UNDERGRADUATE FACULTY HANDBOOK

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

2005-2006

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CURRICULUM.....................................................................................................4GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM.............................................4

Foundation...................................................................................................................................................4Praxis...........................................................................................................................................................5

Objectives for Teaching Writing..............................................................................................5Objectives for Teaching Reading.............................................................................................5Objectives for Teaching Critical Analysis...............................................................................6

Programs......................................................................................................................................................6Objectives for the Rhetoric/Composition Program..................................................................6Objectives for Introductory Literature Courses........................................................................6Objectives for the Undergraduate Major..................................................................................7

RATIONAL FOR COURSE NUMBERING......................................................................................8CONCENTRATIONS AND ELECTIVES.........................................................................................9

Creative Writing Concentration...................................................................................................................9Literature Concentration..............................................................................................................................9Literature Concentration............................................................................................................................10Writing and Culture Concentration...........................................................................................................11Writing and Culture Selected Electives.....................................................................................................12The English Minor.....................................................................................................................................13Undergraduate Honors Program................................................................................................................14

GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES..............................................15Goals and Objectives.................................................................................................................................15Reading...................................................................................................................................................15

Writing in 2000-level courses................................................................................................16Writing in 3000-level courses................................................................................................16General Education Advisory Committee................................................................................16Sample Proposals....................................................................................................................17

GUIDELINES FOR SEQUENCE IN THE CHRONOLOGICAL STUDY OF MAJOR AUTHORS AND TEXTS..........................................................................................21GUIDELINES FOR ENGLISH 2002/3002...................................................................................25GOALS AND GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING WRITING IN THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM....................................................................................................................26

2000-level..................................................................................................................................................263000-level..................................................................................................................................................264000-level..................................................................................................................................................27

PROCEDURES...................................................................................................28SCHEDULING GUIDELINES.....................................................................................................28SCHEDULING PROCEDURES...................................................................................................28AREA GROUPS.......................................................................................................................29ORDERING TEXTBOOKS.........................................................................................................29SUBMITTING GRADES............................................................................................................30

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TEACHING EVALUATIONS......................................................................................................30THE MENTOR PROGRAM........................................................................................................34COURSE ROSTERS.................................................................................................................35PAWS..................................................................................................................................... 35POLICIES.........................................................................................................36COURSE SYLLABUS GUIDELINES............................................................................................36OFFICE HOURS......................................................................................................................36GRADING POLICIES AND GRADE APPEALS.............................................................................37ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT.......................................................................................................40ATTENDANCE........................................................................................................................41FINAL EXAM POLICY...............................................................................................................42STUDENT PRIVACY................................................................................................................42ABIDING BY THE BUCKLEY AMENDMENT...............................................................................42FACULTY ATTENDANCE/ILLNESS............................................................................................42SEXUAL HARASSMENT...........................................................................................................43LEARNING DISABILITIES.........................................................................................................43GRADE INFLATION.................................................................................................................43FRATERNIZATION..................................................................................................................43GRADE CHALLENGES.............................................................................................................43ADDS/DROPS.........................................................................................................................44CONCERNS ABOUT TEACHING...............................................................................................44RESOURCES.....................................................................................................45ADVISING INFORMATION.......................................................................................................45COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT.........................................................50

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CURRICULUM

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM

FOUNDATION

We define the subject of our curriculum thus: how English speaking peoples have imagined and represented themselves

and their cultures in language.

Although most of our courses emphasize written texts, some also consider language in oral and visual texts. Although our province is, strictly speaking, the English language, we also teach literature in translation as it affects English-speaking cultures. So, although our courses and specializations may vary widely, they all converge in creating, interpreting, and analyzing texts in English. This is our common ground.

We can represent this common ground in four apparently simple assertions:Texts are authored.Texts have audiences.Texts use the formal properties of language.Texts exist within contexts.

We know, however, that in any act of writing, interpretation, or analysis these attributes of texts interact simultaneously in complex ways. This complex process of interaction is the foundation of all our courses.

For example, in a writing course, whether freshman composition or a creative writing workshop, we help students discover and author their ideas and feelings. We encourage them to communicate their meaning through diction and metaphor, syntax and rhythm, organizational strategies and narrative pacing, etc.; through a tone appropriate to their purpose and audience; and through the different conventions of, for example, the short story and the report.

In a literature course, whether a sophomore introduction or a course for undergraduate majors, we help students understand the author’s ideas and those of his/her culture. We attend to shades of connotation, rhythm beneath syntax, the implications of metaphor, and the conventions of, for example, satire and the love sonnet, which shape poems for different purposes and audiences in different historical and social contexts. In their own writing, students attend to the same process that they are learning to recognize in literature: making meaning in language within a context.

In linguistics, popular culture, folklore, film, and drama courses, we also analyze texts produced by writers and speakers within systems of signs and within formal and social contexts. Although the focus here may not always be the written text, students nevertheless use the skills of textual analysis practiced in all our courses.

Thus issues of authorship, audience, language, and context are basic to all our varied approaches to texts. Sharing this common ground, we can define a common goal:

to help students become competent and responsible readers and writers through attending to the formal properties of language that

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allow texts to mean and to move emotions, through understanding how context limits and enables meaning, and through recognizing the ethical dimensions of the use of language.

Once we have agreed on our common subject and goal, we can enrich our curriculum with courses that approach texts from widely varying perspectives. Sometimes we may concentrate on challenging students to discover their ideas and communicate them effectively; at other times, we may emphasize reading, interpretation, and analysis. Some of us may focus on the formal and aesthetic properties of language and / or literature. Others may emphasize the social, economic, religious, and / or political contexts in which writing takes place. Still others may question the ability of language to stabilize meaning. If we adhere to a common pedagogical goal and respect our colleagues' differing expertise in areas of special study, our diversity of methodology and ideology can spark a dynamic interchange that will both serve the university and attract students.

PRAXIS

We meet our goal through three interrelated objectives: helping students(1) write and communicate,(2) read and comprehend, and(3) analyze critically the processes of writing and reading.

Although students learn to read and write and think about these processes simultaneously, they differ in their levels of literacy. Intelligent, percipient readers may not write well, and excellent writers may never have studied, for example, the generic conventions of literary texts, and neither may know anything about linguistic structures or critical theory. Therefore, our approach to achieving these three objectives should recognize both the common ground these objectives share and their differences.

Objectives for Teaching WritingTo help students to discover what they wish to say and to convey their ideas and feelings through language and format appropriate to audience and purpose. Students should learn to observe closely and to think critically and creatively. They should practice strategies for writing (rhetoric, construction of a plot, techniques of characterization, etc.), and acquire conventional skills (usage, spelling, mechanics, poetic forms, etc.). All students should learn to describe, analyze, and persuade within and beyond the academic setting; many will write for self-understanding, self-expression, and / or artistic creation. Ideally, students will come to appreciate the utility, strength, and beauty of their language, and to find that writing enables self-determination and richer participation in their culture.

Objectives for Teaching ReadingTo help students comprehend and interpret different levels of meaning in a text as influenced by form, style, and genre, by the cultural and historical contexts in which the text was written, and by the author's and students' experiences. Students should read, discuss, and write about a wide variety of texts written in different historical periods and cultures, in different genres, and from different perspectives. All students should learn to read within and beyond the academic setting, to read for comprehension and pleasure. Ideally, students will come to value reading and

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to find that, like writing, it enables self-determination and richer participation in their culture.

In our curriculum, students learn not only process, but also content. While they became competent readers and writers, they are simultaneously gaining knowledge of culture through an expanding canon of texts in various stages of the English / American English language. In our curriculum students should study those authors and texts which have represented and shaped the cultures of English-speaking peoples. We should include texts not only from the traditional canon of British and American authors, but also from women, African-Americans, other ethnic and racial minorities, Canadians, Australians, and authors from post-colonial cultures.

Objectives for Teaching Critical AnalysisTo help students analyze the complex processes of making meaning in language--from the level of words and the overall grammar that employs them to the level of culture, where language both constructs and mirrors culture. In detail appropriate to their levels within our curriculum, students should be introduced to the basic structures of the language, the major critical approaches used to analyze and interpret texts, and the central concepts and terminology of linguistics and/or literary criticism.

LEVELS

Many, indeed most, of us contribute to three major levels of our curriculum: the first-year writing program; the introductory literature courses; and the undergraduate major in English. Thus we need to establish what we expect students to learn upon completion of their first-year writing requirements, introductions to literary study, and requirements for a major in English.

Objectives for the First-year Writing CoursesOur goal is to offer a sequential program that helps students become better writers. Students will develop rhetorical strategies while attaining basic competencies. More specifically, at the end of the program, students should be able

to identify, analyze and address particular audiences,to adopt a voice appropriate to purpose and audience,to write a text with a controlling thesis which addresses the task,to supplement personal observation and experience by locating and using source material, to adhere to conventions of Standard Edited English.

While the first-year writing program focuses on developing students' writing abilities, it simultaneously teaches them to read their own and others’ texts more critically.

Students should also be able to think about the process of writing itself--its demands, its contexts, and its ethics. They should be able to identify the demands of a given writing task and, on the basis of these specific demands, choose among a variety of writing processes for planning, drafting, revising, and editing. They should begin to understand that their writing is embedded in larger cultural contexts. They should recognize their obligation to report facts accurately, to

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quote accurately, and to use source material fairly in accordance with recognized conventions of citation.

Objectives for Introductory Literature CoursesIntroductory literature courses must serve the needs of prospective English majors and minors, liberal arts majors, and students majoring in more scientific or technical fields. Each course will delimit its own subject matter, which students will be expected to learn. Yet fundamental objectives in reading, writing, and critical analysis are common to all these offerings.

Since reading is a major focus of these courses, students will practice a variety of interrelated reading and interpretive skills. More specifically, upon completion of their requirements in introductory literature courses, students should be able

to paraphrase passages accurately,to read closely in order to explicate the literal and figurative meaning of passages,to identify larger themes, structures, and patterns in a literary work as a whole,to begin to relate a literary work to relevant discursive contexts, such as generic conventions and literary traditions, andto begin to understand the larger cultural contexts of a literary work, both diachronic

and synchronic. These courses should further develop students' writing in coordination with

the objectives of the rhetoric/composition program. Students should write frequently to communicate their critical and interpretive insights about literary texts. Their writing should move beyond merely retelling a story, into analysis, interpretation, and argumentation.

Students should also think about the process of reading itself. They should be able to identify and use effectively terms basic to literary interpretation, and to be aware that a variety of methodologies may be used to analyze texts.

Objectives for Courses in the Undergraduate MajorThe structure of the curriculum for English majors should balance breadth and depth of knowledge. Regardless of their concentration, majors should be proficient in skills fundamental to participation in linguistic culture, and should have a basic knowledge of the range of writing in English. They will study one area, their chosen concentration, in more depth. While further developing skills practiced in composition and introductory literature courses, the curriculum should move majors toward participating in the complex interactions through which texts both shape and reflect culture.

English majors should be proficient writers, ableto communicate with a generally educated audience or an audience with specialized

training in the study of literature and language;to revise and edit others' and their own writing;to articulate rhetorical issues of voice, form or genre, and audience, as well as issues of content; to distinguish among styles; and

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to locate commentary on texts, quote published material, and document their borrowings according to conventions of publication.

They should be skilled readers, ableto paraphrase accurately and understand, with the help of scholarly notes, passages from literature beyond the confines of their immediate experience, for example, a soliloquy by Shakespeare, a passage from James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist, or the dialogue in a short story by Zora Neale Hurston;to read closely with attention to nuances of meaning and form, with sophistication that does not limit them to literal meanings, and with sensitivity that does not violate literal meanings; to relate patterns, structures, and themes into an interpretation of an entire work;to identify basic conventions of such modes as pastoral and satire, of such genres as epic and tragedy, of such forms as sonnet and short story; and to summon those basic contexts--historical, social, religious, economic, and/or literary--which enable reading of a given text.

They should also be knowledgeable readers, having read works in the traditional canon of British and American literature, andworks offering perspectives not always included in the traditional canon--such as works by women, African-Americans, other ethnic and racial minorities, and Anglophone authors beyond Great Britain and the United States.

They should begin to develop a sophistication of critical analysis that will lead them to see significant connections and differences between texts, styles, genres and modes, authors,

periods of literary history, literary cultures, etc.;to recognize some of the complex ways in which text and context interact;to discover their bases for judging the value or importance of a text;to be aware of the processes of canon formation; and to recognize a range of critical approaches used for interpreting texts.

