English 1101 – Winter 2010
Instructor:
Office:
Telephone:
Email:
Office hours:
Dr. Danine Farquharson
A3038
737-2448
daninef@mun.ca
Wednesdays 10:30 to 12:30 or by appointment
English 1101 is a study of literary fiction. Emphasis is placed on critical reading
and writing: analyzing texts, framing and using questions, constructing essays,
organizing paragraphs, revising and editing.
Students are expected to attend class prepared to discuss the assigned
readings.
Required textbooks (in MUN bookstore):
Austen, Jane. Emma
McEwan, Ian. Atonement
Doyle, Roddy. The Commitments
Kureishi, Hanif. The Buddha of Suburbia
Recommended books:
You should invest in a good dictionary and thesaurus. Do not trust the spell and
grammar check on your computer to find all mistakes and errors.
Course Evaluation:
Term Work: Essay #1 (in class)
Essay #2 (in class)
Revision Essay (out of class)
Essay #3 (out of class)
Final Exam:
10%
10%
20%
20%
40%
Course Policies
Email assignments will NOT be accepted.
I will accept late assignments only if students have a valid reason for needing an
extension and only if students have attended class regularly. Students who do
not consistently attend classes will not be given permission to write missed in
class exams.
Unexplained late assignments will lose 5% per day after the due date.
I follow university regulations for medical notes as outlined in the University
Calendar (4.14.4):
Students who request permission to drop courses, to withdraw from University
studies, to have examinations deferred or to obtain other waivers of University,
departmental or course regulations based on medical grounds are required by
the University to produce a note from a physician in support of their request.
Such notes must be sufficiently specific to allow a proper consideration of the
student's case. The University requests that all medical notes be on letterhead,
be signed by the physician and include details on the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
confirmation of the specific dates on which the student visited the
physician.
the degree to which the illness (or treatment, in the case of medication, for
example) is likely to have affected the student's ability to study, attend
classes, or sit examinations.
the length of time over which the student's abilities were likely hampered
by the medical condition (e.g., recurring and severe back pain over a twomonth period would likely have a more adverse effect on studies than a
single episode of back pain requiring bed rest for a week).
the fitness of the student to resume studies (it is in the student's best
interest not to return to studies prematurely).
Plagiarism is a very serious offence and will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is the
act of presenting the ideas or works of another as one's own. This applies to all
material such as essays, laboratory reports, work term reports, design projects,
seminar presentations, statistical data, computer programs and research results.
The properly acknowledged use of sources is an accepted and important part of
scholarship. Use of such material without acknowledgment is contrary to
accepted norms of academic behaviour. Information regarding acceptable writing
practices is available through the Writing Centre.
If you wish to contact me outside of my regularly scheduled office hours, feel free
to do so. However, you cannot expect an immediate response to email or phone
messages.
Student Responsibilities:
Complete required readings before class time (be prepared)
Be familiar with university regulations and important dates
Ask questions and seek clarification
Make up material from any missed class
Seek advice when needed
My Responsibilities:
Cover course material in a timely manner
Provide students with feedback (advice, constructive criticism, referrals for extra
help) on assignments
Respond to questions and need for clarification
Hold regularly scheduled office hours
Inform students of any schedule changes in a timely manner
Help students improve both their writing and their critical thinking skills
Descriptions of Grades
80 – 100% = "A" indicates excellent performance with clear evidence of
comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter and principles treated in the
course, a high degree of originality and independence of thought, a superior
ability to organize and analyze ideas, and
an outstanding ability to
communicate.
65 – 79% = "B" indicates very good performance with evidence of: substantial
knowledge of the subject matter, a moderate degree of originality and
independence of thought, a good ability to organize and analyze ideas, and
an ability to communicate clearly and fluently.
55 – 64% = "C" indicates satisfactory performance with evidence of: an
acceptable grasp of the subject matter, some ability to organize and analyze
ideas, and an ability to communicate adequately.
50 – 54% = "D" indicates minimally acceptable performance with evidence of: rudimentary knowledge of the subject matter, some evidence that
organizational and analytical skills have been developed, but with significant
weaknesses in some areas, and a significant weakness in the ability to
communicate.
Below 50% = "F" indicates failing performance with evidence of: an inadequate
knowledge of the subject matter, failure to complete required work, an
inability to organize and analyze ideas, and
an inability to communicate.
Good Writing
Students at all university levels should have reasonably sophisticated and
effective communication skills and are expected to demonstrate proficiency in
logical organization, clarity of expression and grammatical correctness.
Good writing (or an essay that earns a C or B- grade) is characterized by the
following qualities:
Content:
critical insight and freshness of thought,
clear and penetrating ideas,
perceptive, pure grasp of subject,
intelligent use of primary and secondary sources, and
a sense of completeness about the handling of the topic.
Organization:
effective introduction and conclusion,
main idea is clear and logical development follows,
smooth transitions, and
good use of details.
Style:
appropriate, accurate, precise and idiomatic diction, and
sentences varied in kind, length and effect.
Mechanics:
consistently correct spelling,
accurate use of punctuation,
grammatically correct sentences, and
well organized paragraphing.