SYLLABUS
Instructor: XXXXX
Course title and number
Term (e.g., Fall 200X)
Meeting times and location
English 203, Introduction to Literature, Section XXX
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Course Description and Prerequisites
Catalog Description: (3-0). Credit 3. Exploration of literature by genre and/or theme; literary analysis
and interpretation; intensive writing about literature.
Prerequisite: English 104. Students may not enroll in English 104 and 203 concurrently.
English 203 is designed to introduce students to the purposes, strategies, and opportunities of
critical/analytical reading and writing. Focusing on texts drawn from various historical periods and
representing a variety of literary/cultural genres (drama, novel, short story, poetry, autobiography,
film), we will work to develop those skills that make for the richest possible reading experience,
and to master the techniques needed to express that experience most effectively in written form.
Student Learning Outcomes
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Demonstrate familiarity with literary periods and their legacy of important ideas.
Identify key ideas, representative authors and works, significant historical and cultural
events, and characteristic perspectives and attitudes expressed in the literature of different
periods or regions.
Demonstrate an understanding of literary works as expressions of individual and human
values within the social, political, cultural, and religious contexts of different literary
periods.
Demonstrate knowledge of major genres and forms of literature.
Understand the development of characteristic forms and styles of expression during
different historical periods and in different regions.
Develop an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of
works in the arts and humanities.
Analyze and synthesize aesthetic, historical, formal, and ideological approaches to
interpreting literature through class discussion, presentations, written assignments, and
exams.
Articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities
Produce critical essays about the assigned readings. These essays should support a
debatable thesis, utilize primary and secondary sources, document and cite those sources
according to MLA style, avoid plagiarism, and express ideas in clear and grammatically
correct prose.
While no literary background beyond traditional secondary-school study is assumed, good
composition skills are expected. The prerequisite for this course is credit for English 104
or its equivalent.
ENGL 203 Course Requirements
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Prerequisite: English 104 (While students have multiple options for meeting this
requirement, English 203 instructors will expect students to have the skills listed under
student learning outcomes on the English 104 standard syllabus).
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The University views class attendance as the responsibility of an individual student.
Attendance is essential to complete the course successfully. University rules related to
excused and unexcused absences are located on-line at http://studentrules.tamu.edu/rule07.
Formal papers include a minimum of 20 pages of formal writing completed outside of class.
Research assignments in English 203 will use a variety of materials, print and electronic.
Printed sources must be consulted and integrated into the paper. Instructors may require
you to submit copies of your sources with final drafts.
Reading assignments and peer review require critical reading. You will also need to read
your own work with a critical eye.
Daily writing will be a part of your course. You are expected to participate in collaborative
activities and class discussion, and to write during or after every class.
Office hours
Instructor Information
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX (Use your TAMU Address)
XXXXX
Office location
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Name
Telephone number
Email address
Textbook and/or Resource Material
Standard Adoption Texts:
 Baker, Jim, ed. ENGL203 Introduction to Literature (Dubuque: Kendall Hunt, 2012).
 The Ideal Reader: Introduction to Literature: ENGL203 (New York: McGraw Hill, 2011).
 The current Brazos Valley Reads selection (strongly encouraged):
 Rebecca Moore Howard. Writing Matters: A Handbook for Writing and Research. New York: McGraw
Hill, 2011. (NOTE: We will be using the electronic version of this text, which will be available for purchase either
through the bookstore or directly from our course website. Wait to purchase until after the first class meeting for final
details.)
 TAMU Neo Email Account
 Four standard-sized file folders
Grading Policies
Criteria for Grade Determination
Assessment Category
Grammar and Mechanics Exercises
Homework and In-class Activities
Writing Project 1
Writing Project 2
Writing Project 3
Writing Project 4
Total
Grades
Percentage of Grade
5%
15%
15%
20%
20%
25%
100%
Grading Scale: A (100-90); B (89-80); C (79-70); D (69-60); F (59-0)
Grades are not negotiable. Your final course grade will be based on your work in the course. If you are
concerned about a grade, see me during office hours.
Writing Projects. You will submit an electronic copy of each Writing Project to Turnitin.com (for more
information on Turnitin.com, see “Other Pertinent Course Information” below). Your papers will be graded
online, and you will be able to see my comments via the web interface.
After I return a paper, I’ll be glad to discuss it with you after you have had sufficient time to read and reflect
on my comments. To protect your privacy, University rules prohibit instructors from discussion student
grade issues via email. Plan on making an appointment for a conference or drop by during regular office
hours.
Paper Format. Papers must be typed on a computer and formatted according to MLA referencing
guidelines. A guide to MLA formatting style is available in Writing Matters: A Handbook for Writing and
Research. Also, you will be taught how to use MLA style in Unit 1 of the course.
Late Papers. You are required to submit assignments to me electronically on due dates listed on this
syllabus. Late submission of Writing Projects 1-4 will result in a deduction of 10 percent of the grade per
day.
You are responsible for presenting appropriate documentation to excuse late work. If you do not submit
appropriate written documentation, you will have points deducted for late submission (10% of the total
grade for each day).
