Course Name & Number: ENGL 2322.0230 (British Literature I)

Semester & Year: December Mini-Mester 2021

Course Description (NCTC Catalog): General survey of major British literary masterpieces from the Anglo-Saxon period through the 18^th century; reports and essays.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENGL 1301

Required Textbooks & Materials: The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Major Authors, Volume 1 (c. 2019), ISBN: 978-0-393-60308-8

Instructor's Name: Alisha Dietz

Email Address: adietz@nctc.edu (Always use Canvas Inbox. Use the NCTC address only if Canvas is unavailable.)

Online Office Hours: Monday, 9:00-11:00 a.m. (I will be available to you during these hours. We can communicate via email, or we can make arrangements for a phone call or virtual conference, if you'd prefer. If these hours don't work for your schedule, I am flexible!)

Institutional Learning Goals. A quality general education curriculum in all associate degree programs.

• Quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences which parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities.
• Quality technical programs leading directly to careers in semi-skilled and skilled occupations, and quality technical education programs up to two years in length leading to certificates and associate degrees.
• Quality programs and services in support of adult literacy and basic skills development as a mean of workforce enhancement and expanding access to higher education.

Program Purpose Statement. NCTC seeks to implement its goal of providing quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences that parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities by offering a coherent sequence of courses with appropriate breadth and depth to prepare a student for transfer to a university.

Departmental Purpose Statement. The Department of English, Speech, and Foreign Language provides quality instruction to students pursuing their academic and career goals.

Student Learning Outcomes. Students who successfully complete English 2322 will meet the following learning outcomes:

1. 1.  Identify key ideas, representative authors and works, significant historical or cultural events, and characteristic perspectives or attitudes expressed in the literature of different periods or regions.
   2. Analyze literary works as expressions of individual or communal values within the social, political, cultural, or religious contexts of different literary periods.
   3. Demonstrate knowledge of the development of characteristic forms or styles of expression during different historical periods or in different regions.
   4. Articulate the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
   5. Write research-based critical papers about the assigned readings in clear and grammatically correct prose, using various critical approaches to literature.

Foundational Component Area:  Language, Philosophy, and Culture

Core Objectives. Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively.  Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

• Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
• Communication Skills (COM) - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
• Social Responsibility (SR) - to include intercultural competency, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
• Personal Responsibility (PR) - to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making

STUDENT SUPPORT/SERVICES

College Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered. All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor. It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgment by the faculty member. Approved college-sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam. A student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon the recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives. Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered adequate cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Disability Accommodations: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of disability for admission or access to its programs. The College is committed to providing equal access to its students with disabilities by providing appropriate accommodations; a variety of services and resources are made available through the ACCESS Department. Students are responsible for notifying the ACCESS Department of their need for assistance. Students with documented disabilities, such as mobility impairment, hearing or visual impairment, learning, and psychological disorders are eligible for services.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. A disability is anything that can interfere with learning, such as a learning disability, psychological challenge, physical illness, or injury. Accommodations may include extra time on tests, tests in a distraction-reduced environment, volunteer note taker in class, etc.

On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 in the Administration Building (100) or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209 to arrange for an intake appointment with OSD.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112). http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/disability-services/index.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)

EEOC Statement: North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in the employment or the provision of services.

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals. The center links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free online tutoring.  The program helps students acclimate to college by providing free interactive online workshops. For more information, please visit your nearest Student Success Center.

Student Success offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, and a Math Lab to assist new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/student-success/tutoring/index.html.  (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)First generation students can also participate in TRIO which offers specialized services. http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/trio-student-support-services.html (Links to an external site.)

Completion Center

The NCTC Completion Center is a comprehensive student engagement program that increases retention and completion rates of first-time, low income students. Services include: Success coaching to address students’ academic and non-academic challenges and issues; Success Seminars, and a centralized career readiness and job placement program. http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/completion-center/index.html (Links to an external site.)

Career Services Center

The NCTC Career Services Center is the place you can go for educational and career planning. Services include: Career/Degree Exploration, Job Search Tools and Resources, Resume and Professional Portfolio Development, Interview Skills and Preparation. Our Career Advisors partner with you in making your educational journey an efficient process towards a rewarding career. http://www.nctc.edu/career-services/index.html (Links to an external site.)

Counseling and Advising

Support Services, Counseling and Advising staff offer a variety of services to current and prospective students, such as College 101, placement testing, academic advising and course registration, transfer assistance, and College Success seminars (Time Management, Study Skills, Test Anxiety, Choosing a Major, Learning Style Strategies, Career Exploration) and much more.  http://www.nctc.edu/counseling-advising/index.html (Links to an external site.) 

Testing Service Center

The mission of NCTC Testing Services is to provide high-quality testing services that adhere to the professional standards and guidelines to meet the needs of students, faculty, and community members. http://www.nctc.edu/testing-center/index.html (Links to an external site.)

