Revised Fall 2014-15
SYLLABUS
English 262
3 Semester Credit Hours A
I.
English Literature II
3 Contact Hours
Course description
This course is a survey of English literature from the Romantic Period to the present.
Emphasis is placed on representative works and writers of this period and on the literary,
cultural, historical, and philosophical forces that shaped these works and that are reflected in
them. Upon completion and in written compositions, students will be able to interpret the
aesthetic and thematic aspects of these works, relate the works to their historical and literary
contexts, and understand relevant criticism and research.
II.
Bibliography
Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 2. 9th ed. New York:
Norton. 2012.
Optional: An English Novel or play selected by the instructor.
III.
Prerequisite: ENG 102 or equivalent.
IV.
Course Learning Outcomes
A. The student will develop through the assigned literature the cognitive skills to read,
interpret, and evaluate prose, poetry, and drama.
B. The student will identify cultural, historical, and philosophical focus revealed in and
illustrated by the assigned literature.
C. The student will identify both the thematic and the aesthetic significance of the assigned
literary works and will place the thematic and aesthetic concerns of a work in the
context of the historical/literary period of the work.
D. The student will recognize the role that the assigned literature has played in creating the
cultural and philosophical foundations of contemporary society.
E. The student will understand literary scholarship and its relation to the primary literary
works.
V.
Activities Promoting General Education Outcomes
A. Communication
1. Students are required to write at least 2 essays.
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B. Cognition
1. Students will synthesize information collected for research and then apply the
information to the course exams.
C. Information Literacy
1. Students will write at least one research paper that requires the use of technological
applications.
VI. Outline of Course Topics
A. The topics presented will include the major themes and techniques characteristic of the
literary movements covered in this course and illustrated by the works of representative
writers.
B. The student will read a substantial body of primary literature appropriate to this course.
C. The student will write at least two major compositions that together analyze, synthesize,
and evaluate literary works and/or relate assigned literature to other disciplines and to
broader human concerns. At least one of the compositions will demonstrate the student’s
knowledge and understanding of literary research and scholarship.
VII. Methods of Instruction
A. Lectures by instructor
B. Parallel reading from the library selected from a variety of sources to encourage student
exploration in supporting materials--in biography, history, criticism, scholarly journals,
etc.
C. Coordination with the Learning Resources Center in the appropriate use of audio-visual
materials for class presentations or for individual assignments
D. Instruction on writing critical papers one of which must demonstrate the student’s
knowledge and understanding of literary research and scholarship
E. Class discussion
F. A written project on a British literary topic, selected and completed by the individual
student
VIII. Evaluation and Assessment
A. Course Grade Assessment
1. The student will take at least two examinations that entail considerable writing and
that are devised to assess student achievement of course objectives.
2. Frequent quizzes will be given to encourage and assess the student’s reading of the
assigned literature.
3. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions to assess their reading of
the assigned literature.
4. Students will write at least two major compositions that analyze, synthesize, and
evaluate literary works and/or relate the assigned literature to other disciplines and to
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5.
broader human concerns. At least one of these must demonstrate literary research
and scholarship.
Grades will be given based upon a ten-point grading scale (i.e., A=90-100%, B=8089%, C=70-79%, D=60-69%, and F=below 60%).
B. Departmental Assessment of General Education Outcomes
1. Students meeting the General Education Outcome of Communication will score a
minimum average of 70% on the two compositions which indicate the student’s
ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate material. These two compositions along
with the research paper must compose at least 25% of the final grade.
2. Students meeting the General Education Outcome of Cognition will score 70% or
better on each of the two exams both of which will include discussion counting at
least 25% of the grade. These discussion questions will require the student to identify
the cultural, historical, and philosophical forces illustrated by the assigned literature.
3. Students meeting the General Education Outcome of Information Literacy will score
70% or better on the research paper which requires the student to incorporate literary
research and scholarship. Along with the other compositions, the research paper will
compose at least 25% of the final grade.
4. Every five years all ENG 261 instructors will conduct an assessment of the course.
The appropriate forms will be completed by each instructor and submitted to the
division chair.
C.
IX.
Use of Assessment Findings
During the Fall In-service of the year following the scheduled review of ENG 261, a
committee will review all course assessment materials submitted by the instructors and
division chair. The committee will prepare a report of any recommended curriculum
changes for ENG 262 and send the report to the division chair, who will then submit them
to the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) Committee. Upon approval by the SLO
Committee, a copy will be filed with the Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are registered. Students who are
unable to attend class regularly, regardless of the reason or circumstance, should withdraw
from that class before poor attendance interferes with the student’s ability to achieve the
objectives required in the course. Withdrawal from class can affect eligibility for federal
financial aid.
X.
Statement of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is intentionally copying the ideas or words of another and using those ideas or
words as one’s own. The Department and/or College regularly uses anti-plagiarism
programs to check student work; therefore, when outside sources are paraphrased or
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incorporated verbatim, they must be acknowledged. Students who submit plagiarized or
partially plagiarized assignments will not receive credit for those assignments and may be
subject to failure in the course.
XI.
Statement on Discrimination/Harassment
The College and the Alabama State Board of Education are committed to providing both
employment and educational environments free of harassment or discrimination related to an
individual’s race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, or disability. Such harassment
is a violation of State Board of Education policy. Any practice or behavior that constitutes
harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated.
XII.
Statement of Adherence to ADA Guidelines
Instructors will adhere to the Americans With Disabilities Act and/or Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act (1973) and will publish the following statement on course outlines given
to students at the beginning of each semester: “Any individual who qualifies for reasonable
accommodations under the Americans With Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act (1973) should notify the instructor immediately.”
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