IDEA. It's disruptive and rude, and you will miss important announcements
and instructions which are covered in the first few minutes of every session.
You are responsible for knowing announcements and instructions whether you
are present or not.
Digging Class
A key word in this class is curiosity. One of the WORST things you can do is tell me that SOMETHING BORED YOU.
All coursework will require active thinking and engagement. If you are
energetically reflecting, imagining, questioning, and struggling when you
read course materials or complete course work, YOU WILL NEVER BE BORED.
Admissions of boredom are embarassing, because they
reveal that you yourself are a boring person who is too unimaginative or
passive to make things interesting.
If you do not UNDERSTAND something, do not become frustrated, angry, or
defeated. REJOICE! :D You are in exactly the right place to begin learning.
When confused or otherwise stumped, ask questions. Be willing to be dumb.
Dig. Explore. LOOK THINGS UP. Engage others. Contact your instructor. And,
yes, even RE-READ assignments!
Class participation does not simply mean perfect attendance. Becoming
better writer requires critical thinking, dialogue, and practice. This is a
workshop course, which requires your active input and involvement.
Web-Surfing, Facebooking,
Texting, Etc.
None of
these activities is permitted in class unless they are linked directly to
coursework.
 Disclaimer!I believe in the
creative as well as practical value of spontaneity. I also believe that
disorder is always there, lurking in any plan or scheme no matter how
carefully devised— especially my own. I therefore reserve the right, if
the occasion warrants it, and with ample advance notice to you, to alter some
of the details on this page as the semester progresses. Fundamental
aspects of the course, such as basic requirements and aims, will not change.
A Note
to English Majors
During
their senior year, English majors generally enroll in the English Capstone
course (Engl 467), during which they assemble a
portfolio containing representative written work from NDSU English courses.
The English Department evaluates these portfolios to assess its undergraduate
programs, analyzing how student work meets departmental outcomes. In order to
facilitate the preparation of senior portfolios, English majors are
encouraged to save copies of their written work (in electronic and hard copy)
each semester.
Departmental
Outcomes
This
course meets at least three English Dept. outcomes:
- Outcome 1: English majors will
be able to write and speak effectively for a variety of purposes and
audiences in a variety of genres and media.
- Outcome 2: English majors will
be able to read (analyze, interpret, critique, evaluate) written and
visual texts.
- Outcome 7: English majors will
develop professionalism exhibited in such qualities as self-direction,
cooperation, civility, reliability, and care in editing and presenting
the final product.
General Education Outcomes
This
course has been approved for Category 4, Humanities and Fine Arts, General
Education because it 1) “promotes the appreciation of aesthetics and the
expression of creativity”; and 2) “systematically explores cultural and
intellectual forces shaping events, individual expression, and social
values.”
The
course meets the following General Education Outcomes:
#1:
“Communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and formats.”
#6:
“Integrate knowledge and ideas in a coherent and meaningful manner.”
Upper Division Writing Outcomes
This
course has also been approved for the Upper Division Writing Program, and
Category 1, Communications, General Education credits.
The
course meets the following Upper Division Writing Outcomes:
- G.E. Outcome 1: Students will learn to communicate
effectively in various genres for different audiences, purposes, and
situations.
- G.E. Outcome 6: Students will learn to integrate
knowledge and ideas in a coherent and meaningful manner.
This course will also emphasize the following English department goal:
- Students will learn to manage sophisticated writing
and research projects, planning, documenting, completing, and assessing
work on time and within the constraints of the project.
Americans with Disabilities Statement/Students with
Special Needs
Any students with disabilities or other special needs, who need special
accommodations in this course are invited to share these concerns or requests
with the instructor as soon as possible.
Student Conduct
All
interactions in this course including interactions by email, weblogs,
discussion boards, or other online methods will be civil and students will
demonstrate respect for one another. Student conduct at NDSU is governed by
the Code of Student Behavior. See http://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/studentlife/StudentCode.pdf for more information.
University
Statement on Academic Honesty
All work in this course must be completed in a manner
consistent with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 335: Code of Academic
Responsibility and Conduct. http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/335.htm
Any and all instances of
deliberate plagiarism in English 323 will result in an F for the course.
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Workshop and Semester Reflective
Letter (20 pts. or 20% of semester grade)
Chapbook
(40 pts. or 40% of semester grade)