Through their writing, reading, and thinking about these processes, English majors should come to see themselves as shaping and sustaining the literary culture they study.

RATIONALE FOR COURSE NUMBERING

2000-level courses--Introductions (courses that teach the basic terms and approaches used in a field)

3000-level courses--Surveys and/or courses that presume a knowledge of basic terms and approaches (courses that give an overview of a historical period of literature, a genre, an approach to literary study, and courses that build on the skills acquired in 2000-level courses)

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4000-level courses--Studies in depth (courses within a designated area, but whose specific focus within that area may vary from semester to semester). Studies in _____ courses at the 4000-level may be repeated once for credit. Multiple sections of any Studies in _____ course may be offered in one semester. Short specific titles can be listed in the Registration Schedule of Classes (if submitted by the copy deadline) and on students' transcripts. More detailed course descriptions will appear in the departmental handout prepared for preregistration.

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CONCENTRATIONS AND ELECTIVES

CREATIVE WRITING CONCENTRATION

6 hrs. from 2025 Fiction (General Education)2027 Poetry (GE) 2029 Drama (GE) 2123 Studies in Literary Traditions and Themes (GE) or

2823 (Honors Equivalent)

2148 Shakespeare (GE)2220 Major British Authors (GE)2270 Major American Authors (GE)

9 hrs. from 3020 British Literature I (GE)3022 British Literature II (GE)3070 American Literature I (GE)3072 American Literature II (GE)

3 hrs. from 4137 Studies in Chaucer4147 Studies in Milton4148 Studies in Shakespeare

6 hrs. from 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 (Creative Writing Courses)

6 hrs. from 4000, 4001, 4005, 4006, 4007, 4008, 4009 (Creative Writing Courses)

3 hrs. 4021 Capstone Seminar in Creative Writing

3 hrs. English Electives___________________________________36 hrs. (minimum) Total

LITERATURE CONCENTRATION

Distribution Requirement: Maximum of 9 hrs. at the 2000-level. Minimum of 6 hrs. of literature courses at the 4000-level.

6 hrs. from 2024 Critical Strategies (GE) or 2824 (Honors Equivalent)2025 Fiction (GE)2027 Poetry (GE)2029 Drama (GE)

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2123 Studies in Literary Traditions and Themes (GE) or 2823 (HonorsEquivalent)

2300 Interpreting Discourse (GE) 2148 Shakespeare (GE)2220 Major British Authors (GE)2270 Major American Authors (GE)

9 hrs. from 3020 British Literature I 3022 British Literature II 3070 American Literature I 3072 American Literature II

3 hrs. 3024 Criticism or 3084 Modern Criticism

3 hrs. from 4137 Studies in Chaucer4147 Studies in Milton 4148 Studies in Shakespeare

3 hrs. Requirement to insure breadth: one course chosen from:2593 Images of Women: An Introduction 2673 Literature and Ethnicity 2674 Introduction to African-American Literature 3593 Survey of Women and Literature

3674 Survey of African-American Literature 4674 Studies in African-American Literature4593 Studies in Women and Literature

3 hrs. 4101 Capstone Seminar in Literature

9 hrs. English Electives___________________________________36 hrs. (minimum) Total

SECONDARY EDUCATION CONCENTRATION

6 hrs. from 2024 Critical Strategies (GE) or 2824 (Honors Equivalent)2025 Fiction (GE)2027 Poetry (GE)2029 Drama (GE)2123 Studies in Literary Traditions and Themes (GE) or 2823 (Honors

Equivalent)2300 Interpreting Discourse (GE)2423 Introduction to Folklore 2593 Images of Women 2673 Literature and Ethnicity 2674 Introduction to African American Literature

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3 hrs. from 2710 Descriptive Grammar of English2012 Practical Grammar and Usage

9 hrs. from 3020 British Literature I (GE)3022 British Literature II (GE)3070 American Literature I (GE) 3072 American Literature II (GE)

3 hrs. from 3015 Composition Tutoring3301 Writing: Practice, Pedagogy, and History

3 hrs. from 3024 Criticism3084 Modern Criticism3384 Cultural and Textual Studies

6 hrs. 3201 Language Development and Diversity3202 Dynamics of Learning in the English Classroom4203 Curricula, Pedagogy and Assessment in the English

Classroom

3 hrs. 4204 Capstone Seminar in English Education

6 hrs. English Electives at the 4000-level

Courses required outside the English department: LING 4710 or 4711; EDCI 2001, 3001, 3002, 3223, 4003, 4004, 4005.___________________________________36 hrs. English courses30 hrs. outside the English Department

Students need to take Praxis I exam prior to taking any 3000- or 4000- level EDCI classes. Praxis II exam should be taken during the semester before student teaching.

WRITING AND CULTURE CONCENTRATION

Distribution Requirement: Maximum of 9 hrs. at the 2000-level. Minimum of 9 hrs. of literature courses at the 4000-level

3 hrs. from 2024 Critical Strategies (GE) or 2824 (Honors Equivalent)2025 Fiction (GE)2027 Poetry (GE)2029 Drama (GE) 2123 Studies in Literary Traditions and Themes (GE) or

2823 (HonorsEquivalent)

2148 Shakespeare (GE)2220 Major British Authors (GE)

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2270 Major American Authors (GE)

3 hrs. 2300 Interpreting Discourse (GE)

3 hrs. from 3020 British Literature I 3022 British Literature II 3070 American Literature I 3072 American Literature II

9 hrs. from Writing and Culture Requirements--minimum of one each from the following

3000- and 4000-level courses:3310 Historical Perspectives on Language Issues3300 Rhetoric: Texts and Historical Contexts3301 Writing: Practice, Pedagogy, and History3384 Cultural and Textual Studies3401 The Study of Folklore 3024 Criticism or 3084 Modern Criticism4300 Studies in Rhetorical Theory4301 Studies in Composition Theory4302 Studies in Literacy4310 Studies in Language

3 hrs. 4304 Capstone Seminar in Writing and Culture

15 hrs. English Electives ____________________________________36 hrs. (minimum) Total

WRITING AND CULTURE SELECTED ELECTIVES(Major advisor will help in choice.)

Writing Electives:2002 Business Writing3001 Writing Professionally in the Arts and Social Sciences3002 Technical and Professional Writing3003 Technical Writing for Non-Technical Majors3004 Writing with Style3101 Legal Writing4001 Writing Essays and Reviews4002 Scientific and Professional Writing for Peers4003 Special Topics in Professional Writing4004 Practicum in Technical Writing4017 Technical Editing

Language Electives 2710 Descriptive Grammar of English

2012 Practical Grammar and Usage4010 Introduction to Linguistics4011 History of the English Language

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4013 Formal Discourse Analysis4714 Generative Phonology4715 Linguistics Semantics 4716 Linguistics and Literature: Style4018 Regional Dialects in English4019 Social Dialects in American English Dept.4020 The Sound System of English4112 Generative Syntax

Interdisciplinary and Cultural Studies Electives2173 Louisiana Literature 2673 Literature and Ethnicity 2674 Introduction to African-American Literature 2423 Introduction to Folklore 2593 Images of Women: An Introduction

3222 Survey of Popular Genres3223 Adolescent Literature3593 Survey of Women and Literature3674 Survey of African-American Literature 4121 Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies 4173 Studies in Southern Literature4222 Studies in Popular Culture4234 Studies in Literature and Politics4236 Studies in Literature and Religion 4475 American Folklore 4480 Folklore and Literature4493 Women and Folklore4593 Studies in Women and Literature 4674 Studies in African-American Literature 4___ Period courses emphasizing writing and culture

THE ENGLISH MINOR

Students minoring in English must complete 18 hours of English courses in addition to freshman English. Minimum requirements area. six hours of 2000-level English courses b. six hours from the following courses:

3020 British Literature I: The Middle Ages, Renaissance, and 18th Century

3022 British Literature II: Romantics, Victorians, and Moderns3024 Criticism3070 American Literature I: Forging a Nation3072 American Literature II: Coming of Age3300 Rhetoric: Texts and Historical Contexts3301 Writing: Practice, Pedagogy, and History3310 Historical Perspectives on Language Issues

c. six additional hours of English courses numbered 3000 or higher.

UNDERGRADUATE HONORS PROGRAM

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The English Honors Program offers students the opportunity for greater independence and autonomy of thought and work, primarily through intellectual challenges in their courses and by their immersion in a sustained, intellectually demanding research project. The program is intended to be a preparation not solely for graduate study in English but for a wide range of professions and careers.

In addition to the primary reward of intellectual growth, the English Honors Program offers students substantial benefits: the satisfaction of producing a sustained argument about complex texts in the senior thesis; the opportunity to work one-on-one with instructors of the student’s own choice to explore topics chosen by the student in independent study courses; and the distinction of an Honors degree, an impressive credential for candidates for employment, scholarships, and graduate or professional schools.

English majors in any of the four concentrations (Creative Writing, Literature, Secondary Education, or Writing and Culture) may participate in the English Honors Program, and all honors courses will apply to concentration requirements. The Honors curriculum offers two sophomore-level courses that teach students to read and think about complex texts from a variety of literary traditions and themes and to think theoretically about the processes of reading and writing. At the junior level, honors students will gain an overview of literary history (British and American) and/or the study of language and rhetoric.

In two Honors Seminars, students will have the opportunity to study engaging topics in literature and language in small seminars led by noted teachers and scholars. The “Honors Option,” available in regular 3000- and 4000-level classes, is a formal, written contract entered into by professor and student that details the extra work agreed upon for the student to receive honors credit for the course. In the junior year, students will also begin to work individually with a professor to explore areas of interest and to select a research project. Together, they will read the literature in the field, discuss the student’s ideas, and focus the research project. This independent work will culminate in the senior honors thesis, a work of scholarship that the student defends before a panel of three professors.

What follows is a brief outline of the English Honors curriculum:

General Education courses available toward Sophomore Honors Distinction:

English 1003 Honors: English CompositionEnglish 2823 Honors: Studies in Literary Traditions and ThemesEnglish 2824 Honors: Critical Analysis of Literature and Discourse

English Upper Division Honors Program:“Honors Option” for 1 required 3000-level survey course1 Honors Seminar (English 3820-3825)1 Honors Seminar or 4000-level course with “Honors Option”3 1-hour Independent Study Courses (English 3925/3927/3929)English 3000: Honors Thesis (also available are Honors 3991, thesis

research, andHonors 3992, thesis writing, as alternatives)

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To graduate with College Honors, a student must complete the required coursework for Sophomore Honors Distinction (20 hours of specified honors work) and the English Upper Division Honors Program. Those who complete just the English Upper Division Honors Program will graduate with Upper Division Honors.

GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

Goals and Objectives:General Education English courses should follow the "Goals and Objectives for the English Curriculum," subsections titled "Objectives for Introductory Literature Courses" and "Objectives for the Undergraduate Major."

Reading:2024 Critical Strategies: Readings will vary according to the balance between breadth and depth sought in the course, but the amounts will not be disproportional to those in Fiction, Drama, or Poetry. The selections should be drawn from a wide range of historical periods, cultures, and/or genres. (also 2824 HNRS: Critical Analysis of Literature and Discourse)2025 Fiction: Ten to fifteen short stories from a standard anthology or its equivalent plus three or four novels, varied, from different historical periods and cultures. A supplementary text may also be chosen.2027 Poetry: Sixty to one hundred poems from a standard anthology or its equivalent, varied, from different historical periods and cultures. A supplementary text may also be chosen.2029 Drama: Twelve to sixteen plays from a standard anthology or its equivalent, varied, from different historical periods and cultures. A supplementary text may also be chosen.2123 Studies in Literary Traditions and Themes: Readings will be drawn from several of the genres of, or in genres different from, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, and will focus on a significant tradition or theme. Readings will vary according to the balance between breadth and depth sought in the course, but the amounts of reading will not be disproportional to those in Fiction, Drama, or Poetry. The selections should be drawn from a wide range of historical periods, cultures, and/or genres. (Also 2823 HNRS: Studies in Literary Traditions and Themes) 2300 Interpreting Discourse: Readings will vary according to the balance between breadth and depth sought in the course, but the amounts will not be disproportional to those in Fiction, Drama, or Poetry. The selections should be drawn from a wide range of historical periods, cultures, and/or genres. (Also 2824 HNRS: Critical Analysis of Literature and Discourse)2593 Images of Women: An Introduction: Readings will vary according to the balance between breadth and depth sought in the course, but the amounts will not be disproportional to those in Fiction, Drama, or Poetry. The selections should be drawn from a wide range of historical periods, cultures, and/or genres.2673 Literature and Ethnicity: Readings will vary according to the balance between breadth and depth sought in the course, but the amounts will not be

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disproportional to those in Fiction, Drama, or Poetry. The selections should be drawn from a wide range of historical periods, cultures, and/or genres.2674 Introduction to African-American Literature: Readings will vary according to the balance between breadth and depth sought in the course, but the amounts will not be disproportional to those in Fiction, Drama, or Poetry. The selections should be drawn from a wide range of historical periods, cultures, and/or genres.2148 Shakespeare: Eight to twelve plays including comedy, tragedy, history and/or romance. A standard anthology or individual texts may be chosen.

