Course Syllabus
Literature 101:Introduction to FictionFall 2020Monday & Wednesday 9:30–10:45am Section #000; Reg. 16399. Prof. Abby Coykendallemail: acoykenda@emich.edu(click Marilyn Monroe above for the course schedule) |
→ To begin, click image or "Modules": |
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Office Hours: |
Texts and MaterialsRequired Textbooks to Purchase:You must purchase the three books for this course—one main anthology (for Section 2) and two novels (for Section 3)—whether these books be the paper or digital ebook versions. Readings slotted early in the term will be available as pdf files in the Google Drive folder, allowing any books that you order online to arrive in time.
* Make certain to get the most recent 5th edition of the 40 Short Stories anthology pictured above
** Also available for free from the Halle library.
Course Materials:Many required materials, and some supplemental materials, will be made available directly through links here in the Canvas course shell, viewable from any computer, tablet, or cell phone online. For class information of any kind, see the Modules page in the Canvas course shell (you can also simply click the revolving gif icon at the top). For readings and / or files specifically, see the weekly Modules that follow, which will be made available in advance of each class. All of these materials will also be made available in the Google Drive folder linked on the left. Downloading the Canvas Student App onto your cell phone or tablet would be quite useful to access both readings and homework assignments, although be aware that the app has somewhat less functionality than the web page. |
AssignmentsCourse Schedule:The Weekly Course Schedule is located in the Google Drive folder so you do not need to log into Canvas to access it. → Note that this schedule may need to change at times to accommodate the unique circumstances of this class or term. Students will be notified by email, in a timely fashion and in advance, of any necessary changes to the schedule and receive a clear rationale for them. Major Assignment Weights:
Grading Scale:
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AccessibilityInstructor Availability:I will be delighted to discuss any questions, interests, or concerns via a phone call or video chat through Zoom during my office hours each week. If necessary, you can also email for an alternate time.The first visit to my virtual office hours with a course-related inquiry, such as to get guidance on homework, discuss readings lately covered, or brainstorm essay ideas, will be worth extra credit. If you contact me through email or Canvas instead, you can expect a reply within a few hours to a day for straightforward questions. Thornier issues may require a full week. Please limit email inquiries to questions that I alone can answer so that I can give the more pressing issues of other students the attention they deserve. If, for example, you are unsure about a due date, consult the syllabus, the course shell, or your peers, and then email me only if the confusion persists. Another alternative is to contact your Homework Group with your question or to post the question to the Discussion Board for General Course Questions. The latter is ideal when other students may share your question and could benefit from seeing the reply. Course Accessibility:This class is meant to be a welcoming educational environment for all students, including those who have challenges that impact learning. If you find yourself having difficulty participating or demonstrating knowledge in this course, please feel free to contact me to discuss reasonable accommodations at least one week prior to the requested change. In fact, you may be able to receive an accumulation even if you currently lack an official Disability Resource Center (DRC) accommodation letter, although I encourage you to contact the DRC directly for assistance with accommodations in this or any other class (drc@emich.edu; 487-2470). Diversity Statement:One of the responsibilities of a public university, and thus of this particular course in turn, is to instantiate the ideals of equity, freedom, and justice, while cultivating a well-informed populace capable of critical thinking and creative innovation. It is only through fostering a diverse and affirming campus community inclusive of all students that these goals might be achieved. In the interest of achieving these ends, this class shall endeavor to account for the contributions and counter-narratives of previously neglected or marginalized groups, including but not limited to those differing by race and ethnicity, country of origin, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, and intersectional identities. |
Course PoliciesParticipation:Nothing is more vital for success in this course than keeping up with, and actively engaging in, the reading assignments and class discussions each day. The more actively that you participate in the class, the more the course content can reflect your unique needs and interests. As with any university course, expect your homework to take around 2 hours for every 1-unit of the class or, in other words, 6 hours per week. Attendance:Because this course primarily consists of reading and discussion, rather than facts, figures, or memorization, regular attendance is crucial. Failure to participate in class makes achieving the course objectives difficult and, eventually, impossible. Reserve absences for illness or other exigencies preventing you from attending class, and most of all make sure not to exhaust your allowable absences too early in the term. Any student who misses FOUR classes for any reason will have their final grade reduced by a full mark (i.e. lowered from A to B, B to C, etc.). Any student who misses FIVE or MORE classes will become ineligible to pass.
