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ENG 2850 Great Works of Literature II
3.0 Credits

Professor:           
Manon Hakem-Lemaire, Ph.D. Student in Comparative Literature at The Graduate Center, CUNY

Email:                         
[email protected]
(I respond within 48 hours excluding weekends, and I turn assignments round within 2 weeks.)

Class format:           
Fully online flipped classroom, with a blend of asynchronous (reading, watching lectures, completing exit tickets on Blogs@Baruch) and synchronous (Zoom) activities once a week, every Tuesday, 7:50 to 9:30 am EST. This flipped classroom lets you prepare the readings and watch the lectures in your own time during the week, so that we can have a more informal and interactive time on Zoom.

Course website:
https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/eng2850fall21/

Recurring Zoom link (meetings and office hours): 
https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/j/85889217294
Meeting ID: 858 8921 7294
You’ll need to log in via CUNY SSO, with your Baruch email.

Office Hours:           
Tuesdays 9:30 – 10:30 am EST (right after our meetings), or by appointment, on Zoom.

Textbook:
– Required: The Norton Anthology for World Lit. Vol. D,E,F,
Author: Puchner, Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co. Inc., Price: 70.00 USD from Baruch bookstore. May also be available on thrift websites. All readings on the schedule are included in the anthology.
– Recommended: Writing about Literature, by Judith Woolf (Routledge, 2005).

Technical requirements and help:
– Internet connection to access Blogs@Baruch
– Baruch Mail
– Zoom (through SSO Baruch login), a mic and a camera
– Office Pack (Word, Powerpoint)
– Google Forms (for exit tickets and mid-term surveys)
Technical help is available by email to [email protected], and you can reach out to me.

Course description

This course presents a global approach to literature by introducing a variety of narrative, lyric, and dramatic forms representative of different cultures and historical periods, from the eighteenth century to the present. We will approach texts of a variety of forms and genres, from satire, Romantic poetry, and modern plays, to a broad range of fictional and non-fictional narratives. Discussions involve both close reading of selected texts and comparison of the values the texts promote. You will engage in a variety of communication-intensive activities designed to enhance your appreciation of literature and your awareness of the way it shapes and reflects a multicultural world.

Baruch requirements and equivalences:

– Baruch Common Core (for students who entered Baruch prior to Fall 2013): This course satisfies the Tier II Literature requirement.
– CUNY Pathways at Baruch (for students who entered Baruch Fall 2013 or later, or who “opt-in” to CUNY Pathways): This course is not part of the CUNY Pathways core, but it: satisfies the Literature requirement in the Weissman and Zicklin college options; is a choice for the SPA college option.
– This course is equivalent to CMP (LTT) 2850. Students will receive credit for ENG 2850, CMP 2850, or LTT 2850.
– These courses may not substitute for each other in the F grade replacement policy. This course may not be taken with the Pass/Fail option.

Prerequisite: ENG 2150 or equivalent.

Learning Goals

Specific outcomes of this course are the following:

  • Interpret meaning in literary texts by paying close attention to authors’ choices of detail, vocabulary, and style;
  • Discuss the relationship between different genres of literary texts and the multicultural environments from which they spring;
  • Articulate a critical evaluation and appreciation of a literary work’s strengths and limitations;
  • Present your ideas orally;
  • Express your ideas critically, in writing and orally, employing:
            o A strong thesis statement,
            o Appropriate textual citations,
            o Contextual and intertextual evidence for your ideas.

Assessment

You will be assessed on both weekly participation in class meetings and submitted work. Throughout the semester, you will be working on a scaffolded project in the format of your choice (essay, podcast, or video) and on the text of your choice from the anthology (please see under Assessment in the main menu). The scaffolded project will be built progressively, broken down into steps to completion, due throughout the semester (a project proposal, an informal presentation, peer-review of outlines, finished project, and final revised project).