Writing in 2000-level courses:Students should write frequently in a variety of assignments (graded and ungraded), with guidance in the process of revision, for a total of 4000 to 7000 words. Most writing at this level should focus on students' first-hand experience with texts. Writing assignments appropriate to this level include, but are not limited to, journal notebooks, paraphrase or summary exercises, five-minute in-class writings or other write-to-learn activities, imitations, collaborative reports, speculative instruments like dialogues among characters of different plays or novels, formal essays that present and defend theses about a work.

Writing in 3000-level courses:Students should write frequently in a variety of writing assignments (graded and ungraded), with guidance in the process of revision, for a total of 4000 to 7000 words. Some of the writing at this level should require students to place texts in wider frameworks and should require research and sustained arguments. Additional writing assignments appropriate to this level include, but are not limited to, comparisons of different works, different contexts (author, genre, or period), and different interpretations.

General Education Advisory Committee:The General Education Advisory Committee will encourage interested faculty to create syllabi for English 2123 and for special emphasis sections of English 2025/27/29 and 2593. The committee will work with faculty to sustain the guidelines of the individual General Education courses, to insure that any given syllabus could not be placed logically into two different courses, and to see that courses are accurately advertised in university and departmental registration booklets. Not only do we want to encourage students to engage the import of the curriculum structure by making informed choices, but also courses whose section emphases are so listed will attract students.

The General Education Advisory Committee shall be created and empowered as follows:1. It should consist of three members, serving three-year terms, one member rotating off each year.2. It should be elected by and from a pool consisting of anyone teaching any of the courses in any of the three years preceding.3. For English 2123 and any General Education course with a section emphasis, faculty members will submit syllabi to the committee at least three weeks before the deadline for submitting copy for the university registration booklet. The

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committee should advertise the deadline well in advance. The following phrase should be included in course descriptions for Poetry, Fiction, Drama, and Images of Women: An Introduction in the university catalogue: "Section emphasis may vary; consult departmental handout."4. It shall advise faculty members whether the syllabi meet the course guidelines in amount of reading, writing, or historical coverage, and can request consultation with or more information from the proposer, so that the committee and proposer will work together to sustain the guidelines.

Sample Proposals

English 2123: STUDIES IN LITERARY TRADITIONS & THEMES: POOR WHITES IN AMERICAN LITERATUREDonlon and McGuireCOURSE DESCRIPTION: This team-taught class will focus on America’s perceptions of poor whites as represented in a variety of literary texts. Class discussion will address such issues as “white trash” stereotypes, the relationship between race and class, conflicts between “dominant” white culture and “poor white” culture, the folklore of “white trash” culture, and poor whites’ strategies for survival and even triumph.The writing requirements will total approximately 5000-7000 words, including two papers of 5-6 pages (20% each), frequent in-class writings (15%), a dialogue presentation and paper (10%), a midterm (15%), and a final exam (20%).READING LIST:Wray, Matt, and Annalee Newitz, eds. White Trash: Race and Class in America.Allison, Dorothy. Bastard out of Carolina.Smith, Lee. Oral History.Letts, Billie. Where the Heart Is.Grey, Robert W. White Trash: an Anthology of Contemporary Southern Poetry.McCarriston, Linda. Eva Mary: Poems.Selected Short Stories: Joel C. Harris, William Faulkner, EudoraWelty, Flannery O’Connor, Tillie Olsen, Bobbie Ann MasonSelected Essays: Sut Lovingood, Simon SuggsFilm: Tobacco RoadTV: Beverly Hillbillies; “Trash” Talk Shows UNIT ONE: “THEORETICAL BEGINNING”:Week 1: Beverly Hillbillies; Tobacco RoadWeek 2: Wray & Newitz; Joel Chandler Harris; Southwest Humorists—Sut Lovingood, Simon SuggsUNIT TWO: “QUESTIONS OF CLASS”: FAULKNER, WELTY, MASON, OLSON, O’CONNOR:Week 3: Faulkner, “Barn Burning”; Welty, “Petrified Man”Week 4: O’Connor, “Revelation”; Olsen, “I Stand Here Ironing:” Mason, “Shiloh”UNIT THREE: “THE WORST SUSPICIONS”: SEX, INCEST, ETC.:Week 5: Allison, Bastard out of CarolinaWeek 6: “Trash” TVUNIT FOUR: ‘’WHITE TRASH IN POEMS, WHITE TRASH AS POETS: TAKING POWER NOT GIVEN”:

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Week 7: Grey, ed. White Trash: An Anthology of Contemporary Southern PoetryWeek 8: McCarriston, Eva Mary: PoemsWeek 9: MIDTERM EXAM & CONFERENCESUNIT FIVE: “WHITE TRASH FOLKLORE: COOKING, RELIGION, SUPERSTITIONS” – LEE SMITH:Week 10: Lee Smith, Oral HistoryWeek 11: Lee Smith, Oral HistoryUNIT SIX: “SAVED BY LOVE: SAVED BY LAUGHTER”:Week 12: Letts, Where the Heart IsWeek 13: Letts, Where the Heart IsUNIT SEVEN: PRESENTATIONS:Week 14: Workshop: Dialogue PresentationsWeek 15: Dialogue Presentations & Papers DueEnglish 2823 Semester Syllabus Mrs. McCaughey Honors: Villains in Literature Required Materials: Course Packet from Serve “U” Center, 4410 Highland Rd. Medea, Euripides Richard III, Shakespeare Paradise Lost selections, John Milton Moby Dick selections, Herman Melville Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad The Hamlet, William Faulkner Sula, Toni MorrisonHouse of the Spirits, Isabel Allende Independent Reading (Choose one):Othello, ShakespeareMiddle Passage, Charles JohnsonMary Reilly, Valerie MartinPerfume, Patrick SuskindImagining Argentina, L. ThorntonCourse ObjectivesThe objective of English 2823 is to develop in students an ability to analyze, evaluate and understand a significant literary tradition or theme in the poetry, drama and fiction of several historical periods. The course will require close, careful reading, thoughtful discussion, and written analysis of the texts.Using literature that includes Homer’s Polyphemos (the Cyclops who planned a twelve-course meal with Odysseus and his men as the main selections) and Euripides’ Medea who killed her children as revenge against her disdainful lover Jason, through Shakespear’s Richard III, Milton’s Satan, the biblical King Ahab, Melville’s Captain Ahab, Stevenson’s Mr. Hyde to Morrison’s Sula and Faulkner’s Snopes family, English 2823 Honors will examine memorable villains who have shaped the Western imagination and enriched our literary tradition over the centuries. The course will explore the difference between mere meanness (or bad acting) and pure evil. Over the weeks of readings the class will sift through answers to several central questions: is villainy a Christian invention? Are all villains evil? Why do we remember these disturbing (and disturbed) individuals? What about them is so extraordinary and (dare we say it) endearing? Is it a “there but for fortune go I” kind of fascination? Or is there something in villains that scares us to death and yet inexorably attracts us at the same time?

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Assignments5% Paper 1: Comparison/contrast of Richard III opening soliloquy in 2 screen

adaptations. 15% Paper 2: An in-depth analysis of the villain of your choice, comparing/contrasting him/her to anothler we have studied. 15% Homework: 2 short analyses at 50 points each 20% Quizzes and daily assignments: may not be made up 5% Oral Presentation of independent reading 20% Midtern Exam 20% Final Exam Note: in order to pass the course, you must take both the midterm and the

final. Course Schedule

Jan. 20 Introduction: Looking for Richard 22 Looking for Richard,-Richard III 27 Richard III

29 Policies Quiz due. Feb. 3 Paradise Lost: Book I: lines 1-391 and 522-798

Paper 1 due. 7 Paradise Lost: Book II 10 Paradise Lost: Book IV

Genesis: Chapters 1-3 12 Paradise Lost: Book IX

Lucille Clifton: “Tree of Life”

17Moby Dick I Kings 16.29-22.54: the story of King Ahab

19 Moby Dick 24 Moby Dick (Mardi Gras holiday) 26 Moby Dick

Mar. 3 Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde : pp. 1 -66 (to Dr. Lanyon's Narrative) 7 Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: Dr. Lanyon’s Narrative & Henry Jekyll’s Full

Statement of the Case 10Midterm Exam 12Medea 17Medea 19Heart of Darkness: Part 1 Heart Quiz 1 due. 24Heart of Darkness: Part 2 Heart Quiz 2 due. 26Heart of Darkness: Part 3 Heart Quiz 3 due. 31Apocalypse Now excerpts; Sula: pp. 3-16

Apr. 2 Sula: pp. 17-85 (Part One)7 Sula: pp. 87-174 (Part Two)

12 The Hamlet: Flem, Chapters 1-1, pp. 3-5514 The Hamlet: Flem, Chapter 3, pp. 56-101; Eula, pp. 162-17016 The Hamlet: The Peasants, Chapter 1, pp. 299-36921 The Hamlet: The Peasants, Chapter 2, pp. 370-406

23House of the SpiritsMay 5 House of the Spirits

Paper 2 due.Final Exam, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Allen 123

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English 3820 Course Proposal for Honors Seminar Joseph Kronick

Literature and Ethics: Nihilism in the 19th and 20th CenturiesCourse description: The premise of this course is that a special burden has been placed on literature with the rise of nihilism in the nineteenth century. Nietzsche defines nihilism as what obtains when “everything is permitted.” If everything is permitted, nothing matters, or so it is feared. Buffeted by repeated revolutions in France, Germany, Russia, and elsewhere, the rise of democracy and industrial capitalism, the emergence of Darwinism and modern physical sciences, and the loss of commonly-shared faith, many intellectuals and artists sought to establish values by an act of arbitrary will. In other words, it became the task of the artist either to create values why which we can live or to affirm the search for values that understanding tells us are not to be found. Whatever the response, we find that literature has become the vehicle for sloving the dilemma of nihilism.Texts:Friedrich Nietzsche, Will to Power, Twilight of the IdolsSigmund Freud, Civilization and Its DiscontentsRalph Waldo Emerson, Selected EssaysFyodor Dostoevsky, DemonsGustave Flaubert, Bouvard PecuchetW.B. Yeats, Selected PoetryT.S. Eliot, The Waste Land and Selected PoemsWallace Stevens, The Palm at the End of the Mind: Selected Poems,Thomas Mann, Doctor FaustusSamuel Beckett, Nohow On (Company, III Seen, II Said, Worstword Ho)

Requirements: Two short essays (approx. 4 pages each, 20% each), term paper (approx. 10-12 pages, 40%), final exam (20%). Reports on secondary literature. The two short essays will be on assigned topics that require a literary and intellectual analysis. The term paper will be on a topic chosen by the student but restricted to authors covered in the course.

Syllabus:Week – 1Tues: IntroductionThurs:Nietzsche, Will to Power (selections)Week – 2Tues: Nietzsche, Will to PowerThurs:Nietzsche. Twilight of the IdolsWeek – 3Tues: Nietzsche. Twilight of the IdolsThurs:Emerson, NatureWeek – 4 Tues: Emerson, “Divinity School Address,” Self-Reliance”Thurs:Emerson, “Experience”Week – 5Tues: Dostoevsky, DemonsThurs:Dostoevsky, DemonsWeek – 6Tues: Dostoevsky, Demons

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Thurs:Dostoevsky, DemonsWeek – 7Tues: Flaubert, Bouvard and PecuchetThurs:Freud, Civilization and its DiscontentsWeek - 8Tues: Freud, Civilization and its DiscontentsThurs:Yeats, “The Second Coming,” “Sailing to Byzantium.” “A Dialogue of Self and

Soul,” “Coole and Ballylee 1931.”Week – 9Tues: Yeats, “Swift’s Epitaph,” “Byzantium,” “Vacillation.” “Crazy Jane Talks to the Bishop,” “The Gyres.”Thurs:Yeats, “Lapis Lazuli.” “Under Ben Bulben.” “The Statues,” “News from the

Delphic Oracle.” “The Circus Animals’ Desertion.” “Politics.”

