ENGL 5386
Semester: Fall 2015
Time & Location: Online
Instructor: Dr. Carolyn Tilghman
Campus Office Hours: TR 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Phone: 903.565.5702: Fax: 903.565.5700
Email: ctilghman@uttyler.edu
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Contemporary Fiction
Welcome to Class!
I have high expectations for each person taking this class. I hope that as the semester continues, it will be
a place for you to present your thoughts, participate in online discussion, and formulate your ideas
effectively as you gain an appreciation for the riches that contemporary novels have to offer. If you have
any questions or concerns about your progress in the class, I encourage you to email me, post a question
on the Q & A section of the Discussion Board, or visit me during office hours. I not only welcome contact
with you, I strongly encourage it.
Course Description
This graduate level literature course will be delivered online. It is designed to make the best use of new
technologies for learning and student time. The course is divided into six units with the addition of an
introduction and conclusion. Each unit will focus on a contemporary novel along with relevant critical
readings. The class will address contemporary novels in terms of how they reflect and shape changes in
the cultural and imaginative landscapes of their readers. How narrative structure and innovation inform
fiction written about history, memory, and identity will be central considerations. Questions that will be
explored throughout the semester include: What interconnections exist between fact and fiction, history
and story, event and memory, identity and narrative, self and other in the novels under study? As a means
for enriching discussion, assigned novels will be paired with relevant critical commentary.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, students should have a(n)
1) working familiarity with several important contemporary novelists who write in English,
2) grasp of the significant thematic concerns, rhetorical devices, and structural elements of the novels
under discussion,
3) appreciation of how these novels relate to the formation of subjectivity, community, nation, and
history,
4) awareness of the essential role narrative plays in the ordering of ideas and experiences, and
5) appreciation of the important role that literary criticism plays in the reception and understanding
literary texts.
Based on this knowledge, a student should be able to analyze assigned texts with discernment, draw
relevant connections within a particular novel and between novels; generate and sustain thoughtprovoking discussion; effectively organize and present research in an oral forum; demonstrate critical
thinking and engagement in a series of response papers; and compose a substantive, critically astute, and
elegant seminar paper.
Course Prerequisite: To enroll in the course, you must have graduate standing in English or permission of
the Instructor.
Course Materials
Required Reading:
1. Ian McEwan, Atonement, Anchor Books, 2001 (ISBN-13: 978-0307388841)
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2. Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin, Anchor Books, 2000 (ISBN-13: 978-0385720953)
3. Peter Ho Davies, The Welsh Girl, Mariner Book, 2007 (ISBN-13: 978-0t18918522)
4. Edna O’Brien, House of Splendid Isolation, Plume, 1994 (ISBN-13: 978-0452274525)
5. Julian Barnes, Flaubert’s Parrot, Vintage, 1984 (ISBN-13: 978-0679731368)
6. Graham Swift, Waterland, Vintage, 1983 (ISBN-13: 978-0679739791)
Recommended Reading:
7. Susanne Keen, Narrative Form, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004 (ISBN-13; 978-0333960974)
Digital Texts for the Course:
The ENGL 5386 Electronic Texts contain notes, podcasts, and videos. They can be accessed by clicking
on the Blackboard unit tab for the novel under study.
Handouts:
These contain critical readings. They can be accessed by clicking on the Blackboard unit tab for the novel
under study.
Technology
Requirements:
1. Access to a computer (PC or Mac), personal or campus
2, Internet access with the ability to view and listen to video and audio recordings. (High-speed is
preferred; Blackboard, videos, podcasts and ZOOM may be slow to load on satellite or dial-up.)
3, Microsoft Office is strongly recommended. You may use instead a Word and PowerPoint-compatible
program such as Apple iWork or Apache Open Office (free) to view handouts and presentations.
4. A free ZOOM account. Visit the ZOOM.us web site to create an account.
NOTE: The campus IT department has arranged for student discounts on several software packages on
the HiEd website.
For Engl 5330 online, you must be able to
1. Send and receive email from your UT Tyler patriots email account
2. Access and navigate UT Tyler Blackboard
3. Create, attach, receive, and open Microsoft Word documents
4. Post to discussion board forums on Blackboard
5. Open PDF files
6. Play and view video and audio files
Plug-ins and Helper Applications:
UT Tyler online courses use Java, JavaScript, browser plug-ins, helper application and cookies. You need
to have these elements installed and enabled in your web browser for optimal viewing of the content and
functions of your online course. Always ensure that you are using the most updated version for the
browser you choose to access the online learning content.
1. Mozilla Firefox is the recommended browser for Blackboard (http://www.mozilla.org/enUS/firefox/new/)
2. Adobe Reader allows you to view, save, and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files
(http://get.adobe.com/reader/)
3. Java Runtime Environment (JRE) allows you to use interactive tools on the web
(http://www.java.com/en/download/)
4. Adobe Flash Player allows you to view content created with Flash such as interactive web applications
and animations (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/)
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5. QuickTime allows users to play back audio and video files
(http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/)
6. Windows Media Player allows you to view, listen and download streaming video and audio
(http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/windows-media-player).
