Required Text: McMichael, George, ed. Concise Anthology of American Literature, 4^th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998.

Suggested Supplementary Texts: (1) any good, college-level dictionary; (2) a rhetoric that includes guidelines for MLA format. These texts are not required; however, I expect you to follow the MLA format in your papers, and grammar WILL count for a portion of your grade.

Course Grade: Grades for this class will be computed according to the following:

Grading Scale: For your semester grade, I follow this scale:

Paper #1: 3-5 pages, typed and double-spaced, with one-inch margins

Paper #2: 4-6 pages, typed and double-spaced, with one-inch margins

A Note About Paper Length: This is NOT negotiable. If you submit a paper that is shorter than the minimum required length, I will drop the grade to a "C" BEFORE grading it. Please, PLEASE, do not try to "fool" me with larger typefaces, extra lines between paragraphs, larger than one-inch margins, or extra space at the beginning of the paper or at the bottom of pages. I’ve seen it all, folks—use ONLY 10-point or 12-point type (pica or elite size) for your papers. If you’re using a word processor, I suggest you employ Times Roman, Palatino, or Bookman fonts. DO NOT use a script or other "artsy" font, and don’t put the entire paper in bold face. I can guarantee that I will not react well to innovative approaches to stretching the length of your papers.

Deadlines: Also not negotiable. I will decrease your score by one letter grade per day for each day the paper is late. If, having obtained my permission, you submit a paper at any time other than during class, you must either hand the paper to me or put it in my mailbox (Burleson 102). If you put the paper in my mailbox you must FIRST have an English Department worker write the date and time on the front of your paper, and the worker must initial it. I will ignore papers that are delivered to me in the mail, that are pushed under my office door, that are placed in my box without the date/time/initials of a department worker, or that arrive by carrier pigeon.

Plagiarism: Each of you has agreed to the University’s Honor Code, which clearly prohibits plagiarism and allows for some pretty serious penalties for it. At this point I expect you know that plagiarism is presenting in any way, deliberately or not, the work of another as your own. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, excessive collaboration (allowing someone else to revise your paper until it no longer represents, in MY opinion, your writing), insufficient documentation, unattributed direct or indirect quotes, and use of paper-writing services. You should know that I subscribe to many of the paper-writing services, and that I will react very badly to situations in which these services are used.

• Two Exams: Your first test will be given around mid-term; test #2 is your final exam. Although the final exam is not strictly comprehensive, you will be expected to recall what we have covered during the entire course.

• Reading/Lecture Quizzes: Quizzes will be frequent and unannounced. Quizzes may NOT be "made up." If you arrive late to class, you will not be given additional time to complete your quiz, nor will you be allowed to take a quiz if you arrive after I have taken them from the other students. Although most quizzes will be given at the beginning of class, some may be given at other times.

• Attendance: You MUST attend class. Exams, quizzes, and paper topics will be drawn from class discussion and lectures—material not in your text. There are NO "excused" absences in this class. Notes from the health center, your therapist, or others do not constitute an excused absence—please don’t show me such notes. The ETSU English Department’s official policy concerning attendance strictly states that nine absences from this course will result in failure of the course; however, due to the cumulative nature of most English classes, you will find it difficult to pass this course if you accumulate more than three absences. If you anticipate more than this number of absences, I suggest you consider switching to a section of the class that meets at another time.

• Appointments: In most weeks you may visit me during my office hours, without appointment. You may also make an appointment to see me at other times. If you can’t find me in my office, look for me in the English Department Computer Lab. I encourage you to meet with me as often as you need to. By the way, some instructors consider failure to show up for an appointment to be evidence of a character flaw or "controlling personality."

• Electronic Communications Devices: You must disarm any noise-making devices you carry (i.e., beepers, cellular phones, alarm watches, small children).

(1) If you must leave class early, or arrive late, you must inform me WELL IN ADVANCE. I do not tolerate excessive tardiness or disruptions of my lectures.

(2) While I don’t mind if you bring drinks to class, you may NOT eat in class (this includes not only noise-making foods such as crackers and chips but also "quiet" foods such as sandwiches and hors d’oeuvres).

(3) Because quiz, paper, and test scores often leave students on the "cusp" between grades, you should know that I am more inclined to be generous to students who take an active part in class discussions and who promptly and correctly submit their papers to me.

• NOTE WELL: You will be given guidelines for papers; I expect you to follow them EXACTLY. This syllabus and course outline is tentative, in that the materials, times, due dates, and other information may change.

• Also Note: As you read the following course outline, you’ll no doubt realize that you’ll be doing a great deal of reading for this course. If you expect to receive a satisfactory grade, you must keep up with the reading. I strongly advise you to use whatever "spare time" you might have to read the selections for upcoming classes. If you fall seriously behind the class in your reading, you will have no opportunity to catch up in class—I will not waste class time (or, for that matter, my office time) covering material which has already been presented in class but which, because of other obligations, you missed.

You are expected to read ALL chapter and author materials in the text, when those readings coincide with your assignments, BEFORE we discuss them in class. You will find this information useful—and this material WILL be considered when I write your quizzes and exams. I repeat: The introduction to the various authors in your text WILL be considered when I write your quizzes.

Wednesday, May 3, 1999, from 8-10 a.m.

in Burleson 202