Week – 10Tues: T.S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” “Gerontion.” “The Hollow Men.”Thurs:T.S. Eliot, “The Waste Land.”Week – 11Tues: T.S. Eliot, “The Waste Land.”Thurs:Stevens, “The Snow Man,” “Domination of Black,” “The Emperor of Ice-Cream,” “Sunday Morning.”Week – 12Tues: Stevens, “The Man on the Dump,” “On the Road Home,” “The Plain Sense of

Things.” “Final Soliloquy of the Interior Paramour,” “Not Ideas About the Thing but the Thing Itself” “The Course of a Particular.”

Thurs:Mann, Doctor FaustusWeek – 13Tues: Mann, Doctor FaustusThurs:Mann, Doctor FaustusWeek – 14Tues: Mann, Doctor FaustusThurs:Beckett, ComanyWeek – 15Tues: Beckett, III Seen, III SaidThurs:Beckett, Worstword Ho

GUIDELINES FOR COURSES IN THE CHRONOLOGICAL STUDY OF MAJOR AUTHORS AND TEXTS

Each course in this 3000-level sequence will focus on reading and discussion of significant texts in various genres by exemplary authors, with attention to formal, aesthetic features of these works, to implicit theoretical issues, and to pertinent historical or cultural contexts. Objectives of these courses will include developing an understanding of different literary periods; of influential schools and movements; of shifts in sensibility; and of the complex relations between authors and their contemporaries as well as their predecessors (canonical and noncanonical).

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SAMPLE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

English 2220 Major British Authors (3) Selected major British authors from the Anglo-Saxon

period to the present.

1) Title of TextNorton Anthology of British Literature, Major Authors edition, 7th ed. M.H. AbramsWilliam Shakespeare, Othello (inexpensive paperback edition)Charles Dickens, Hard Times (inexpensive paperback edition)

2) List of principal reference readingsThis course will cover largely primary material. Students may do background reading in the sections of the Norton Anthology that introduce literary periods like the Renaissance or the Victorian period.

3) Outline of subject matter to be covered:

Sample Syllabus

(The following syllabus is representative of how this course might be taught. The literature is so rich that different professors could choose other major authors.)

Week 1 Inttroduction to the Medieval PeriodExamples of Anglo-Saxon language from Beowulf

Week 2 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Week 3 Introduction to the Renaissance and ReformationSelected Shakespeare sonnets and Donne Lyrics

Week 4 William Shakespeare, Othello

Weeks 5-6 John Milton, selections from Paradise Lost

Week 7 Introduction to the EnlightenmentRise of the Novel and Changes Status of WomenAphra Behn, Oroonoko

Week 8 Alexander Pope, “The Rape of the Lock”Mary Wollstonecraft, “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”

Week 9 Introduction to RomanticismWilliam Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge,

Selections from Lyrical BalladsJohn Keats, selected odes

Weeks 10-11 Introduction to the Victorian AgeCharles Dickens, Hard Times

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Week 12 Victorian poetrySelected poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, and

Matthew Arnold

4) Learning objectives:

This course will focus on reading and discussion of significant texts in various genres by exemplary British authors, with attention to formal, aesthetic features of these works, to implicit theoretical issues, and to pertinent historical and cultural contexts. Objectives of this course includes developing an understanding of different literary periods; of influential schools and movements; of shifts in sensibility; and of the complex relations between authors and their contemporaries as well as their predecessors.

5) Required assignments and grading criteria:

The writing assignments in all 2000-level general education English courses are as follows. “Students should write frequently in a variety of writing assignments (graded and ungraded), with guidance in the process of revision, for a total of 4000 or 7000 words. Most writing at this level should focus on students’ firsthand experience with texts. Writing assignments appropriate to this level should include, but are not limited to, journal activities, imitations, collaborative reports, speculative instruments like dialogues among characters of different plays or novels, formal essays that present and defend theses about a work. Classes at this level typically have a mid semester exam as well as the final.

English 2270 Major American Authors (3) Selected major American authors from the

Colonial period to the present.

1) Titles of textsNorton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter Edition, 5th ed., Gen. Ed. Nina Baym

2) Outline of subject matter

The following syllabus is representative of how this course might be taught. The literature is so rich that different professors could choose other major authors.

Week 1 Introduction to the Colonial PeriodEncounter with Native AmericansMary Rowlandson, selections from A Narrative of the Captivity and

Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

Week 2 Puritans and PoliticiansJonathan Edwards, selected sermonsBenjamin Franklin, “The Way to Wealth” and “Remarks Concerning the

Savages

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of North America”Thomas Paine, exerpts from Common Sense

Week 3 The Slave ExperienceOlaudah Equiano, excerpts from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of

Olaudah Equiano

Phyllis Wheatley, selected poetry

Week 4 Introduction to the American RenaissanceThe American Selft

Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The American Scholar”Henry David Thoreau, exerpts from WaldenFrederick Douglass, excerpts from Narrative of the Life of

Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Week 5 FictionNathaniel Hawthorne, preface to The House of Seven Gables and

“Young Goodman Brown”

Edgar Allen Poe, “The Purloined Letter”Herman Melville, Billy Budd, Sailor

Week 6 PoetryWalt Whitman, excerpts from Leaves of GrassEmily Dickinson, selected poems

Weeks 7-8 Introduction to American RealismRace and American Identity

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Booker T. Washington, excerpts from Up from SlaveryW.E.B. Dubois, excerpts from The Souls of Black Folk

Week 9 Gender and PsychologyHenry James, Daisy Miller, A StudyCharlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”

Week 10 Introduction to Literature Between the WarsPoetry: selections from Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Wallace

Stevens, Marianne Moore, Langston Hughes

Weeks 11-12 Fiction in Black and White:Zora Neale Hurston, excerpts from Their Eyes were Watching

GodJean Toomer, excerpts from CaneRichard Wright, “The Man who was Almost a Man”F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Winter Dreams”

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William Faulkner, “Spotted Horses”Earnest Hemingway, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”

Week 13 Introduction to American ModernismFiction: Ralph Ellison excerpts from Invisible Man

Flannery O’Connor, “Good Country People”Denise Chavez, “The Last of the Menu Girls”John Barth, “Life-Story”

Week 14 Modernist Poetry: selected poems fo Robert Penn Warren, John Ashbery,

Adrienne Rich, Sylvia Plath, Audre Lorde, Gwendolyn Brooks, Imamu

Amiri Baraka

GUIDELINES FOR ENGLISH 2002/3002

1. The amount of graded writing should be roughly that required in Composition, namely 4000-5000 words.

2. Graded assignments should be divided among six to ten major assignments. Of these, the following must be assigned or included as part of an assignment’s total grade in both 2002 and 3002:

a. proposalsb. use of visuals and graphicsc. document designd. electronic research techniques such as Internet and e-mail (may be taught

by library or Writing Center staff)3. In addition, the following must be taught in 3002:

a. process description or instructions (can be taught in 2002 also)b. technical description

4. Other graded writing assignments in either course could include (but are not limited to):

a. instructionsb. recommendation reportsc. letter of recommendation/performance evaluationd. letter of introductione. business letter formats (credit refusal, etc.)f. lab reportsg. progress reportsh. letter of transmittali. definitionj. “translation” exercise for a popular audiencek. job application letter (resume should be upgraded only in conjunction with

the letter)5. Each course should ideally include:

a. graded collaborative projectsb. research methodsc. peer evaluationd. use of e-mail for on-line help from the instructor

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6. Lengthy formal reports are optional.7. At least one set of graded oral reports on a professional topic is recommended.

Students should also get experience using visual aids in oral reports, preferably electronic when possible.

8. English 2002/3002 should be kept distinct from Freshman Composition as much as possible. Texts, exercises, and class examples should be suitable to the level and subject matter of the course.

9. English 2002 and 3002 should be kept distinct from one another as possible, although there will naturally be overlap. Texts, exercises, and class examples should be suitable to the level and subject matter of the course.

10.Correspondence assignments should be restricted to no more than a quarter of the assignments in English 3002 and a hal in English 2002. Memos can, of course, be required to accompany all assignments. Emphasis when teaching correspondence should be on the rhetoric rather than on epistolary format.

GOALS AND GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING WRITING IN THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM

The following goals and guidelines attempt to establish a minimum of instruction in writing and to suggest a sequence of writing skills appropriate to academic work in the English curriculum. The many skills involved in student writing emerge in different forms in every course, yet all those skills cannot efficiently be addressed at every level. These guidelines intend to direct faculty attention to the writing skills appropriate to each level.

2000-LEVELGOALS:

Building on the writing skills stressed in 1000-level English courses, writing (and rewriting) at this level should emphasize first-hand experience with literary and other texts in the context of a variety of opinions about those texts.

Writing skills likely to be emphasized would include paraphrasing literary texts, using

textual evidence, identifying larger themes or structures, addressing questions of form, articulating and defending independent interpretations in unified compositions, and evaluating conflicting arguments of students and others. Students should consider how writing about literary texts resembles and differs from writing about other kinds of texts in other disciplines and situations (questions of purpose and audience, e.g.).GUIDELINES:

At the 2000-level, students should write frequently a variety of assignments (graded and ungraded), with guidance in the process of revision, for a total of 4000 to 7000 words. Most writing at this level should focus on students' first-hand experience with literary texts.

Writing assignments appropriate to this level include, but are not limited to, journal notebooks, paraphrase or summary exercises, five-minute in-class writings or other write-to-learn activities, imitations, collaborative reports, speculative instruments like dialogues among characters of different plays or novels, formal essays that present and defend theses about the literary work.

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3000-LEVELGOALS:

Extending the skills stressed in earlier-level English courses, writing (and rewriting) at this level should focus on moving from first-hand experience with texts to considerations of wider frameworks, especially history, genre, and methodology.

To accommodate these wider considerations, essays will begin to develop more sustained

arguments and incorporate additional sources. Writing skills likely to be emphasized would include writing about two or more texts in unified compositions; addressing linguistic, rhetorical, and structural patterns common to the works of a certain author, genre, or period, as well as variations within the works of an author, genre, or period; addressing differences among readers; and evaluating students' own and others' written arguments in the midst of different contexts and conflicting points of view. Students should consider questions of purpose and audience in both their own and others' writing.GUIDELINES:

At the 3000-level, students should write frequently in a variety of writing assignments (graded and ungraded), with guidance in the process of revision, for a total of 4000 to 7000 words. Some of the writing at this level should require students to place literary texts in wider frameworks and should require research and sustained arguments.

Additional writing assignments appropriate to this level include, but are not limited to, comparisons of different works, different contexts (author, genre, or period), and different interpretations.

4000-LEVELGOALS:

Extending the writing skills stressed in earlier-level English courses, writing (and rewriting) at this level should focus on exploring a topic in greater depth.

To achieve this depth without sacrificing either a sense of first-hand textual experience or

a sense of wider frameworks of history, methodology, and genre, writing at this level will necessarily grow more complex and sophisticated. Writing skills likely to be emphasized would include focused research and sustained critical analysis; addressing variations within and changes between larger cultural contexts of literary works; addressing a range of methodologies and at least one in more depth; and addressing critical assumptions and questions of purpose and audience in students' own and others' writing.GUIDELINES:

At the 4000-level, students should write frequently in a variety of writing assignments, (graded and ungraded), with guidance in the process of revision, for a total of 4000 to 7000 words. Some of the writing at this level should require careful reading and synthesis of various critical works and methodologies and should require more sustained and complex argument.

Additional writing assignments appropriate to this level include reports on or comparisons of different readings and secondary texts.

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PROCEDURES

SCHEDULING GUIDELINES

(1) Professorial schedules each semester will typically include one General Education course, service course, or departmental requirement + one undergraduate course chosen by the professor or one graduate seminar.

(2) Instructor schedules each semester have typically included one section of a 2000-level General Education course + three sections of writing courses. When the need arises, qualified instructors may be asked to teach (a) a 2000-level workshop in the Creative Writing Concentration, (b) two sections of General Education literature courses, or (c) a 3000-level course in the Literature or the Writing and Culture Concentration. Instructors may teach at the 4000-level only with special permission from the Graduate School.