Help with Technology:
For tutorials on how to use Blackboard, please click on the Help tab located on the upper right hand
corner of this page. If you have issues with logins, connectivity, or with general computer support, email
itsupport@patriots.uttyler.edu or contact the IT Support Hotline at (903) 565-5555.
Communication Policy
Announcements:
Please check Blackboard regularly for announcements. They will contain important information about the
class.
Email:
Email for this class will be checked regularly on weekdays between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Email will be
responded to within twenty-four hours on weekdays. Email will not be responded to on weekends. On
occasion, a faculty meeting, student meeting, or appointment may prevent checking email during the
scheduled time; however, email will be checked as soon as possible after or before the meeting or
appointment.
Discussion Board Q&A:
The Q&A section of the Discussion Board will be checked and responded to regularly on weekdays
between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Discussion Board & Netiquette
Discussion Board Participation:
You will be expected to participate in class discussions on the Discussion Board, both formally (with
assigned discussion prompts) and informally with your classmates. A reduction in the discussion
participation portion of your online participation grade will result for each failure to adequately respond
to an assigned discussion prompt. See the grading section below.
Discussion Board Etiquette*:
The following guidelines should be followed each time you interact on the Discussion Board to insure
your interactions are professional:
1. Introduce yourself to the other participants on the discussion board before responding to the discussion
prompt or entering a discussion.
2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life. Remember there is a
person behind a written post. Always follow ethical standards of behavior and be respectful to others
whose opinions and life experiences may differ from your own.
3. Refrain from inappropriate language and comments that lead to a personal attack or cause conflict. If
someone acts inappropriately, do not comment about the post and do not respond to it.
4. Be prepared for online discussions prior to engaging in them and be willing to both ask questions and
share knowledge.
5. Respect other people’s time by understanding the requirements of the discussion, asking relevant
questions, and making thoughtful responses.
6. Take time to check spelling and grammar before posting a comment.
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7. Be patient and forgiving of others mistakes. We all make them.
*Adapted from Duquesne University’s Center for Teaching Excellence: http://www.duq.edu/about/centers-and-institutes/centerfor-teaching-excellence/teaching-andlearning/nettiquette-for-online-learning
Please be mindful that the course instructor will monitor the discussion board. Should inappropriate
conduct occur, a private email will be sent to the offending student in the first instance. A significant
reduction in the student's participation grade will occur in the second instance. The student will be
removed from the discussion board and a 0% participation grade for online discussion recorded in the
third instance. The instructor reserves the right to modify this procedure.
Class Participation
Student Absence for University-Sponsored Events and Activities:
If you intend to be absent from a scheduled class for a university-sponsored event or activity, you (or the
event sponsor) must notify the instructor at least two weeks prior to the date of the planned absence. At
that time the instructor will set a date and time when make-up assignments will be completed.
Student Absence due to Religious Observance:
Students who anticipate being absent from a scheduled class due to a religious observance are requested
to inform the instructor by the second class meeting of the semester.
Course Withdrawal Date:
The last day to withdraw from this course with an automatic “W” is October 26, 2015.
State-Mandated Course Drop Policy:
Texas law prohibits a student who began college for the first time in Fall 2007 or thereafter from dropping
more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career. This includes courses dropped at another
2-year or 4-year Texas public college or university. For purposes of this rule, a dropped course is any
course that is dropped after the census date. (See Academic Calendar for the specific date.) Exceptions to
the 6-drop rule may be found in the catalog. Petitions for exemptions must be submitted to the Enrollment
Services Center and must be accompanied by documentation of the extenuating circumstance. Please
contact the Enrollment Services Center if you have any questions.
Grading & Late Policy
Grades will be calculated for this class as follows:
Online Quizzes
Response Paper
Discussion Board
Seminar Paper
15%
20%
20%
45%
Quizzes:
Six online quizzes will given, one for each of the six course units. Access to a unit quiz is located under
the “Quizzes” tab on the Blackboard menu bar. A quiz will be made available when the course unit to
which it applies is made available. An “Announcement” will be posted when a quiz is available. You
make take a quiz in its entirety or return to finish it at any time before the quiz submission deadline for
that quiz. However, once the “Submit” tab is pressed, a quiz cannot be revisited. Quizzes are graded
online and a quiz grade should post immediately after a quiz has been submitted.
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Late Policy for Online Quizzes: The quiz for each course unit must be taken by the scheduled submission
deadline. Quizzes cannot be made up after this deadline has passed. Please check the Course Calendar for
quiz submission deadlines.