This course section uses the “ungrading” and “contract-grading” methods, which are aimed at giving minimal quantification to students’ work, so as to shift the focus from grades to qualitative feedback. This means that constant participation is crucial, and that I will give you frequent, detailed feedback on your work. I will keep a record of your work throughout the semester, using checkmarks for each task accomplished and deadline respected. Since a final letter grade needs to appear on your transcript, I will ask you to fill in a self-assessment form at the end of the semester, where you will look back on your work and suggest a letter grade for yourself. I will then compare this with my records of your work. Students usually self-assess fairly, and it is rare that I grade them lower than what they suggested. It is more frequent that I find they undervalued their work, and I raise their suggested grade.

Grading Contract

Even though I strive to remove the focus from grades in this course, a final letter grade needs to appear on your transcript. If you’re aiming for an A in this class, the following contract outlines what must be done for best results in this class:

  • You have submitted all required assignments. If you requested an extension for up to one submission of the assignments due by email (the outline, the finished project and the final project, not the weekly work), you requested it at least 48 hours in advance, and you submitted by the agreed new deadline.
  • You have respected the instructions given to the best of your ability, contacting me in case of doubt. If the instructions were still misunderstood, you resubmitted when offered the chance.
  • You have watched a minimum of 8 lecture recordings out of 10 during the relevant weeks and filled out at least 8 exit tickets in full.
  • You attended most class meetings (up to two out of fourteen were missed and I was notified – reason for missing is personal, no need to tell me why).
  • You have a track record of spoken or chat participation in the class meetings. You made at least one input in the discussion for each meeting (excluding presentation meetings), be it in the chat or spoken.

An optional take-home exam (untimed), is proposed in the main menu, under Assessment, to raise your final letter grade by half a point (e.g. a B+ into an A-, A- into A, etc.). This can compensate in case you are missing some of the requirements above for an A. You may submit that exam at any point during the course, but no later than May 10th, 11:59 pm, to my email.


Late work and extensions

I accept late work as long as you communicate with me early to ask for an extension. I do not need to know why you need it, but I require that you ask at least 48 hours in advance of the due date (this is for assigments submitted by email, not for the weekly work and exit tickets). Please note that you may not get an A as your final grade if you submitted late work more than once in the semester.

**Please know that if too many students request an extension for the same assignment, I may not be able to grant them all, as the sole instructor of this course. Thus, I trust the whole class to only request extensions in case of true need, so as to make it possible for me to assess your work in reasonable time, as a mark of respect to your classmates’ and my own time.**


Methodology

Necessary methodological skills for your submissions will be developed through class activities, both asynchronously and synchronously. You are also expected to consult the Methodology page (main menu) and use the resources available there. Finally, you can seek free one-on-one help at the Writing Center, as well as use their website for writing guides (please see @Writing Support@ below).


Mutual expectations

I expect you to participate as much as possible and always communicate with me when you have any impediments. Learning is a collaborative activity, and your participation is required to make class discussion as rich and diverse as possible. Please consider turning your camera on during Zoom meetings, except on designated ”blackout days” where we will all keep off-camera. During our first class meeting, we will discuss different levels of comfort with cameras and come to an agreement as a class. I will also show you how to use a blurred or artificial background, and how to upload a profile picture or avatar to Zoom. Whatever we decided together, let it be understood that we do not need to provide an explanation for momentarily turning our cameras off during a meeting.

I want the class to be a safe space in which everyone feels comfortable contributing. I ask that we all be respectful of one another and the wonderfully diverse opinions, ethnic backgrounds, gender expressions and sexual orientations, social classes, religious beliefs, and ethnicities among us. In the same spirit, written work in this course should employ inclusive language, which shows that the writer honors the diversity of the human race by not using language that would universalize one element of humanity to the exclusion of others. For example, use “men and women” or “people” instead of the generic “man”; use “they” or alternate “he” and “she” instead of the generic “he” to represent “all people.”