(3) Priority in professorial course preferences will be given to faculty who have taught General Education and/or departmental requirements recently.

(4) The "preference sheets" will ask faculty members to rank in order of preference which General Education courses and/or departmental requirements they want to teach. This format will inform the scheduler about available faculty, and will indicate to faculty the importance of teaching these courses regularly.

SCHEDULING PROCEDURES

(1) The scheduler will prepare a data base of who has taught what, when.(2) The scheduler will ask area-group coordinators to report what courses in

their area need to be offered in fall and spring semesters, and what faculty are willing to teach them. Typically, these reports will be due in November.

(3) The scheduler will call for preference sheets from all faculty--typically in late August and early January.

(4) The scheduler will assign to professors (a) departmental requirements, (b) popular courses for majors (based on "un-met demand counts"), (c) general education courses, in this order.

(5) On the basis of the area-group reports and information from the data base, the scheduler will make tentative assignments of other 2000, 3000, and 4000-level courses.

(6) During the scheduling process, the scheduler will call a meeting of the area-group coordinators to discuss tentative course assignments and make necessary revisions.

(7) The scheduler has the right to change the agreed-upon schedule when contingencies arise: e.g. when a faculty member resigns, takes a leave, becomes ill, etc.

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AREA GROUPS

NB: A number of area groups might want to consider the courses 3220 (Major Themes in Literature), 4120 (Studies in Major Authors) and 4121 (Studies in Literary History).

Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration and 18th Century Literature: 2148, 3020, 3124, 4030, 4137, 4040, 4041, 4147, 4148, 4050, 7034, 7040, 7041, 7047, 7048, 7050, 7051, 7055, 7058, 7137, 7147, 7912, 7913, 7934, 7937. 7940, 7941, 7943, 7948, 7949, 7950

19th century English and 20th-century Literature: 3022, 3086, 4060, 4062, 4080, 7060, 7061, 7063, 7065, 7067, 7085, 7087, 7960, 7962, 7987, 7988, 7980, 7982

American Literature: 2173, 2175, 2270, 3070, 3072, 4070, 4071, 4173, 7070, 7071, 7072, 7075, 7076, 7173, 7974

Literary Criticism and Bibliography: 2024, 3024, 3084, 4124, 7084, 7180, 7181, 7923, 7984

Interdisciplinary and Cultural/Textual Studies: 2222, 2231, 2673, 3222, 3223, 3236, 4122, 4222, 4231, 4232, 4234, 4236, 7123, 7783, 7920, 7986, 7989

Genre/Mode Courses: 2085, 2086, 4023, 4027, 4028, 4029, 4033, 4055, 4086

Composition and Rhetoric, Writing and Culture, Linguistics: 2001, 2002, 2012, 2102, 2300, 2710, 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004, 3015, 3101, 3102, 3300, 3301, 3310, 3384, 3716, 4002, 4003, 4004, 4017, 4300, 4301, 4302, 4310, 4710, 4711, 4712, 4713, 4714, 4715, 4716, 7910, 7911, 7915, 7916, 7917, 7919, 7925

Creative Writing: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 4000, 4001, 4005, 4006, 4007, 4008, 4009, 7001, 7004, 7006, 7007, 7008, 7009, 7106, 7107, 7109, 7123

Women's Studies: 2593, 3593, 4593, 7124, 7724

African-American Literature: 2674, 3674, 4220, 4674, 7174, 7975

Folklore: 2423, 3401, 4475, 4480, 4493, 7420, 7423

Honors: 2823, 2824, 3820-5

General Education Advisory Committee:section emphases for 2025, 2027, 2029, all sections of 2123

ORDERING TEXTBOOKS AND PREPARING COURSE PACKETS

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PS-92 requires departments and faculty to notify all bookstores servicing LSU about any books or materials that students need for a course (see LSU web site). The English Department fulfills this requirement by directing faculty to the union bookstore website for ordering textbooks. A copy of these orders is sent automatically to other area bookstores. Textbook order forms are also available in the department office. To facilitate this process, please submit orders on time. Because this procedure applies only to bookstore orders, faculty must order their own desk copies, which generally requires a request made online or on departmental stationary indicating course, number of students expected, and semester(s) in which you will be teaching the course. See the undergraduate secretary for a list of publishers’ addresses.Course Packets: Many faculty members like to utilize materials in addition to assigned textbooks. Faculty should have their course packets prepared by the LSU Union Bookstore because this vendor complies with copyright law. Should a copyright issue occur, the university will only defend faculty using the course packet service at the LSU Union Bookstore. Instructors should provide the LSU Union Bookstore with a bibliography containing the following information: title, author, page numbers (very important), copyright year, ISBN or ISSN, and publisher; if applicable include chapter/article title and author, volume or edition and journal date. Since the bookstore needs four or more weeks to receive copyright permissions, instructors should place their orders by May 1 for summer classes and July 1 (at the latest) for fall classes. The Copyright Permission Office can be reached at 388-1129. Notify the bookstore if the author holds the copyright. Omitting this detail can bog down your request because the publishers who usually don’t have this information will pass the bookstore representative from one source to another. Also, if you are teaching a spring semester course, expedite your order as soon as you know your schedule because the bookstore is closed for several weeks over semester break. The bookstore staff is well trained and eager to help, but since they have no control over the publishers’ bureaucracies, they need lead time to help you.

SUBMITTING GRADES

Mid-term and Final grades are reported electronically via PAWS. To establish a PAWS account, call the Help Desk at the Office of Computing Services (334-3375).

Mid-term grades: Instructors should submit these grades because they help students to assess the quality of their work and to determine if they should drop a course. Having midterm grades on file is highly beneficial in the event of grade appeals and other actions requiring documentation toward the end of the semester. Although these grades do not need to be calculated as precisely as the final grade, they should still reflect the students’ progress in the course.

TEACHING EVALUATIONS

Mid-semester evaluation: This evaluation is voluntary, and the results are not reported to the department staff. For greater effectiveness, since midsemester evaluations are given while a course is still in progress, instructors should work to

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ensure the anonymity of participating students. The evaluations often help to target problems in the classroom, in grading, and in teaching in general, which could be addressed and adjusted in order to make the remainder of the course a more productive experience. While midterm is generally the time faculty distribute such evaluations, they can of course be distributed anytime throughout the term. Sample midsemester questions are attached.

Rationale—The English department is looking for ways to foster excellence in teaching at all levels. We now use the university’s required end-of-semester evaluations for each class, but these evaluations often provide the teacher with feedback that is both too little and too late to be of much use in improving teaching. From the faculty perspective, the feedback is often hard to interpret in terms of the specific things we do in our classes. From the students’ perspective, many may think by the end of the term that suggestions for improvement are not worth mentioning any more.

To open lines of communications earlier in the semester, the Staff, Graduate Committee, and Undergraduate Committee would like to suggest that all teachers use midterm evaluations. Many of our colleagues already use this form of evaluation and report constructive results. The midterm evaluation can provide both teacher and student with an opportunity to evaluate the success of the course at midpoint and exchange information about ways to improve instruction while the course is still in progress so that changes can be made before the end of the semester. It gives teachers a chance to explain why they’re doing what they’re doing and students a chance to express their concerns and become more actively involved in the course.

Procedure—The suggested procedure would be for each faculty member to compile a set of questions. Below are sample questions that have been used at LSU or in English departments at other universities. You may, of course, design your own evaluation forms. The department will cover the cost of duplicating midsemester evaluation questions for your classes. Forms should be handed out in class so that students can fill them out at home, using a typewriter or word processor so that the ansers can remain anonymous. (This means that the evaluation should not be designed so that students have to write short answers on the form itself.) The students can hand in their evaluations anonymously by slipping them into an envelope and checking their names off a roll sheet.

Faculty who use midsemester evaluations agree that they are much more effective if after reviewing students’ responses, the teacher discusses the results with the class. For students, this is an opportunity to express concerns and ask questions about the class that they might not ask on their own. For the teacher, this open forum is a chance to find out what is working and what is not, to respond to student concerns, to explain why certain procedures and policies cannot be changed, and generally open a line of communication with the class. Having an evaluation at midsemester gives the instructor time to make changes that will affect the current class.The students’ midsemester evaluations are submitted only to the teacher. The teacher may choose to submit an optional report of the evaluations to be included in his or her file, but no report is required or expected.

Sample Midsemester Evaluations1. What are the most important skills you have learned so far this semester?

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2. What skills do you see me trying to teach?3. Which features of the course have worked well for you?4. Which features of the course have not worked well for you?5. What percent of the assigned readings are you doing?6. Make one suggestion for improving this course.7. What do you intend to do differently during the second half of the course to

improve your performance?

1. Is the course what you expected?2. Is the workload: a) fair b) light c) heavy?3. Are the discussions: a) helpful and easy to follow b) difficult to follow c)

other (explain)4. Do you feel comfortable speaking in class a) yes b) no (if not, why not?)5. If you were to evaluate your performance and participation in the class so far,

what would you say? a) good so far b) good on written work and attendance, needs to speak up more c) needs improvement d) comments about extenuating circumstances

6. What have you liked most about the class?7. What have you liked least?8. Suggestions and recommendations for the second half of the course (such as--

what you would like to see more of, what I can do to help you achieve your goals)

1. Please give a brief evaluation of the following aspects of the course:textlectureshomeworktestinstructor’s availability and helpfulness outside of classoverall content of course

2. What would you like to see changed about this course?

1. Comment on the teacher with regard to quality, structure, clarity of presentation, accessibility and attitude toward students.

2. Comment on the timing, relevance, and integration of the reading assignments. What readings were most and least valuable?

3. Comment on the quality and timeliness of the feedback youreceived on written assignments.

4. Comment on quizzes and exams (difficulty, length, frequency, usefulness, and appropriateness of questions).

5. Comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the course.6. How could this course be improved?

End-of Semester Evaluation: This evaluation is mandatory. A standardized questionnaire is used in every 2000-7000 level course in the College of Arts and Sciences, while a modified questionnaire is used for freshman English courses. The undergraduate secretary makes this questionnaire, scantron sheets, and directions available at the end of the semester. (See questionnaire below.)

Faculty are encouraged informally to supplement this process by encouraging students to write any additional comments on the back of the form. It is advisable,

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especially if you are teaching a 2000-level course, to add questions that address your pedagogy and other information on which you want feedback. If students know that you value their input, they will write fairly complete answers to these questions. You can later include selective responses in your teaching portfolio. Often, students’ handwritten comments influence evaluators more than typed compilations.

College of Arts and SciencesCourse Evaluations

Please fill the circle that indicates the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Note: choices are “Strongly disagree,” “Disagree,” Undecided,” “Agree,” and “Strongly Agree.”)1. The instructor motivated me to do my best.2. I have learned a lot in this class.3. The instructor clearly communicated the learning objectives of the course.”4. The instructor communicated clearly and understandably.5. The instructor was available for assistance outside the course.6. The instructor was concerned about student learning.7. The instructor was well prepared for each class.8. The graded work reflected the important aspects of the course.9. The instructor demonstrated respect for the students.10.Overall, the instructor was an effective teacher.11.What is your expected grade in this course?Please write any additional comments on the back of this form.

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MENTOR PROGRAM

The Mentor Program, begun in 1975, has undergone various changes and refinements and is often cited by upper administration as a model program. Its goal, however, has remained consistent: to assist new faculty members and to improve the quality of undergraduate teaching.

Participation in the Mentor Program is mandatory for new graduate teaching assistants and new full-time instructors. For graduate teaching assistants, the program is an evaluative procedure, with a written report at the end of the semester and the possible recommendation that the person continue participation in the program. For new instructors, the program is not evaluative; it is an advisory orientation program. The mentor provides no formal evaluation at the end but instead writes an objective descriptive report detailing the assistance given the mentee and the activities the two cooperated in during the semester. For new professors, the program is also advisory. A mentor will be assigned each new professor by the chair.

So that new graduate teaching assistants and new instructors may quickly familiarize themselves with the Mentor Program and so that veteran faculty members may re-acquaint themselves with the various details, we offer frequently asked questions and their answers.

Who participates as a mentor?Mentors come from every rank from instructor through professor. Most, however, are Instructor IIIs (Career Instructors).

Who should initiate the first contact between mentee and mentor?The mentee should contact the mentor. The Director of the Mentor Program places notices in the mailboxes of both the mentee and mentor, notifying each as to the name of the other and a date by which they should meet.

