spring 2007
section 005: 2.15-3.30 pm tuesday & thursday
218 satterfield hall


the course: Introduction to English Studies is the "portal" course for upper division work in English. Students are introduced to methods of reading, writing, and research in the discipline; the course is designed to improve the  performance of students in their major coursework. English Studies is also one of the Writing Intensive courses in the major. In this section of the course will focus initially on reading and interpreting poetry and will move to reading and discussions of various theoretical approaches to reading literature generally. An introduction to research tools will be offered throughout the semester. Workload in this course is heavy: it is a writing intensive course and much of the work (reading, writing, and research) will be unfamiliar to most students. The textbooks listed in the course materials below give some indication of the range of materials we will discuss.

texts:
Gibaldi. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed.
Lynn, Steven. Texts and Contexts. 4th ed.
Conarroe. Six American Poets.
Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon.

papers, exams, etc.:
The coursework is "scaffolded" and leads to a major project, a 12-page research paper that you will begin in the fourth week of the semester . Along the way, you will also complete several critical position papers, many critical summaries, motif, and poetry analysis papers, and five bibliographies. ALL course work must be submitted in MLA Style. All work will be submitted in two forms: on WebCT Vista and on paper. Total text production will be in excess of 12,000 words (approx. 32 pages).

grading:
Research paper is 50%, of which 10% is the proposal and draft; all other papers total 50%. grades will be posted on WebCT Vista

the fine print: we have specific pedagogical goals to accomplish during the semester, so I have one very significant expectation for student conduct in this course. To be successful, a student will spend at least 6 hours per week working on this course in addition to the 3 hours of class time. The rules: 1) any student who misses more than three class sessions will be penalized a full letter grade for the course. for every two absences beyond that initial period, students will lose another full letter grade. if you miss class for excusable reasons (medical, primarily), you must provide documentation immediately upon your return. 2) I accept no late papers unless arrangements are made in advance or you have a documented medical excuse. The workload is demanding; be prepared to meet the demands of the course every class meeting. 3) As this is a course with research and writing skills, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. 4) Because of the scaffoled nature of the course and assignments, students must complete all assignments, and in assigned order, to pass the class.

office & hours:
I am available by appointment and will be in my office (209d SFH) for consultation from 1.00 to 2.00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; I will be available for a limited time after every session. I will also hold "Chat" sessions on Web Vista on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 9-10 p.m. I encourage you to contact me via email at raymond.craig@kent.edu for questions and to arrange consultations. My phone number is 672-1741. Leave voice mail messages at the same number.