Peer Review Makeup. Writing classes function on the basis of community; therefore, the entire class’
experience depends upon the participation of each person. If you come to class on peer workshop days
without a completed draft, you will not be prepared to participate in peer review and will not receive the
benefit of peer editing, which is mandatory and difficult to make up outside of class. If you miss in-class
peer review, arrange for peer feedback with your group members outside of class time. It is unacceptable to
submit peer workshop feedback sheets that have been filled out by anyone not enrolled in your section of
English 104.
Grade of I. You should not assume that you may "take an incomplete" in this course. TAMU Student Rules
provide guidelines for assigning a grade of I. Requests for Incompletes should be addressed to Dr. Jim
Baker, Director of Writing Programs. Your college advising office will be contacted to verify your reason
for requesting a grade of I. Requests will be considered only if you have a grade of C or above, a record of
good attendance prior to illness or emergencies, and only if you have completed 60% of the work in the
course.
Mid-Semester Grades. Grades reported at mid-semester will be based on Writing Project 1, Writing Project
2, homework, quizzes, and in-class assignments. This is not 50% of your final grade.
Appropriate Attribution. Any assignment that includes sources but fails to include clear and appropriate
attribution of those sources will receive a grade of zero (“0”).
Acknowledging Assistance. Peer review drafts will include notations from your classmates; otherwise, any
handwritten notes on drafts must be in your writing, and all drafts and supporting documents must be your
writing—that is, your ideas and your words. If you work with a tutor, plan on discussing your writing, but
let the tutor know that all writing must be your own. Cover memos submitted with each writing project will
acknowledge the assistance of anyone who contributed to your paper—for example, your peer review group
or your roommate. Any paper that shows evidence of assistance and fails to acknowledge that assistance
will be considered a violation of the Aggie Honor Code and will be reported as a case of scholastic
dishonesty.
E-mail and Fax. I will not discuss grades on e-mail and, unless otherwise specified, I will not accept
assignments attached to e-mail messages. The English Department will not accept papers or excuses for
missing class faxed to instructors.
Attendance
It is your responsibility to attend the section in which you are officially registered. Neither purchase of
textbooks nor completion of assignments is a valid reason to continue attending the wrong section.
Because English 104 calls for daily practice in class and out, it is difficult to make up work for extended
absences. Writing Programs stands firm on the expectation that students attend class and submit all
assignments in the sequence they are assigned in accordance with the deadlines listed in the course syllabus
or announced in class. Failure to do so will result in a grade of F: See TAMU Student Rule 7.
Authorized Absences. You are responsible for providing evidence to substantiate "authorized absences." If
you know in advance that you will miss a class, you are responsible for informing me. I will take attendance
and enter the number of absences on the final roster. See TAMU Student Rules for an explanation of
authorized absences. Excessive unexcused absences (more than three) will be reported to your college
advising office and will result in the final course grade being lowered one letter grade. For excessive excused
absences (three weeks or more, fall and summer terms; five class meetings, summer term), I will recommend
that you see your academic advising office about the options outlined in TAMU Student Rule 7.6.
You are expected to meet in class according to the times published in the fall/spring schedule of classes. To
have credit for attendance, students who arrive in class after attendance is checked (first five minutes) must
provide evidence (memo and documentation) to substantiate their late arrival.
For injury or illness less than three days, you must submit “confirmation of visit to a health care professional
affirming date and time of visit.” (See TAMU Student Rule 7.1.6.2)
For injury or illness of three or more days, you must submit a “medical confirmation note from . . . [your]
medical provider. The Student Health Center or an off-campus medical professional can provide a medical
confirmation note only if medical professionals are involved in the medical care of the student. The medical
confirmation note must contain the date and time of the illness and medical professional’s confirmation of
needed absence.” (See TAMU Student Rule 7.1.6.1)
English 1302 (for ENGL 203)
If you have taken English 1302 through a community college in Texas or completed dual credit for English
through a Texas high school, check with your academic advisor to be sure you are properly enrolled. The
Texas Common Course Numbering System makes English 1302 an equivalent for TAMU English 203,
regardless of course content. If you have credit for English 1302, you are repeating the course if you stay in
English 203. To date, the Registrar has not let the department substitute English 203 for any other courses
after students learn they have unknowingly repeated the course.
Handouts
The handouts used in this course are copyrighted. “Handouts,” include all materials generated for this class,
which include but are not limited to exams, quizzes, syllabi, in-class materials, sample papers, and peer
critique sheets. Because these materials are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy handouts, unless
your instructor expressly grants permission.
Course Topics, Calendar of Activities, Major Assignment Dates
(If the course is web-based, you may wish to provide links to academic calendar and final schedule.
Avoid conflicts with religious observances. Major assignment due dates and test dates may be included,
but should not be changed without notification of all students in the course. THIS INFORMATION HAS
BEEN PLACED HERE FOR REFERENCE ONLY. PLEASE REMOVE BEFORE PREPARING
SYLLABUS.)
