to the Poetry Countdown course blog
prerequisite:ENGL 1302
required texts: The American Heritage College Dictionary, Fourth Edition (Hardcover)
syllabus: This syllabus may be updated as the semester goes on. I may post updated versions that indicate readings, discussion plans, and reference materials. However, every component of your grade is shown here at the beginning. If you're looking at this on paper, please refer to the date and time of printing in case it's now long ago. Only syllabuses printed on or after the first day of class (25 August 2009) are in force. For continuous updates look on line at http://www.uta.edu/english/tim/courses/2303f09/2303main.html
assignments: You must make one blog comment per class meeting, for a total of 27 meetings. The two midterm essay meetings are included in this total of 27; only the first class meeting and the final essay meeting are exempt. In addition, you will write three in-class essays (two midterms and a final). NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE.
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Here's how the course blog will work. For every class meeting, including the two midterm in-class essay meetings, I will post a blog entry on each of the poem(s) that we discuss in class. I will post my entries just before or just after class. After class, you must read these blog entries and post at least one comment before the next class meeting. NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE.
This is not a distance-ed course, however, though it has a "non-synchronous" electronic component (the blog). To get credit for your blog entry, you must attend class on the day the poem(s) are discussed. (Plus, if you don't get to class, you won't get a copy of, or hear, the poem(s) for that day.)
Blog comments must be relevant: you must read the text of the poem or poems for that day carefully, and read my blog post on the poems, and respond thoughtfully to the poem, to my ideas, or to your classmates' ideas, in at least one fully-developed paragraph – about 200 words. Nothing prevents you from commenting more than once per meeting, but once is the minimum. Note that this is once per meeting, not once per poem; most meetings will discuss more than one poem.
You must also write three in-class essays during the semester: two midterms and a final. You may bring your dictionaries to these essay meetings, but nothing else. You'll be given a poem that we haven't discussed before, and a prompt asking you to discuss it in an essay.
grading: Grading is on a very simple basis. If all your blog comments are done on time and are acceptable, you can make any grade for the semester. If more than two of your blog comments are missing or late, you cannot make higher than a B for the semester. If more than four are missing, you cannot make higher than a C for the semester. If more than six are missing, you cannot pass the course.
Note that blog comments are due on the poems you'll write on for each midterm.
If you miss any in-class essay, you will fail the course. No exceptions; after all, it's only three times during the semester.
On each of the three essays, you will indicate what course grade you are trying to achieve this semester. (It doesn't have to be the same grade all three times.) None of the papers will be graded, but I will indicate when responding to each paper whether the essay shows that you're on track for the grade you're trying to achieve, behind your goal, or ahead of your goal. Your final course grade will be at, behind, or ahead of your final goal, depending on the quality of your final paper, and subject to the constraints above (on blog-comment timeliness and content).
academic dishonesty policy: All your work must be original. If you submit work that is copied from someone else's text in any medium, or written by somebody else, or otherwise in violation of the following academic dishonesty policy, you will not receive credit for that assignment, and you will be subject to the disciplinary procedures of the UTA Office of Student Conduct: It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." [Regents' Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter Vi, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22]
disability policy: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 93112--The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act - (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens. As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodation" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty at the beginning of the semester and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels.
schedule of assignments and readings:
We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 25 August through 8 December. Most meetings will involve discussion of poems that you won't see till that class meeting. Please bring your dictionary to every meeting.
Special meetings are as follows: the first midterm essay is Thursday 24 September. There is no meeting on Thursday 22 October. The second midterm essay is Thursday 29 October. There is no meeting on Thursday 26 November. The final essay is Tuesday 8 December.