Response Paper:
Over the course of the semester you will be given three different opportunities to compose one short
response paper over selected, assigned readings. A response paper should be three to four pages, typed,
double-spaced, and use MLA format. Early in the semester, instructions will be provided in a handout,
with the handout's availability posted under “Announcements” on the Blackboard menu tab. A response
paper grade should be posted on Blackboard under My Grades one week after submission of the paper.
Late Policy for the Response Paper: 2% of the grade assigned for the response paper will be deducted for
each weekday the paper is late. Please check the “Course Calendar” for paper due dates.
Discussion Board:
At the beginning of the semester you will be assigned to a discussion group. Six discussion prompts will
be posted under the “Discussion Board” tab on the Blackboard menu bar for your group (one prompt for
each of the six course units). An “Announcement” will be posted when a discussion forum with prompts
is available. Make sure you answer these prompts with thought and care and address the other posted
responses in your group in your response since Discussion Board participation will have a significant
impact on your semester grade. (Note: if you are the first to post in your group, you do not have to
address other posts in your group.) Discussion Board participation is cumulative, so the grade for this
component of the course will be posted at the end of the semester.
Late Policy for the Discussion Board Posts: 2% of the grade assigned for a posted response will be
deducted for each weekday it is late. Please check the Course Calendar for deadlines for posting
responses to Discussion Board prompts.
Seminar Paper:
You will be assigned a 12-15 page seminar paper. Look for a topic based on an assigned text(s) that you
would like to explore over the course of the semester. The assignment with instructions will be provided
in a handout, and an “Announcements” will be posted when the handout is available. A seminar paper
grade should be posted on Blackboard under My Grades one week after submission of the paper.
Late Policy for the Seminar Paper: Late papers will be marked down 2% of the assigned grade for each
day late. Check the Course Calendar for the paper’s submission deadlines.
Academic Honesty:
You must not submit work that has been copied, wholly or partially, from a book, article, essay,
newspaper, another student’s notebook, paper, test, or any other written or printed or internet or media
source. In the event that extra credit paper is assigned, another writer’s phrases, sentences, or paragraphs
may be included as part of your work only if presented in paraphrase or quotation with the source
appropriately cited both in the text and in an attached bibliography. Academic dishonesty will be
reported and may result in failure of the course.
Grade Replacement/Forgiveness and Census Date Policies
Students repeating a course for grade forgiveness (grade replacement) must file a Grade Replacement
Contract with the Enrollment Services Center (ADM 230) on or before the Census Date of the semester in
which the course will be repeated. Grade Replacement Contracts are available in the Enrollment Services
Center or at http://www.uttyler.edu/registrar. Each semester’s Census Date can be found on the Contract
itself, on the Academic Calendar, or in the information pamphlets published each semester by the Office
of the Registrar.
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Failure to file a Grade Replacement Contract will result in both the original and repeated grade being used
to calculate your overall grade point average. Undergraduates are eligible to exercise grade replacement
for only three course repeats during their career at UT Tyler; graduates are eligible for two grade
replacements. Full policy details are printed on each Grade Replacement Contract.
The Census Date is the deadline for many forms and enrollment actions that students need to be aware of.
These include:
1. Submitting Grade Replacement Contracts, Transient Forms, requests to withhold directory information,
approvals for taking courses as Audit, Pass/Fail or Credit/No Credit.
2. Receiving 100% refunds for partial withdrawals. (There is no refund for these after the Census Date.)
3. Scheduling adjustments (section changes, adding a new class, dropping without a “W” grade).
4. Being reinstated or re-enrolled in classes after being dropped for non-payment.
5. Completing the process for tuition exemptions or waivers through Financial Aid.
Disability Services
In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the
ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) the University offers accommodations to students with learning,
physical and/or psychiatric disabilities. If you have a disability, including non-visible disabilities such as
chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, PTSD or ADHD, or you have a history of
modifications or accommodations in a previous educational environment you are encouraged to contact
the Student Accessibility and Resources office and schedule an interview with the Accessibility Case
Manager/ADA Coordinator, Cynthia Lowery Staples. If you are unsure if the above criterion applies to
you, but have questions or concerns please contact the SAR office. For more information or to set up an
appointment please visit the SAR office located in the University Center, Room 3150 or call
903.566.7079. You may also send an email to cstaples@uttyler.edu.
Students Rights and Responsibilities
To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities as a student at UT Tyler,
please follow this link: http://www2.uttyler.edu/wellness/rightsresponsibilities.php.
Social Security and FERPA Statement
It is the policy of The University of Texas at Tyler to protect the confidential nature of social security
numbers. The University has changed its computer programming so that all students have an
identification number. The electronic transmission of grades (e.g., via e-mail) risks violation of the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; grades will not be transmitted electronically.
Emergency Exits and Evacuation
Everyone is required to exit the building when a fire alarm goes off. Follow your instructor’s directions
regarding the appropriate exit. If you require assistance during an evacuation, inform your instructor in
the first week of class. Do not re-enter the building unless given permission by University Police, Fire
department, or Fire Prevention Service.