Early Alert and CARES          

The NCTC Early Alert program assists students who are at risk of failing or withdrawing from a course. Faculty and staff may refer students through the Early Alert process at any point in the semester in an effort to provide appropriate intervention and access to support services. Examples of behaviors that could prompt an Early Alert referral could be missing assignments, failing tests, excessive absences, or personal circumstances impacting academic performance. A student submitted as an Early Alert will be contacted by an academic advisor or success coach (Links to an external site.) through text, phone, and/or via their NCTC e-mail address to discuss any current challenges as well as helpful resources and success strategies-we want our students to finish strong and know that education is a partnership!

The NCTC CARES (Campus Assessment Response Evaluation Services) Team (Links to an external site.) is concerned not only about our students' academic success, but also their emotional and physical well-being. The CARES Team promotes a safe learning environment for students, faculty, and staff and is committed to taking a proactive approach in helping our students succeed by addressing the mental, emotional or psychological health and safety of the NCTC community. As a student, you have the ability to report concerning behavior which could impact your own safety or the safety of another NCTC student, such as stalking, harassment, physical or emotional abuse, violent or threatening behavior, or self-harm. Visit the NCTC CARES site to also locate campus and community resources, or email counseling@nctc.edu to get in touch with a member of the CARES Team directly.  As always, if you feel there is an immediate threat to your own safety or welfare (or to another student), please call 911 immediately.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information.   http://www.nctc.edu/financial-aid/index.html (Links to an external site.)

Student Success

At NCTC, student success​ is progress towards collegiate goals, reached in an affordable and timely manner, under professional guidance, empowering students to serve skillfully in their chosen role within their community.

Equity

NCTC defines equity as encompassing the practice of acknowledging individual differences and systemic disparities when developing new programs and resources for our campus community, which may sometimes challenge our own beliefs and assumptions, in order to ensure balanced educational opportunities toward completion.

Affinity Groups

Staff and faculty representing the Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s), along with academic advisors, counselors and success coaches, serve as mentors for NCTC’s student-centered ​Affinity Groups​.

An ​Affinity Group​ is a population of students who have specific needs, barriers or systems they are needing to navigate not only within college, but within life. Providing mentorship, support and resources for identified Affinity Groups such as Black/African American students, veterans and active military, single parents, students with disabilities, adult learners, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and students who have experienced foster care and/or homelessness, enables us to make more impactful, meaningful connections with students who are in dire need of equity and understanding.

Student Rights & Responsibilities: NCTC Board policy FLB (Local) Student Rights and Responsibilities states that each student shall be charged with notice and knowledge of the contents and provisions of the rules and regulations concerning student conduct. These rules and regulations are published in the Student Handbook published in conjunction with the College Catalog. All students shall obey the law, show respect for properly constituted authority, and observe correct standards of conduct.

Tobacco-Free Campus. NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco on campus property. NCTC is aware that tobacco use influences underage students, which accumulates unsightly tobacco litter and interferes with assuring clean air for all who come to NCTC. NCTC recognizes the health hazards of tobacco use and of exposure to second-hand smoke. Information on a tobacco cessation program is available for students, faculty, staff who wish to stop using tobacco products. We would like to "thank you" for your help in making our campuses Tobacco-Free. For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Vice President of Student Services at 940-668-4240.

Scholastic Integrity – Plagiarism: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. See Student Handbook “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]” #18.

Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, #5] “When cheating, collusion, or plagiarism has occurred beyond any reasonable doubt, the instructor may give the student or students involved an “F” on a particular assignment or in the course. [See Scholastic Dishonesty FLB (Local)] The instructor shall make a written report of the incident and the planned action to his Department Chair. The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to the appropriate instructional dean who shall review the case, notify the student and, if necessary, take further action. This may involve either probation or suspension of the student or students in question. If such disciplinary action is deemed necessary, the Dean of Student Services shall be notified, and the action shall be taken through that office.”

Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:

1. Turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
2. Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited;
3. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks;
4. Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images;
5. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
6. Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.

Please be aware that I take plagiarism very seriously. You may not have another person write, type, edit, or revise any parts of your writing assignments, quizzes, or discussion posts. You may not use someone else’s work or buy assignments from a “professional” source. You may not use material on the internet or in print sources without documenting it. Failure to follow the proper guidelines for documentation constitutes plagiarism. 

Considering the severity of the issue, if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding plagiarism, please consider this an open invitation to visit with me about the issue. If I discover that a student has committed intentional plagiarism, the writing assignment, quiz, or discussion that contains plagiarized materials will receive a zero, and the student may fail the course.

GRADING POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Semester grades will be based on the following:

Quizzes/Daily Responses/Discussions = 50% [the lowest grade from this category will be dropped]

• Quizzes are intended to check your literal reading comprehension. They may ask questions about information in the introductions, head-notes, footnotes, and the primary texts. Make sure you read all materials that are assigned BEFORE you take the quiz.
• Reading quizzes will be completed independent of your text or other books, online lectures, notes, or people, unless instructions indicate otherwise.
• In order to receive full credit, a discussion MUST meet the following criteria:
  • Respond directly to the discussion prompt.
  • Base discussion on thoughtful analysis of the text.
  • Support ideas about the text with specific reference to/details in the text.
  • Meet the required number of posts.
  • Meet the required word count for each post.

