English 2204 - Syllabus

Anoka Ramsey Community College -- Coon Rapids Campus
English 2204: Short Stories
Summer 2008 / Section 01

Professor: Scott Stankey
Office: Humanities 131
Phone: (763) 433-1396
Fax: (763) 433-1521
Email: scott.stankey@anokaramsey.edu
Website: http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/stankey

Office Hours:

1/2 hour before and after class -- look for me in the classroom or in my office
Other times by appointment

Class Meetings:

June 3 - July 24 / Tuesdays & Thursdays / 9:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. / Room B 276

Textbooks:

The Art of the Short Story, edited by Dana Gioia and R. S. Gwynn (2006)
Flash Fiction Forward, edited by James Thomas and Robert Shapard (2006)
Staggerford, by Jon Hassler (1977)

Materials:

Student I.D. / Library Card
Student MetNet Email Account and ARCC Network Access
A class notebook or loose-leaf paper
One two-pocket folder
A college-level dictionary
A stapler

Introductory Information:

Click here to read the "official" course description and objectives.
This course satisfies goal areas 6 and 7 of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
The English Department recommends successful completion of English 1121 before taking this course.
Our primary focus will be the critical reading and discussion of a variety of short stories. We will also spend time looking at the various forms and lengths of short fiction, such as "flash" fiction, short stories, and a novel -- but not "sudden" fiction, novellas, or graphic fiction. My goal is to engage everyone in the excitement of studying literature and sharing ideas about it.
To satisfy the writing-intensive (WI) requirements at other institutions, should you wish to transfer this course, we will spend time studying how to write about literature, and we will draft, receive feedback, revise, edit, and proofread one critical essay.

Requirements and Evaluation:

Preparation, Attendance, Participation in Class Discussions, and Final Presentation = 15%
Quizzes, Exercises, and Informal Writing = 15%
Midterm Exam = 15%
Final Exam = 20%
Critical Essay = 20%
Creative Rewrite = 15%

Description of Requirements:

1.) Preparation: Please complete all assigned readings before each class session. Since class sessions are primarily discussion, if you haven't read the assignments, you won't fully understand what is being said, nor will you be able to contribute. I have purposely tried to keep the amount of reading low so that you will have time to read closely and in detail. (You should also go over the readings again after having heard the discussions about them.) It is important to me that you take reading them seriously. Also, write in your books! Unless you do, you are not reading adequately. I encourage you to make notes in your books to help you remember key passages, questions, and ideas for class discussions. Finally, bring your books and notebook with you to every class.

2.) Attendance: Each class session will be primarily devoted to discussing the assigned literature; if you do not attend, you cannot participate in and learn from the lectures and discussions. If you must miss a class when a quiz, an exam, or a peer review is scheduled, or when a paper is due, and if the absence is due to one of the following -- a serious illness verified by an doctor's note, a death in your immediate family (parent or sibling), jury duty, military duty, a religious holiday, or a college activity -- and if you notify me before the absence and provide appropriate documentation, then I will work with you to arrange a "make up" and to avoid any reduction in your grade. (Absences due to medical or legal appointments, subpoenas or court dates, vacations, transportation problems, employment, or high-school events do not qualify for the above accommodation.) If you miss class, contact another student for notes and explanation of assignments, and check the website for copies of any handouts.

3.) Punctuality: While I realize that extraordinary situations can occur, I consider arriving late to class to be not only a disruption to the learning environment but also a sign of disrespect to your fellow classmates and to me -- you should apologize if it happens. If you arrive late, whatever you have missed cannot be made up.

4.) Participation: In class, "you won't care if you don't share." Participation automatically increases your investment in and enjoyment of the class. This does include active listening and note taking, but it also means contributing -- be prepared and willing to share your ideas, opinions, and questions with the rest of us. If you are naturally shy, then participate more actively in small groups and contribute to class discussions when more open-ended questions are asked. If you are naturally talkative, you will be more comfortable, but monitor yourself so that you allow time and room for others to contribute. Above all, everyone should be respectful of one another's contributions, even if you disagree; and if you agree, be sure to encourage or affirm one another.

5.) Daily quizzes, exercises, and informal writing: Quizzes are "objective" and normally include identification and/or short-answer questions; quizzes will cover the both the previous day's work and the current day's assignments. Exercises and informal writing will be more "subjective" and may include short responses or essays and small-group projects.

6.) Two in-class exams: The first exam will cover the authors and texts from 6/3 to 6/19; the second exam will cover the authors and texts from 7/1 to 7/22. The exams will be a mix of matching, identification, application, short answer, short essay, and maybe a long essay or two; more information will be provided in class -- and perhaps on a study guide -- before each exam. An exam can be rescheduled only under extraordinary circumstances and must be arranged before the exam; an exam not rescheduled prior to the exam will be lowered one letter grade (e.g. B to C), and after one week, the grade will be a zero. There are no make-ups for the final exam, and it will not be given early.

7.) One critical essay: The essay will be 3-4 pages long and will involve reading a story not assigned to the group, analyzing and evaluating it, and then connecting it to stories that were assigned; more details will be provided on the assignment handouts, including samples and evaluation criteria. The first complete draft should be word-processed and double-spaced; the final draft should be word-processed, double-spaced, and must conform to the formatting directions given in class, including instructions for in-text and end-of-text MLA citations and documentation. If your first complete draft is not ready or if you do not attend the peer review, the essay grade will be lowered one full letter (e.g. B to C); in addition, the peer review cannot be rescheduled or made up. Late final drafts will receive very few written comments and the grade will be lowered one full letter; after one week, the grade will be a zero.