How often should a mentor and mentee have conferences?The two should discuss assignments, topics, grading, any individual problems concerning students or classes, and policies and procedures.

How often should the mentor visit the mentee’s class?Three visits are strongly suggested, unless the mentee has already taught, in which case two visits may suffice. Visits should be scheduled by mutual agreement.

What is the mentor looking for when reviewing graded essays?Mentors evaluate the purpose of the assignment, the marginal and/or end comments; the marked errors in punctuation, grammar, and spelling; the graded assigned; and the level of work the new teacher expects of students.

How many sets of graded essays should the mentor review?Three sets will give a solid idea of the mentee’s grading skills and course expectations. Mentees are encouraged to discuss any essays they have questions about with their mentors. So that mentees may, if they wish, change comments or grades on particular essays after discussing them with the mentors, we suggest discussing essays before returning them to the students.

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How can the mentor estimate consistency of grading from set to set?The mentor can do so by reviewing at least three complete student folders near the end of the semester. For this reason, mentees must keep on file all corrected and/or revised essays for at least three students. These essays may be originals or photocopies.

What is the key to having a profitable and supportive mentor-mentee relationship?A frank exchange of ideas will go a long way toward developing the type of relationship which the program hopes to foster. If both faculty members exhibit a sense of professionalism and a willingness to learn, both will benefit. Particularly at midterm, the mentor and mentee should take stock of accomplishments and outline goals yet to be reached.

What is the Mentor Report and what use is made of it?For instructors, this written report is an objective non-evaluative description detailing the assistance given the mentee and activities the two cooperated in during the semester. Graduate teaching assistants, the report is a written evaluation. In both cases, the report goes to the Director of the Mentor Program, who places it on file and forwards a copy to the Chair of the Department of English and the Director of Graduate Studies. A copy also goes to the mentee. The Director of Freshman English and the Director of Graduate Studies may use the information in the reports when making hiring decisions, when writing letters of recommendation, and when determining teaching load.

Can the mentor recommend that the new teacher continue in the program for another semester?Yes. In fact, continuing in the program can be helpful, and some mentees, in order to improve their teaching, ask for a second semester even when their mentors do not see the need. Any second semester mentee will usually have a different mentor from the original.

Questions about the program or suggestions for improving it should be made to the Director of the Mentor Program.

Course Rosters: Although you are not the instructor of record, you should have access to rosters for the sections you lead. Kieu Nguyen (578-3029) is the scheduling officer for the English department, and she should be able to print rosters for you. You may also have future access to your course roster via the instructor tab on PAWS, but probably not. Instead, your course professor may supply your roster to you. The roster will change periodically in the first fourteen days due to “shopping,” especially in the large-section courses.

PAWS: You can obtain a PAWS account by calling the telephone registration system (REGGIE at 578-4437). There is no charge to obtain a PAWS account. However, you must have accessibility to the web. In addition to the workstations currently available in Middleton Library, there are now over 80 public-access computers in 1302 CEBA. Also, check Coates, which has an available computer lab.

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POLICIES

For university policies and procedures, see LSU Policy Statements (PS) found on the LSU Home Page (http://www.lsu.edu).

COURSE SYLLABUS GUIDELINESUniversity Policy Statement 44 (PS-44) specifies the following: “At the beginning of each semester, faculty members must distribute written course syllabi in all courses, graduate and undergraduate.” Course syllabi should provide students the following information: Course and Section number. Instructor’s name, office location, office phone number, email address, and office

hours. Course time, building and room number. Title (including volume and edition number, if necessary) of every text required

in the course, plus other bibliographical information, as appropriate. Due dates of all assignments (even if some are tentative): readings, exams,

scheduled quizzes, essays, projects. Pertinent information on writing assignments, such as length and required

format. As required by PS-44, “the relative weight of the component factors of the final

grade.”For example:

midterm exam 20%final exam 30%first paper 20%second paper 20%quiz grade 20%

For a General Education course, the instructor may state the general education objectives that the course will address. Instructors are now required to make such a statement, orally or in writing, early in the course.

For 4000-level courses in which students may register for either undergraduate or graduate credit, PS-44 requires that syllabi “clearly set forth any different expectations of performance by students in the two groups…” Graduate students, for example may be required to write longer or more essays than undergraduates or do a different kind of writing project.

One might also state on the syllabus policies on class attendance, plagiarism (e.g., “Any work suspected of plagiarism will be submitted for disposition to the Dean of Students”), and other material the instructor deems pertinent.

Syllabus statements on course requirements, grading policy, and relative weight of final grade components should be considered a contract entered into with the students and should not be changed during the course of the term. Do not, for example, add an extra paper for credit, change the weight of a particular assignment in the final grade or otherwise change the grading system stated on the syllabus. Such changes often result in grade appeals. (Adjustments in reading assignments may sometimes be necessary.)

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GRADING POLICIES AND GRADE APPEALS

See "Grading System Grading Policies" in the LSU Faculty Handbook, especia1ly the required information for the course syllabi.

All students filing a grade appeal should first read "Grading System-Grading Policies" in the LSU General Catalogue (pp. 67-71 in 2003-2004 edition; available on LSU website), especially the informationabout what is required in course syllabi ("Grade Appeals," and p. 70). LSU's regulations require a student to contact the teacher issuing the course grade before initiating a grade appeal to see if the matter may be resolved. If the student and teacher cannot resolve the matter, then thestudent initiates a formal appeal.

Students should be made aware in writing from the first contact that grade appeals are usually considered on one of two grounds: 1) the student feels the quality of work was higher than the instructor's final grade indicated, and/or 2) there was an irregularity in the conduct of thecourse, such as a sudden syllabus change. Generally, disagreements about matters like missed appointments or missing papers do not get very far unless they are carefully documented. Students should know that in most cases formal appeals are handled by a committee of faculty which reviewsthem and makes a recommendation. Students considering a formal appeal must save all papers and other relevant documents that will help the committee make a decision. However, in an effort to respond to student concerns, the department is always interested in listening to complaints about otherkinds of problems with faculty and teaching practices, even if not formally linked to a grade appeal. Such cases will usually be referred to the Ombuds-Committee through the Chair or Advisors.

Within the department, each semester the departmental Academic Staff will name an Appeals Committee of three to five faculty members, normally from the Undergraduate and First-Year Committees, to evaluate individual grade appeals. Each member of the committee will post office hours during which students making appeals may make appointments. This list will be made available to the Advisors and to the students when they make their initial contact with the department. This will be the only committee responsibility for these faculty members during that semester, and the program directors and department chair will assure colleagues that these duties rotate fairly. Program directors and the Associate Chair will serve as ex officio members although will normally not participate in Appeals Committee initial decisions.

Please note: When charges of sexual harassment are part of the appeal, they must be immediately brought to the attention of LSU Human Resources Management, without exception and regardless of the student's preferences.

Step One: As required by the LSU General Catalogue, the appeal must be initiated within 30 calendar days after the first day of classes in the first regular semester following that in which the course was taken. The student should at first contact receive from the department a handoutgiving the office hours of members of the Appeals Committee, as appropriate, and printed material about the grade appeal process should be given to the student either at the front desk, by e-mail, or by regular mail. The appeal begins, however,

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with the student's scheduling an official conference with the teacher to discuss the issues involved. The student should record the date and time of this meeting and normally should not contact the Appeals Committee until such a meeting has taken place.

Step Two: If the differences between the faculty member and student cannot be resolved through the conference and the student wishes to proceed with the grade appeal, he or she should make an appointment with a member of the Grade Appeals Committee. The student will be provided with a written copy of information about the appeal process if he or she has not received it already. The student should prepare a formal, written petition for a grade change which must be filed with the Grade Appeals Committee within 45 calendar days of the first regular semester following that in which thecourse was taken. This petition may be up to two single-spaced pages of justification.

Step Three: At a second conference between the student and the faculty member, the member of the Grade Appeals Committee initially contacted by the student will serve as Mediator. Both faculty member and student are required to make a good faith effort to attend the meeting. Evasiveness onthe part of either could result in the department Chair, on the request of the Appeals or Ombuds-Committee, either dismissing the student's case or placing a reprimand in the faculty member's record.

Step Four: If the issues cannot be resolved, the Appeals Committee will be given all information pertinent to the case from both the student and the teacher by the Mediator. The Appeal Committee will either make a unilateral recommendation or appoint, at its discretion, a committee of experts toevaluate the case and advise a ruling. The Mediator in the case will not vote on the disposition of the case but may report to the Appeals Committee. The Appeals Committee may, however, ask the Ombuds-Committee for help in particularly difficult cases. Examples of this would be: if theAppeals Committee members felt they were not able to judge the student's work because of the level or specialization of the material to be evaluated and believed a special committee should do the evaluation; if the Appeals Committee felt the matters involved particularly serious violations on thepart of either student or faculty; if there were multiple appeals from the same course which seemed to the Appeals Committee to require more serious study; if the Appeals Committee saw a particularly large number of appeals for one teacher. In such cases and others of some difficulty the Ombuds-Committee should, if it feels there are serious underlying problems, consult and, as appropriate, recommend action from the program director, associate Chair, or department Chair.

Step Five: Once a ruling has been made, it will be forwarded to the Chair of the English Department through the Ombuds-Committee. The Ombuds-Committee may choose to review the appeal or link it to other appeals, as in the case of multiple appeals and complaints from several students in the same class. Within 7 calendar days of receiving the report from the Ombuds-Committee, the Chair will make a final decision on the case. The Chair will notify the student and the teacher of the final ruling by mail to the mailing address listed in the LSU directory or indicated on

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the student's appeal petition. All materials submitted by student and faculty for the grade appeal will be retained by the department in theevent that the appeal is carried on to a higher level and those materials are requested by the student's college or the university .

Step Six: In the event a grade change is warranted, the department will promptly execute one. If the student or the teacher remains unsatisfied with the department's decision, he or she is entitled to continue the appeal beyond the department to the Dean of the college of Arts and Sciences. See the LSU General Catalog for relevant information.

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ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

The Louisiana State University Faculty Handbook clearly demarcates the roles that instructors and the Dean of Students play in alleged cases of cheating. Instructors report cases to the Dean, and the Dean evaluates the merit of the allegation and determines and imposes sanctions upon the student. Instructors cannot assign a “disciplinary grade” on their own. The English Department’s procedures, which are consistent with University policy, provide instructors with practical ways to handle alleged cases of cheating, and they stress reporting these cases in a timely manner. (Relevant excerpts from The LSU Faculty Handbook are reprinted below.) See the booklet “Academic Integrity, A Guide for Faculty to University Policy and Procedures” for a more comprehensive explanation of academic misconduct.

Student Academic Misconduct Academic misconduct represents a most serious and reprehensible type of student misconduct, and the University makes a genuine effort to prevent its occurrence. LSU has also developed policies and procedures to assure students of due process protection when academic misconduct is alleged and to provide meaningful and consistent sanctions for students found guilty of such conduct.

All instructors shall report suspected academic misconduct to the Dean of Students. No University Disciplinary sanction shall be imposed upon a student except in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Student Conduct.

An instructor may not assign a disciplinary grade, such as an F or zero on an assignment, test, examination, or course as a sanction for admitted or suspected academic misconduct, in lieu of formally reporting misconduct. Complete guidelines for reporting misconduct under the Student Conduct and The Responsibilities in the Student-University Relationship are available in the Office of the Dean of Students and in the various college deans’ offices.

Procedures for Reporting Academic MisconductIf a faculty member suspects that an act of academic dishonesty may have

occurred, he or she should raise that concern with the student in a manner that asks the student to explain the situation. Until the faculty member has considered the explanation, he or she should not accuse the student of “cheating.” If the faculty member does not find the explanation satisfactory, or if the student admits to an act that is considered academic dishonesty, the faculty member should tell the student the matter will be referred to the Office of the Dean of Students for resolution according to University policy. Faculty who suspect academic misconduct has occurred are welcome to call the Office of the Dean of Students for advice and consultation prior to confronting the student or forwarding the case for consideration. If the faculty member cannot contact the student, the instructor may bring the case directly to the attention of the Dean of Students.

It is important that alleged violations be reported in a timely and expeditious manner. The ability to resolve a case may be impeded by a delay in reporting, and delay frequently causes undue inconvenience and stress to everyone involved. In the past, there have been situations where faculty members have delayed as long as two months in reporting an alleged violation. A delay of more than a week usually is unfair and may jeopardize a fair resolution of the matter. In bringing a case, the instructor should collect or acquire evidence of the violation and bring the

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detailing the offense, including the course involved, the type of assignment, date of alleged violation, and the supporting evidence. The original copy of the work in question should normally be kept by the instructor. A good copy should be forwarded to the Dean’s office. Copy of the work must be made available to the student upon request.