Lateness and Classroom Etiquette:We will begin the in-class sessions 5 minutes after the scheduled class period on Wednesdays at 9:35am to allow you extra time to get comfortably set up. Please make sure that you are able to:
Academic Integrity:Understanding and avoiding academic dishonesty, and doing all your coursework on your own, is imperative. Copying the homework of peers, having parents or friends do assignments for you, submitting work written for your other classes to this class for double credit, and of course plagiarism (copying the ideas/words of others) are all forms of academic dishonesty that will not be tolerated in this course and may even prevent you from passing. Plagiarism, put simply, is taking either the IDEAS or the WORDS of another person and recycling them as if they are your own. You must acknowledge when you draw on the thoughts and/or expressions of others, and do so under all circumstances without exception. For example, if you insert the words of a webpage or other source into your own writing, you must credit that source for the passage and place quotation marks on either side: So and so says “X." Alternately, you can paraphrase the other source, describing its ideas in your own words, but even then you must also give credit, albeit in this case without quotation marks: So and so says X. Without these acknowledgements, the unique constructions and/or conceptualizations of other authors will pass as your own by default, and any writing that thereby seems to be your own, without in fact being your own, is a plagiarism of the original source. By its very nature, plagiarism leaves a trace. It should never be found in any assignment that you submit. It is your responsibility to make certain that your work is plagiarism-free before turning it in. ** Any instance of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will result in an automatic 0% grade for the assignment. Any second instance will result in outright failure of the course, however minor the infraction may be. University Policies:In addition to the articulated course specific policies and expectations, students are responsible for understanding all applicable University guidelines, policies, and procedures. The EMU Student Handbook is the primary resource provided to students to ensure that they have access to all university policies, support resources, and student's rights and responsibilities. Changes may be made to the EMU Student Handbook whenever necessary, and shall be effective immediately, and/or as of the date on which a policy is formally adopted, and/or on the date specified in the amendment. Please note: Electing not to access the link provided below does not absolve a student of responsibility. For questions about any university policy, procedure, practice, or resource, please contact the Office of the Ombuds (248 Student Center; 487–0074; emu_ombuds@emich.edu). |
Course Requirements and ResourcesClass and Campus Resources:For many resources, whether for this class specifically or your university experience as a whole, see the Canvas Modules page. Technology Requirements:Canvas is built using web standards. Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and any other device with a modern web browser should therefore be compatible. For best performance, Canvas does require the current releases of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari browsers. Your devices—computer, tablet, or smartphone—should be compatible but you will need to keep up to date with the latest security updates and upgrades. For assistance with the course shell, click the question button to the far left or call the Canvas 24/7 Help Desk at (844) 326-6322. If your question is specific to our university, call the EMU IT help desk at (734) 487-2120. Do not contact your instructors for technical questions! Quite often simply switching to a different browser (from Chrome to Safari, Safari to Edge, etc.) will do wonders. Chrome works well for the most part but some Module pages may appear not to load. In that case, click the hyperlinked titles and they will load readily. Zoom requires an internet connection, speakers and a microphone, and ideally a webcam or HD webcam, an along with an up-to-date operating system. You can join Zoom video sessions with a smart phone, or if necessary, without the video by using other phones. However, it would be helpful, both for me as an instructor and for the other students with whom you may be interacting, to see your facial expressions if at all possible. Class meetings may at times use Google Meet, which is better at muting / un-muting automatically when you begin to speak, or more rarely Studio for small groupwork. For class presentations and some informal homework assignments, we will use Flipgrid. Zoom, Studio, and Flipgrid, tho not Meet, are all available directly in Canvas, linked to the left. Whatever tool we use, directions on how to connect, where to connect, and when to connect for class meetings or homework will be clearly identified within and easily linked from the Module for the week. I aim to reserve virtual class meetings for interactive activities, minimizing the need for live video conferencing by making my lectures virtual—available for you to watch in short snippets in advance as best suits your schedule. → Note that the Dean of Students (734-487-1107; emu_deanofstudents@emich.edu) may be able to assist if you lack a laptop or other the means to meet the technical requirements of this course. |