Research Assignments/Final Essay = 50%

• Article Reviews are intended to check your research and interpretation skills, as well as your ability to write critically about literature and research associated with such literature. You will utilize the NCTC databases for article reviews. More information will be available in the modules.
• Research Assignments are assigned in various formats and require knowledge of assigned readings and information contained in Modules.
• Specific requirements for the final essay is available in modules.

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION

• Unless otherwise specified on the specs for a particular assignment, all work must be saved with a doc or docx file extension if it is to be submitted online.
• Suggestion: Complete and save your work in your word processor and then copy and paste or attach (whichever the assignment directions list) your completed work to Canvas. This way, you will have a copy of your work when (not if) something goes wrong.
• Each assignment should be submitted to its dedicated discussion or assignment/activity as required in the assignment instructions. I do not accept assignments by email.
• Help ensure your success in this class by reading instructions closely and following them.

ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION/LATE WORK POLICIES

Attendance Policy: Because this in an online course, there is no "attendance policy," per se, but regular participation is required. This is NOT a self-paced course. During Mini-mester sessions, ONE WEEK OF CLASS is the equivalent of ONE MONTH of classes in a long semester. Please do not be under the illusion that because this class is only four weeks, it will be easier or less work than a traditional 16-week course. I do NOT reduce the number of assignments you are required to complete during the December Mini-mester. Instead, I compress them into the time allotted for this course. Therefore, you are completing in four weeks everything that a student would complete in sixteen weeks in a fall/spring course. This is a literature course; therefore, the time demand for reading assignments will be significant. If you do not have time to take this course or do not feel that you manage time wisely, you should withdraw.

Participation Policy: Students are accountable for their behavior. Students are expected to check announcements daily and be aware of any changes made to class assignments or requirements. Students should also check email daily—especially within a day of submitting assignments. If problems occur with student files, I will notify students as soon as I discover said problems. Students then have 24 hours from the time I send an email to contact me and make arrangements to fix the problem. If a student fails to contact me within that 24 hour window, I will not accept the assignment, and the grade will record as a zero.

Late-Work Policy: All assignment due dates are explicitly posted on Canvas on the first day of class. I expect assignments to be submitted on time; therefore, I do not generally accept late work. However, if you need an extension due to an extenuating circumstance beyond your control (COVID, car accident, death in immediate family, major illness, house flooded, etc.), please email me. I reserve the right to grant (or not grant) an extension based on each individual student's circumstances and ability to provide proof of circumstance. Communication is key!

Last day to Withdraw: Last day to drop a class with grade of “W” is December 28, 2021. If you intend to drop the course and do not do so by this date, you will be on my final roster at the end of the semester, and I will have to award you the grade you earned.

Grade Appeals and Incomplete Grades: Students can read more about the college's grade appeal processes and procedures for assigning incomplete grades by visiting the Academic Catalog:

• https://www.nctc.edu/catalog/academic-policies/grades-reports/student-grade-appeal.html (Links to an external site.) and
• https://www.nctc.edu/catalog/academic-policies/grades-reports/incomplete-grades.html (Links to an external site.). 

OTHER IMPORTANT POLICIES

Email Correspondence: I reserve 24 hours to respond to emails during the week (Mon. through Fri.) and 48 hours on weekends, although response times are typically much quicker. Emails sent to me become my personal property, and I may disclose them to third parties if I determine it’s necessary.  Emails constitute correspondence between instructor and student; therefore, consider your audience when sending me emails. Email correspondence should be professional and mechanically sound.

Professionalism: Your college courses are also opportunities for you to learn what it means to be a “professional” in your field. Therefore, I expect you to act like a “professional” student in this course. Consider these suggestions:

• • Prepare and participate meaningfully in online discussion boards.
  • Be assertive. (An assertive student exhausts all available resources of information before contacting me. In other words, read the assignment sheet carefully before e-mailing me to ask how many sources are required in your paper, and if you are unsure how to cite a source, look it up on a credible online Website (such as The Purdue Owl).
  • Consider the quality (and effort) of required drafts, notes, and daily assignments.
  • Turn in assignments on time and as assigned.
  • Mind the quality and tone of email correspondence.

Canvas Technical Support:

• For technical support, submit a ticket to the eCampus Help Desk at the following here (Links to an external site.). The eCampus Help Desk Ticket System is the primary contact for eCampus support requests.
• Use your NetID and password to access the ticket system from off-campus. This is the same login combination used to access MyNCTC.
• NCTC users in need of technical support should use the eCampus Help Desk. If you are experiencing a technical issue that requires immediate help, such as exam not functioning property in Canvas, please call the eCampus Help Desk at (940) 668-4243. eCampus Help Desk phone support is unavailable after regular business hours and on weekends.