Until a formal decision has been made on the alleged violation, the student must be allowed to continue in the course and must be treated without prejudice by the faculty member. If the alleged violation is not resolved before the semester ends, the faculty member will be instructed by the Office of the Dean of Students to assign an “I” grade with the concurrence of the academic dean. This grade will remain until the alleged violation is adjudicated.

ATTENDANCE

The university policy on absence from class is stated in PS-22, available under Policies and Procedures on the LSU Home Page. According to this Policy Statement, “The course instructor will determine the validity of a student’s reason(s) for absences. The LSU Catalogue also discusses attendance, stating “Students should observe any special attendance regulations stated by their college, school, division, or the instructor,” and “Students should understand that [policies and procedures] vary among instructors and that they must comply with the attendance requirements of each instructor.”

Since these policies seem somewhat contradictory, the undergraduate office recommends that faculty members that their attendance policies clearly on their syllabi, and develop appropriate procedures for allowing students with excused absences to make up missed work. Some faculty members keep track of attendance by taking roll; others require daily writing or give quizzes to test preparedness. Some evaluate student excuses to determine if they meet the definition stated in PS-22; others merely allow a certain number of absences or missed quizzes/papers without evaluating excuses. Both kinds of policies, if administered fairly, are acceptable to the English department.

Faculty members should, however, be aware that, according to PS-22, “Should the instructor and student disagree over the validity of a reason for absence, the student has the right to appeal the instructor’s decision according to the general appeal procedure in PS-48.”

If a student, with an excuse that the teacher deems valid, has missed a large number of classes and/or work requiring class participation (such as group discussions or collaborative projects) that cannot realistically be made up, the teacher might consider advising the student to drop the course. If the deadline for dropping the course has passed, the teacher might consider referring the student to his or her college counselor to discuss the possibility of petitioning the college for a “retroactive drop.” The student should be cautioned that these late drops are not always approved and must be secured through the college. The teacher cannot award a “retroactive drop.”

If a student, with an excuse that the teacher deems valid, has missed only the last few assignments and/or the final exam (assignments that can realistically be made up), the teacher should refer the student to his or her college counselor to discuss the possibility of taking an “incomplete” in the course. The counselors will then evaluate the students’ reasons for absence. Only a dean’s office, not a faculty member, can authorize assigning a final grade of “incomplete.”

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FINAL EXAMINATION POLICY

The Freshman English program sets up a single time for all courses and students to take their final examinations during finals week. For the remainer of courses offered by the English Department, times and dates for exams (based on day and times courses are offered during the semester) can be found in the university’s Schedule of Classes booklet. Final exams must be offered in all undergraduate courses, and must be offered at the assigned times during Finals Week. Take-home finals are allowed as long as they are due no earlier than the assigned times.

STUDENT PRIVACY: ABIDING BY THE BUCKLEY AMENDMENT

The Buckley Amendment secures the rights to privacy of students. Under some circumstances, a faculty member may ask a student to waive his/her rights, but this may only be done through a student’s written and signed consent. Please honor students’ rights. Further information on the privacy rights of students is detailed in the LSU General Catalog and the LSU Graduate Catalog. See the statement “Privacy of Student Records”:

Faculty members are responsible for maintaining the privacy of students’ grades for any course or for any activity (project/test/quiz/paper) that is part of a course.

This policy is violated if a student’s grade is 1) openly discussed in class; 2) visible on papers, tests, or projects as they are returned, e.g., passed down the row or left on a desk to be picked up; 3) publicly posted in a personally identifiable manner (even coded postings, e.g. by social security numbers); or 4) released over the telephone to anyone other than the student or the parents of a dependent student. The University assumes that “an undergraduate is not a dependent of his/her parents or guardians, unless the University is notified to the contrary by the student or his/her parents or guardian” (PS 30). “Notified” means “in writing.”

Disclosure of a student’s grades by a faculty member may be made only in a manner that makes the grades identifiable only to the faculty member and the student.

Because the social security number is classed as “personally identifiable information,” the disclosure of grades with the student’s social security number or name is not allowed without the student’s written permission.

Therefore, you should not leave graded projects, tests, quizzes, or essays outside your office door for students. You should also not request students to leave corrected essays at your office unless you are there to receive them.

Office Hours: Full-time faculty members must hold a minimum of five office hours a week. They must be posted on the instructor’s door and reported by announced deadlines to the department staff (including any changes of schedule during the semester). They must be held in the faculty member’s office, or if other arrangements are made, they must be reported to the front office so that staff or others may contact you.

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Faculty Attendance/Illness: Faculty members need to report all personal absences to the front office, including filing an absence report. Absences include missing classes and office hours. Additionally faculty members must report any medical appointments made during working hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:30); failure to report such appointments as sick leave officially constitutes fraud.

Sexual Harassment: For the definitions, policies and procedures regarding sexual harassment, go to LSU’s Policy Statement 73 (on sexual harassment by University employees: http://appl003.lsu.edu/ups.nsf/$Reference/290CD0650AD8E37486256C250062AE9F/$File/PS-73Rev4.pdf) and Policy Statement 95 (on sexual harassment of students by other students: http://appl003.lsu.edu/ups.nsf/d18275cbffaad4b10625635a006e196c/fd340b851c009a9d86256c250062ae7b?OpenDocument).

Learning Disabilities: If a student has a disability and requires an accommodation to complete a course, they must contact the LSU Office of Disability Services, 112 Johnston Hall; 578-5919. Students are responsible for requesting accommodation at the time they report for their test, quiz, in-class writing, etc. If they do the work without the approved accommodation and do not pass it, they will not be allowed to retake it.

Grade Inflation: Grade inflation is perceived to be a problem in many universities. However, just because you assign many As and Bs does not mean that your grades are necessarily inflated. But they might be. You should occasionally assess your own grading, and, when possible, do a group-grading session to compare your own grading to others’ grading. Misleading students with inflated grades creates headaches for future teachers of these students and for the department as a whole. As the First-Year Writing Handbook states, “A student who ‘tries hard,’ ‘shows potential,’ or is ‘so cooperative’ should not get an inflated grade for those reasons” (19). Assign grades based upon what you think another fair-minded teacher at LSU would assign for that type of work.

Fraternization: Although there is no specific departmental policy stated about fraternization, common sense tells us that sexual and/or romantic relationships with students could create difficult situations, especially because you are someone evaluating their performance in class. Generally, it makes sense to avoid these situations. Similar difficult situations could arise from romantic relationships between professors and teaching assistants in large classes. Be cautious.

Grade Challenges: Do not be surprised or horrified if a student challenges a grade that you have assigned. To limit challenges, however, you may state a policy that you will “rarely, if ever” change a grade—and stick to your position. Some teachers specifically invite challenges, knowing that they will rarely happen and, if they do, the students’ attitudes might be less aggressive if they know the teacher will listen to them. Your course professor will most likely have a policy about make-up work and late work, which will serve to limit those challenges as well. You can simply point to the policy and refer to the professor as the creator of that policy. If you re-state the policy on the first day of your discussion section, then students will know

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you mean business. Another way to limit challenges is to be sure you justify your grade using specific examples and avoiding rude or sarcastic comments.

If a student challenges your grade, remain calm and ask why s/he thinks it unfair. Try to gently persuade that student of the fairness of the grade. If a student challenges you and you cannot persuade him/her that his/her grade is justified, then refer the student to the department office or to the LSU Catalog for department and university policies on grade appeals.

Adds/Drops: Especially in large sections, students will drop and add the course and/or your discussion section often. If you anticipate some drops or if you don’t mind adding a few students to your class, signing add slips for students allows them to add the class without raising the maximum online enrollment for the course. Other than trying to keep track of the roster using Blackboard updates and by passing a sheet around at each section meeting and/or lecture, there’s not much you can do to manipulate the roster.

Concerns about Teaching: If you feel some anxiety about teaching, you are normal. If you have specific questions or would like to discuss approaches to leading discussion, then see your colleagues, your course professor, the coordinator, or the assistant coordinator. Usually, a few teaching workshops for new teaching assistants are available. In general, it makes sense to model a task before asking students to complete it. Also, students often respond better in discussion if questions build upon prior knowledge and if questions have more than one possible answer. Planning lessons (preferably written) with clear and specific goals stated for students at the beginning and the end models focus and organization for them. Professors of large courses will likely meet with course teaching assistants regularly as a group to gain consistency in teaching and grading across the sections of the course. Keeping a reflective teaching journal may also help you determine effective methods.

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RESOURCES

ADVISING INFORMATION

For most matters, feel free to refer students to the English Advisors. The Advisors will either answer questions or direct the student to the appropriate resources. General advising includes course selection, transfer credits, career suggestions, student-teacher problems, etc. Below are particular matters which may better be handled without the advisors’ immediate involvement:

Semester Course Offerings: Several weeks prior to the opening of a semester’s course registration period, undergraduate and graduate flyers are made available for students in the main office of the English Department and/or on the English Department home page (http://www.english.lsu.edu).

Problems Involving Course/Section Registration: In most matters, the department’s undergraduate secretary will help resolve matters of students registered in wrong courses or sections. When such resolution is not possible at the department level, contact the Office of the University Registrar, 112 Thomas Boyd Hall.

For Undergraduates Considering Declaring an English Major or Minor: Students may refer to the LSU General Catalog for course requirements. The main office of the English Department also has materials available for students, including course distribution requirements and general information on career opportunities with an English degree. For more personalized or detailed matters, have students contact an advisor.

Transfer Credit: All undergraduates transferring from other institutions should first have their credentials evaluated by the Office of University Admissions. Often courses are automatically credited and transferred into the student’s curriculum. Those courses which are not automatically transferred will require specific departmental evaluation. So for English courses the student needs to attend the Transfer Orientation session held just prior to the first day of classes every semester. After that date, students should contact the English Department’s undergraduate adviser. For geography, French, etc., the student needs to contact the relevant department for evaluation. A student should bring to these meetings a transcript or LSU credential analysis and a catalogue from the relevant institution(s) along with, if available, syllabi from the course(s). Upon completion of this departmental exercise, students need to return to their college for completion of the transfer process.

Grade Appeals: Refer to the Policies section of this booklet for full information. NOTE: Appeals must be registered in the department no later than 30 calendar days after the beginning of the next regular semester. For more information, see the LSU General Catalog.

Matters of Academic Dishonesty: Refer to the Policies section of this booklet for full information. Note that in most cases, these issues should be immediately referred to the Dean of Students in the Office of Student Services, 122 Johnston Hall.

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Travel Abroad and Exchange Information: Contact the Office of Academic Programs Abroad, Hatcher Hall. The English Department strongly encourages students to study abroad, either in summer sessions sponsored by LSU or through semester or academic-year exchanges abroad. Furthermore, the department strives to maximize a student’s experience by working to transfer as much of a student’s exchange course work as possible. Ideally, a student may have potential courses evaluated and accepted for credit prior to going abroad.

Information on Careers and Graduate Schools: Contact Career Services Center, B1 Coates Hall or 1502 CEBA Building. The office includes counseling and testing in virtually all matters relating to careers after college as well as career preparation and planning.

For Graduates Considering Applying for Graduate Degree in English at LSU: Have students contact the Director of Graduate English Studies. The English Graduate Program has a descriptive brochure it distributes to prospective applicants. Application materials can be picked up at the Graduate School in David Boyd Hall or may be ordered by phone at 225/578-2311.

Personal Counseling: Most of us are not licensed counselors, and yet, especially as teachers of the humanities, we may find ourselves in a quasi-counseling position with students. This can be enjoyable, or it could be a mess. If the situation is very serious, such as a student with an eating disorder or a student who states a desire to commit suicide, you should contact Student Health Services at 578-6271. The Baton Rouge Rape Crisis Center number is 383-7273. In general, beware of getting sucked into students’ personal problems, but don’t be heartless. Occasionally, students will be freaked out about a grade or the stress of school. They may come to your office and break down crying. Don’t be surprised; don’t be cruel. Listen, try to get him/her calm, and then guide them to campus counseling if necessary.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ENGLISH MAJOR

What are the differences among the four concentrations: Writing and Culture, Creative Writing, English Education, and Literature?