I will treat you with respect and will spend a good deal of time this semester giving you extensive group and individual feedback, just like I’ll ask for your feedback over the semester.


Academic Integrity

I’ll expect you to compose your projects ethically, meaning that if you use the work of others, you cite that work, and that all work in this course is original, composed for the first time for this course, and is entirely your own, to the degree that anything we write is entirely our own. All students enrolled at Baruch are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty, as defined in the Baruch Student Handbook.

Plagiarism is presenting another’s ideas, research, or writing as your own, such as:

  • Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes (a functional limit is four or more words taken from another’s work);
  • Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledgement;
  • Using information that is not considered common knowledge without acknowledging the source;
  • Plagiarism may result in a failing grade on a particular assignment, at the least, and, depending on the circumstances, a failing grade in the course. It is a serious offense that, if done knowingly and depending on the severity and other factors, can result in a failing grade (or worse) and a mark on your permanent academic record.

If you ever have any questions or concerns about plagiarism, please ask me. You can also check out the online plagiarism tutorial prepared by members of the Newman Library faculty at http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/help/plagiarism/default.htm and Baruch College’s academic integrity policy at http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.htm

Writing Support

As a writer you’ll want to seek feedback from many different readers. Writers at all levels of experience get feedback on their writing. Asking for and receiving feedback is not a sign of weakness and it does not equal weak writing; it’s actually a sign of wisdom and makes your writing much stronger. You’ll give feedback to and get feedback from your fellow writers in your groups in this class. I also encourage you to get feedback on your writing from professional writing consultants (some of whom also teach first-year writing courses) at the Writing Center.

The Writing Center offers free, one-to-one (in-person and online) and small-group workshop writing support to all Baruch students. The Center’s consultants work collaboratively with you to deepen your writing and English language skills. At any step in the process, they’ll help you become a more confident and versatile writer. I encourage you to schedule your appointment well in advance of when your writing is due. You can schedule an appointment at: https://bc.mywconline.com/. Visit the Writing Center in NVC 8-185 or at the Newman Library Reference Desk, or log on to their website, writingcenter.baruch.cuny.edu, to learn more.

When help is needed

At Baruch, we acknowledge that as a student, you are balancing many demands. During the semester, if you start to experience personal difficulties or stressors that are interfering with your academic performance or day to day functioning, please consider seeking free and confidential support at the Baruch College Counseling Center. For more information or to make an appointment, please visit their website at https://studentaffairs.baruch.cuny.edu/counseling/ or call 646-312-2155. If it’s outside of business hours (Monday-Friday 9-5pm) and you need immediate assistance, please call 1-888-NYC-WELL (888-692-9355). If you are concerned about one of your classmates, please share that concern by filling out a Campus Intervention Team form at https://studentaffairs.baruch.cuny.edu/campus-intervention-team.

Accommodations

Baruch is committed to making individuals with disabilities full participants in the programs, services, and activities of the college community through compliance with Section 504 of the 8 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. It is the policy of Baruch that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability will be denied access to any program, service, or activity offered by the university. Individuals with disabilities have a right to request accommodations.

If you require any accommodation, please contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at [email protected], and let me know as soon as you can, ideally during the first two weeks of class. I encourage you to meet with me to co-design accommodations. For additional information check out the Student Disability Services webpage: https://studentaffairs.baruch.cuny.edu/student-disability-services/.

Withdrawing/Dropping the course

If you fall behind in the class for any reason, I encourage you to talk to me or consult an academic counselor. If you feel you must drop or withdraw from this course, you must do so by the dates on the academic calendar: https://enrollmentmanagement.baruch.cuny.edu/registrar/academic-calendar/.

If you decide to withdraw/drop, please let me know. No questions asked. It just avoids me trying to get in touch with you and figuring out how to assess you, while in fact you may have left the course weeks earlier. As your instructor, it is my responsibility to care about your academic journey in this course, so please just make sure I know about your decision and don’t wonder where you’ve been.