8.) One creative paper: This paper will be 2-3 pages long and will involve a "rewrite" of a story assigned to the group; more details will be provided on the assignment handouts, including samples and evaluation criteria.

9.) Oral Presentation: You will be asked to make a brief presentation of either your critical essay or your creative paper; more details to follow.

Anoka Ramsey Grading System:

A = Superior achievement
B = Above average achievement
C = Average achievement
D = Below average achievement
F = Inadequate achievement

Grading Scale Using Percentages:

A (11) = 100% - 93%
A- (10) = 92% - 90%
B+ (9) = 89% - 88%
B (8) = 87% - 83%
B- (7) = 82% - 80%
C+ (6) = 79% - 78%
C (5) = 77% - 73%
C- (4) = 72% - 70%
D+ (3) = 69% - 68%
D (2) = 67% - 63%
D- (1) = 62% - 60%
F (0) = 59% and below

Other Policies and Information

Conferences: Please see me during my office hours or schedule an appointment with me if you have questions or problems at any time during the summer session.

Communication: I prefer email rather than "telephone tag" -- please email me using the address above. You can use any email program to contact me, but be sure to clearly identify yourself and the course. However, you must check your college-assigned MetNet email regularly, perhaps once every 24 hours, because that is the address I will use to send group messages.

Electronic Documents: Back up your work often, and in more than one place -- e.g., your home computer or laptop, your college network space, and your memory stick. Computer problems are not a valid excuse for lateness. However, assignments are due in hard-copy form. Anything other than a hard copy will be considered late, and email attachments are not acceptable.

Collegiate Behavior: This is a college class, and I expect that we will all behave maturely, responsibly, and respectfully. Any disruptive behavior -- including arriving late, packing up early, leaving early, having private conversations during discussions or lectures, eating noisily, sleeping, receiving cell phone calls or text messages, bringing friends/siblings/children/pets to class, etc. -- will be handled first on an individual basis; if the disruptive behavior continues or if it is very serious, I will ask you to leave class, and I will contact the Dean of Educational Services -- see the Code of Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Plagiarism: In addition to buying or accepting a paper someone else has written, plagiarism includes but is not limited to (1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas from any outside sources, even if the borrowed ideas are in your own words, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases into your own words. (This definition of plagiarism was derived from Diana Hacker's Rules for Writers, 5th edition, Boston: Bedford-St. Martin's, 2004.) Presenting another person�s ideas or writing as your own without clear, accurate, and complete citation and documentation will result in an �F� for that assignment and notification of the Dean of Educational Services -- see the Code of Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Record Keeping: Please make back-up copies of all your work, and keep all quizzes, exercises, exams, and papers returned to you. If questions about grades arise, you will need to produce the original documents. In addition, keep track of all your notes and other materials for each exam and paper; if questions about plagiarism arise, you will need to prove you did your own writing.

Incompletes: Incompletes will only be granted to students who have a documented medical or family emergency during the last two (2) class sessions of the summer session. These students must have completed all the other work for the course with an average grade of �C� or better, must not have more than two (2) other absences, and must demonstrate the ability and willingness to complete the work before the third week of the following Fall semester.

Religious Observances: Anoka Ramsey Community College permits absences from class for participation in religious observances. Students who plan to miss class for sincerely held religious beliefs are required to (1) inform me at the beginning of the summer session (within the first two class meetings) of anticipated absences, (2) meet with me to reschedule any missed quizzes, exams, peer reviews, or paper due dates, and (3) obtain class notes from other students. I am required to assist you in obtaining course materials and assignments distributed during class sessions you miss and to make arrangements for taking missed examinations or making up peer review sessions.

Accessibility: My goal is for our classroom and course work to be equally accessible to everyone. I have designed the class flexibly to accommodate different learning styles and approaches. I am also eager to make reasonable accommodations to guarantee persons with disabilities access to class sessions, the course materials, and the activities of the class. Let me know as soon as possible if you have a disability for which accommodations will be requested. If you need further information about disabilities and possible accommodations, contact Scott Bay, Director of Access Services, at 763-433-1334, at scott.bay@anokaramsey.edu, or stop by C255.

Academic Support Center: The Academic Support Center (ASC), located on the second floor of the College Services (CS) building, offers free, trained writing tutors who work with writers at any stage in the writing process to improve their writing. Please meet with a tutor for an objective opinion, if you want more extensive help than I can reasonably provide during 10-15 minutes of office hours, or if I am not available when you need help. (Of course, check my office hours and/or try to contact me by phone or email.)

Credit and Workload Expectations: For undergraduate courses, one credit is defined as equivalent to an average of three hours of learning effort per week (over a full semester) necessary for an average student to achieve an average grade in the course. For example, a student taking a three-credit course that meets for three hours a week should expect to spend an additional six hours a week on coursework outside the classroom.

Pass / No Credit Option: You may elect to take this course on a "Pass / No Credit" basis instead of receiving a traditional letter grade. An average of "C" or higher on all of the required work for the course would be considered a "passing" (P) grade. If you desire to take the "Pass / No Credit" option, you must request it in writing (or e-mail) within one week after the midterm exam. Once you elect this option, you may not switch back to the letter grade option later in the semester. Think carefully about the issues surrounding this option, including transferring the course to another institution, before making a final decision.

NOTE: The course syllabus and schedule are subject to change, and changes will be announced in class; updates will also be posted on the website. You are responsible for any changes in deadlines or assignments announced during any class you miss.