Students generally understand the focus of the literature concentration. Remember that the Creative Writing workshops and the concentration teach students to compose imaginative literature, while the Literature courses and the concentration teach students how to read, interpret, and place imaginative literature in a variety of interpretive contexts.

The Secondary Education (in English) concentration prepares students for secondary school teaching, and includes courses taught in conjunction with courses from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. This concentration also includes a great deal of literature and writing. If students in this concentration ever decide against a teaching career, they would also be well equipped to teach in corporate environments, where much on-the-job,

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professional development training takes place. And they would be well prepared for writing careers or professional studies (for example, law school).

Writing and Culture is the concentration students need the most help understanding. Imagine three concentric circles. The innermost circle is linguistics, the systematic study of the components of language. Next, rhetoric teaches the arts of the effective and persuasive use of language. Culture is the outer circle; it encompasses all the socially transmitted assumptions and behaviors that affect a text. The Writing and Culture concentration may focus on more kinds of writing (writing a corporate budget, a newspaper, a novel, a film script, etc.) than does the Literature concentration.

How can I get a sense of which concentration is best for me?

English 2300 is the required gateway course for Writing and Culture; it introduces students to linguistics, rhetoric, and cultural studies. English 2024 (honors 2084) is the recommended gateway course for the Literature concentration; it introduces students to critical theory and the problems of interpretation. Both concentrations (as well as the Second Education concentration) accept both courses, so that, by taking either course, students can sample the issues that the concentration addresses without locking themselves into one concentration so early in their careers. The English Department also offers a Majors Day meeting every fall with brief talks on each concentration.

Is one concentration better than another for a given profession? Is one easier than the other?

For law school or writing careers (or for work in many nonprofit organizations), Creative Writing, Literature, and Writing and Culture are all good preparations, with the differences noted above.

The English Education concentration is designed to prepare students for careers in secondary school teaching; as noted above, however, these students would also be prepared for other careers related to writing, teaching, and speaking.

The most flexible concentration is Writing and Culture because it has the most electives; the least flexible are Creative Writing and English Education because they have almost no electives, only choices within groups of requirements.

The English Department offers a Career Day meeting every spring with brief talks by former LSU English majors who have gone on to a variety of careers.

Can I concentrate in two areas of English?

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Yes, you can concentrate in Literature and Writing and Culture, or in Literature and Creative Writing with careful course selection. (See the departmental advisors.) But only one of these can be listed on your transcript. The department, however, can write an official letter indicating that you have completed all requirements for both concentrations.

What is a minor, should I have one, and how do I choose one?

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences have 58 hours of electives. Choosing a minor is a great way to give these hours some shape.

Minors typically require 15-18 hours (except in the foreign languages). Consult the catalogue for requirements in each area. Besides departmental minors, students can minor in interdisciplinary areas such as Women's and Gender Studies, African and African-American Studies, Linguistics, Audio-Visual Arts, etc.

Students should think about their career plans, and select a minor that would be appropriate. For example, if students intend to go to law school or work for a nonprofit, they could major in English and take a minor in fields such as Political Science, Economics, Business, or Women's and Gender Studies.

What is the difference between 2000-, 3000-, and 4000-level courses in English?

2000-level courses--introductions (courses that teach the basic terms and approaches used in a field)

3000-level courses--surveys and/or courses that presume a knowledge of basic terms and approaches (courses that give an overview of a historical period of literature, a genre, or an approach to literary study, and courses that build on the skills acquired in 2000-level courses)

4000-level courses--studies in depth (courses within a designated area, but whose specific focus within that area may vary from semester to semester). Studies in _____ courses at the 4000-level may be repeated once for credit when topics vary. Multiple sections of any Studies in _____ course may be offered in one semester. Short specific titles can be listed in the Registration / Schedule of Classes (if submitted by the copy deadline) and on students' transcripts. More detailed course descriptions will appear in the departmental handout prepared for preregistration. Students cannot take a 4000-level course until they have passed 60 hours.

Can I take English 2123 twice for credit?

No, the General Education Committee of the university has ruled on this matter.

Is there any way I can get out of the foreign language requirement?

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No, this is a College of Arts and Sciences requirement. It may be subject to change in the future, but no specific proposal has been made.

Can I change the designation of cross-listed courses after enrollment?

Yes, students must inform the College of Arts and Sciences counselor of what change they want to make, but they can enroll under one subject designation and change to the second after the fact.

Can a 4000-level Studies in _____ course that deals with gender or minority or ethnicity issues substitute for English 3674, 4674, 3593, or 4593? Are substitutions possible for Writing and Culture core courses? Can Honors 2000-level or 3000-level courses substitute for required English courses?

Yes, consult a departmental advisor for an official substitution.

When should I take the required criticism course?

We recommend that students in the Literature concentration take English 2024 (or Honors 2824) if they haven't completed their 2000-level requirements.

Students need to know that in English 3024 they will study the history of criticism from Plato through the 19th century and in English 3084 they will focus on 20th century criticism.

Students should take their required criticism course before their last semester, at the latest--preferably in their junior year. The course is designed to prepare students for 4000-level seminars.

What can I do with an English major?

High School Teaching. Students concentrate in Secondary Education. An excellent program for a Master's Degree is the Holmes Program. Interested students should talk with advisors in the College of Education.

Law school and other professional schools, such as business and medical school, with proper advising on other course work.

Editing. Interested students should talk with Jim Wilcox.

Technical Writing. Interested students should talk with Mary Sue Garay.

All manner of writing careers. Newsletters for organizations, non-profit grant writing, political speech writing, etc.

(Remember to attend the Career Day meeting for English majors in the spring.)

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Where can I get help with the job search or graduate application process?

Students should register with the Career Counseling and Placement Center's office for humanities students in the basement of Coates. The Center has an excellent career library, and it offers workshops on resume writing and test-taking, on applying to graduate and professional school, and on preparing for job interviews.

Students should select a professor with whom they have taken course work, make an appointment to discuss career planning, and go prepared with examples of their writing and questions to ask. FACULTY WANT TO TALK TO STUDENTS!

 

FREQUENT PROBLEMS STUDENTS ENCOUNTER

They take too many 2000-level courses. Students can only take 9 hours of 2000-level courses in the Writing and Culture and Literature concentrations.

Students take English 2123 twice, and they can't get credit for the second section.

They don't take enough 4000-level courses.

They think they have to take the survey courses (English 3020/22/70/72) in chronological order.

In selecting courses, they don't base their choices on the best criteria. Too often they choose courses for scheduling reasons, not for academic reasons.

They put off completing their foreign language requirements. For modern languages, if they do not place out of any courses, they must take 5 semesters in sequence to complete the requirement. If they don't start early, their graduation dates are often delayed. The same problem occurs to a lesser extent with the math and science requirement.

COURSE AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT:

[* = information brochure available]

Centers for Excellence in Learning and Teaching is a huge, helpful empire devoted to improving teaching at LSU. The categories below are largely self-explanatory, but check out their web pages at (www.celt.lsu.edu) for more information.

Center for Faculty Development:Director, 578-6243 or -5789* Many programs/workshops available in various areas; watch for the

workshop listing

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that comes out in early fall.Center for Assessment and Evaluation:

Director, 578-1145Mostly handles scantron testing; other evaluation services also

available.Center for Electronic Learning (see specific listings under “Books, Materials,

Equipment”)

Books, equipment, materials, etc.:

Library reference questions, requests for book purchases, and requests for special instructional sessions for your classes:

English Department Library Liaisons listed at http://www. lib.lsu.edu/liason.html

To request general library instruction for classes:http://www.lib.lsu.edu/instruction/request_form.htmlor contact Laurie Preston 578-6823/lapres@lsu.edu

To place books on reserve or for * copyright questions:Circulation Desk personnel,Mona Jarreau mjarrea@lsu.edu 578-6722Floris St. Amant fstaman@lsu.edu 578-3216

To reserve a library classroom:http://www.lib.lsu.edu/classroom/schedule/index.html

To discuss book orders:In the department, departmental secretary, 578-2236 or,In the bookstore, textbook purchase office, 578-5505

Desk Copies: contact publisher directly

Audio-Visual Equipment requests:121 Himes: 578-1165. Try to allow 48 hours; some requests can be accommodated within 24-hours. Film/video library is included, as well as overheads, VCRs, etc. To reserve the department video room, see undergraduate secretary.

Computer Labs:Middleton Library 101 (334-2375)Student Technology Learning Ctr., 332 Union (578-5120)Williams Hall (334-1059)CEBA 1302 (578-1975)Coates Hall 205Writing Center Computer Lab (578-4439)

Technical Support:

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Computer Help Desk: for technical problems with LSU computers or servers (578-3375)* Center for Instructional Technology:Offers help obtaining or using multimedia materials in the classroomAudio-Visual Services, 578-1165Electronic Services: 578-2234Film and Video Library: 578-1168Multimedia/Graphic Production: 578-3981 or 3658Photographic Services: 578-2226Television Production: 578-2245 or 5791Instructional TV Studio: 578-2247

Course proposals: contact Director of Undergraduate StudiesScheduling courses: contact Director of Undergraduate StudiesRoom scheduling or room changes: see departmental secretary, 578-2236

* Independent Study Programs: 578-3171

Helping undergraduates:LSU Crisis Line: 24 hours 924-LSU1 (924-5781)

Career Placement: 578-5627 offers students t4sting and advice about careers and placement assistance

* Writing center: B31 Coates Hall, 578-4077 offers students excellent tutoring and writing help, by appointment or walk-in; more specific flyers are distributed early in the fall.

* Student Health: 578-6271 Clinic also offers health information and referrals.

*Mental Health Services: call 578-8775 or come by 245 Student Health Center.

*Wellness Education: 578-5718 Offers preventive education about health & lifestyle matters.

Women’s Center: 578-1714 offers a range of services and education for students and faculty regarding gender issues.

Office of Student Services: 578-8607 Broad-based center for helping students; can answer questions about policies and can provide referrals to the appropriate office.

Affirmative Action/Student Diversity: 578-6595 promotes diversity on campus, receives affirmative action complaints, educates about diversity and affirmative action.

*Academic Integrity, * Code of Conduct, etc: See section on Academic Misconduct above, or call Dean of Students, 578-4307. Questions about plagiarism, cheating or other academic integrity issues are handled here.

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International Study Programs: 578-8883 Promotes student study abroad; offers information about LSU and other) programs outside the US.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE FOR ENGLISH MAJORS AND MINORS

There are three organizations specifically directed toward developing the interests and talents of students majoring or minoring in English. Faculty whose students demonstrate ability, interest, or enthusiasm in these areas should direct them to the advisors or student leaders of these organizations.

Apollo's Lyre is the Honors College literary magazine, new in 2004. The magazine will be published annually, with poetry, short stories and essays submitted by students in the Honors College. Students wishing to get involved can join the mailing list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/literarymagazine/ or email the current editor-in-chief at aboyle3@lsu.edu. Information on applying for one of the staff positions for next year (2004-2005) will be available at the French House and in the Honors dorms after spring break.

Delta Undergraduate Journal has been around since 1947 and has, since 1995, showcased the work of just undergraduate LSU students. Students of all majors and interests are welcomed to both contribute work and to be a part of the staff. Meeting times and dates vary each semester, but the location is in Delta's office, 2B Allen Hall. Interested students can visit www.english.lsu.edu/journals/delta or email the 2005 editor, Anson Trahan at anson6580@yahoo.com.

The English Club and Sigma Tau Delta. The purpose of the English Club is to bring together students and faculty who are interested in broadening their knowledge of, appreciation of, and scholarship in the English language and literatures and bringing that knowledge and appreciation to the local community through service projects and work within the university and local schools.

The purpose of Sigma Tau Delta, an international English Honors society, is to confer distinction upon undergraduates, graduates, and scholars in academia who have recognized accomplishments in linguistic or literary areas of the English language. LSU’s chapter is Omega Zeta. The international organization sponsors a journal, offers scholarships and internships, and hosts a yearly convention that features undergraduate papers. Membership qualifications are: English major or minor, 1 year of college course work completed, and at least a 3.0 GPA in English.

The English Club is the basic organization that students join; members need only be LSU students with an English major or minor. Anyone wishing to join Sigma Tau Delta as well needs to meetthe international society’s requirements, stated above. There is a one-time initiation/application

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fee for membership in both the English Club and Sigma Tau Delta. Applications are available on the Sigma Tau Delta Bulletin Board next to room 139 in Allen Hall.

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