Week
Topic
Required Reading
Other Pertinent Course Information
You are responsible for being familiar with the Writing Program’s policies <http://wwwenglish.tamu.edu/
index.php?id=737> and with Texas A&M Student Rules <http://student-rules.tamu.edu>. If you have
questions, see your instructor or come to the Writing Programs Office, Blocker 234.
Group Work. If group work is assigned outside of class, you should meet on University premises. The
Sterling C. Evans Library provides areas for group study. To make group work efficient and productive, all
members should exhibit professional behavior and remain on task—that is, everyone should work on the
project at hand.
Classroom Behavior. Disruptive classroom behavior is defined as anything that would interfere with "an
instructor's ability to conduct the class" or "the ability of other students to profit from the instructional
program." TAMU Student Rules explicitly prohibit disruptive behavior.
Moodle
This course has a companion website hosted on the English Department’s Moodle Learning Management
System. It is important for you to access the Moodle page on a regular basis because it will be the place where
you will:
• See the class assignment calendar to keep up with your reading and homework assignments.
• Download additional course materials, like handouts, reading materials and homework assignments.
• Access WHConnectEnglish.com and Turnitin.com to submit your Major Writing Projects for
grading.
• Upload homework assignments for grading.
• Check your grades using the online grade book.
• Check your attendance using the online attendance tool.
• Access guided research materials for your final Writing Project.
By the first day of class, you will receive an email from your instructor via your TAMU email account with
instructions for accessing Moodle, an enrollment key that you’ll need to gain access to your section’s website,
and an assignment for you to complete.To access Moodle:
• Open a web browser and go to http://moodle.english.tamu.edu/
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Click on the link for the current semester
Enter your netid and password
Click on the link for 104 Sections
Find your instructor’s name and your section number and click the link
The first time you log in, you’ll need an enrollment key (it will be in the email from your instructor).
Turnitin.com
Turnitin is an Internet-based service that allows students and instructors to check papers for plagiarism.
When you submit a paper to Turnitin, the program checks it against online sources and a database that
includes books, journals, and online paper-selling services. Then the program sends your instructor a report,
highlighting any passages that appear in other sources. If you’ve done your own work, your instructor will be
the only person with access to your paper. You maintain intellectual property rights to your work.
You will access Turnitin.com via the Moodle course page for your section. About a week prior to a major
writing assignment coming due, a link will appear on Moodle that you can click on to upload your paper.
Turnitin recognizes most common word processing program files, such as MS Word. If you work according
to the class schedule, you’ll have the opportunity to submit papers to Turnitin before you submit them for a
final grade, so think of this program as a safety net. One of the primary skills you’ll be learning in this class is
how to document research sources appropriately, and Turnitin is primarily a tool to help you check your
work. Scholastic honesty is important—extremely important. If you know in advance that you have problems
with the fair and appropriate attribution of sources, you must take the responsibility of addressing the
situation and learning how to acknowledge when you borrow the words and ideas of other writers; in other
words, tell your instructor about it BEFORE your paper is due so he or she can help you learn to correct the
problem. If you fail to do so, then Turnitin will alert your instructor that you may have committed
plagiarism, and that could lead to you receiving a zero for a major assignment, or an F in the course.
The University Writing Center
The University Writing Center (UWC) offers undergraduate students one-on-one help at any stage of the
writing process. Located on the second floor of the Sterling C. Evans Library (Suite 1.214) and on the
second floor of the West Campus Library, the UWC also offers online assistance and computer-based
lessons. See their Web page < http://writingcenter.tamu.edu> for details and hours of operation.
Handouts.
The handouts used in this course are copyrighted. “Handouts" are all materials generated for this class,
which include but are not limited to exams, quizzes, syllabi, in-class materials, sample papers, and peer
critique sheets. Because these materials are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy handouts, unless
your instructor expressly grants permission.
Electronic Devices.
As a courtesy to your classmates and to me, turn off all electronic devices before class starts.
Evans Library
Your English 104 Evans Learning and Outreach Librarian is Lea Susan Engle, Evans Library Annex, Room
418 D.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable
accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please
contact Disability Services, in Cain Hall, Room B118, or call 845-1637. For additional information visit
http://disability.tamu.edu
Academic Integrity
For additional information please visit: http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu/
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.”
The Honor Code, based on the long-standing affirmation that “An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or
tolerate those who do,” is fundamental to the value of the A&M experience.
Upon accepting admission to Texas A&M University, a student immediately assumes a commitment to
uphold the Honor Code, to accept responsibility for learning, and to follow the philosophy and rules of the
Honor System. Students will be required to state their commitment on examinations, research papers, and
other academic work. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude any member of the TAMU community from
the requirements or the processes of the Honor System.
Information about the Honor Council Rules and Procedures is available online:
http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu/
During the semester, you will be expected to sign the following statement as you hand in papers, quizzes, and
exams:
"On my honor, as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work."
Scholastic Dishonesty. It is your responsibility to know the Aggie Honor Code and to understand what
constitutes scholastic dishonesty and to avoid it at all costs. Anything (homework, quizzes, daily work,
papers, and exams) that appears to be a violation of the Aggie Honor Code will be reported to the Aggie
Honor System Office.