Texas A&M - Central Texas
ENGL 585 Adaptation
Fall 2015
Instructor:
Dr. Allen H. Redmon
Associate Professor of English
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Founder’s Hall, 217-P
254.519.5750
allen.redmon@ct.tamus.edu
By appointment. The best way to contact me is through my
TAMUCT email account. I tend to respond to email messages
within 24 hours if not much sooner. Phone calls will rarely be
returned. I will not check my email in Blackboard.
To access online components,
1) Visit https://tamuct.blackboard.com/webapps/login/
2) Enter your user name and password
3) Find our course
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Mode of Instruction and Course Access
In keeping with the nature of adaptations, this will be a blended course, which means that
there will be both face-to-face and online components. We will look to allow each space
to give us what that mode can do best. Most sessions will be face-to-face sessions, and
will be given to negotiating the course material. When we do go online for a class
session, it will be to distribute complementary information and to publish our formal
written responses.
To access our online components, please visit the following link
(http://tamuct.blackboard.edu); click, “Course Log-In”; enter your username and
password; and, find our course.
NOTE: If you are logging in the first time, your username is your university email
address (name@go.tarleton.edu) and your password is your university ID (UID). If you
do not have login credentials for Blackboard (i.e. a username and password) you must
resolve this immediately. No one—including your instructor—can do this for you. You
will need to contact the good folks in our IT department.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the concept of adaptation and to one account for how
this concept has evolved. The focus is, admittedly, more on the notion of adaptation as a
way to engage a text critically than it is on specific adaptations. All assignments, even
those that ask students to evaluate a particular adaptation, should reflect this conceptual
focus.
Learning Objectives of Course
Students who successfully complete this course should be able to…
 Discuss the history and development of adaption theory
 Weigh the varying priorities within this history against one another
 Apply the theories within this history to specific texts
 Explore the dialogue among multiple iterations of the same story
 Consider the ways in which film art is distinct from other artistic expressions
 Measure theories about fiction against theories about cinema
 Develop a criterion against which instances of adaption can be deemed
“successful” or “unsuccessful”
Required Textbooks
Bluestone, George. Novels into Film. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins Press, 1957.
Cartmell, Deborah and Imelda Whelehan. Screen Adaptation: Impure Cinema. New
York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
Hutcheon, Linda. A Theory of Adaptation, Second Edition. New York: Routledge, 2013.
Leitch, Thomas. Film Adaptations & Its Discontents: from Gone with the Wind to The
Passion of Christ. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins Press, 2007. Print.
Suggested Readings will also be posted at the discretion of the instructor
Technology Requirements
This class will have some online components. As such, you will need reliable and
regular access to a computer and the Internet.
Blackboard supports the most common operating systems:
PC: Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 2000,
Mac: Mac OS 10.6 “Snow Leopard®”, Mac OS 10.5 “Leopard®”, Mac OS 10.4
“Tiger®”
Check browser and computer compatibility by following the “Browser Check” link on
the TAMU-CTBlackboard logon page. (http://tamuct.blackboard.com) This is a
CRITICAL step as these settings are important for trying to see online components.
For technological or computer issues, students should contact the TAMU-CT Blackboard
Support Services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
Support Portal: http://www.ct.tamus.edu/bbsupport
Online chat (through the support portal at: http://www.ct.tamus.edu/bbsupport)
Phone: (855)-661-7965
For issues related to course content and requirements, contact your instructor.
Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement – make sure your
computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines.
Course Calendar
The anticipated activities for each week are as follows:
8/24 Introductions
8/26 Jim Welsh Interview (to be distributed); “Based on a True Story,” Leitch
8/31 Bluestone 1-62
9/2
Bluestone 1-62 (Student Offering I)
9/7
LABOR DAY; UNIVERSITY CLOSED
9/9
Chapter Presentations (2-4, +1)
9/14 Chapter Presentations (5-7, +1)
9/16 Leitch 1-92
9/21 Leitch 1-92 (Student Offering II)
9/23 Leitch 93-150
9/28 ONLINE DAY—(Leitch 1-150; Student Offering III)
9/30 Leitch 151-235
10/5 Leitch 151-235 (Student Offering IV)
10/7 Leitch 236-279
10/12 Leitch 236-279 (Student Offering V)
10/14 ONLINE DAY (Hutcheon, Chapter 1)
10/19 ONLINE DAY (Hutcheon, Chapter 2)
10/21 Hutcheon, Chapter 3
10/26 Hutcheon, Chapter 4
10/28 Hutcheon, Chapter 5 and 6; Abstract Workshop
11/2 Individual Conference; Abstracts Due
11/4 Original Presentations
11/9 Original Presentations
11/11 VETERNAN’S DAY; UNIVERSITY CLOSED
11/16 Cartmell and Whelehan, Introduction and Chapter 1
11/18 Cartmell and Whelehan, Chapter 2 and 3
11/23 Cartmell and Whelehan, Chapter 4 and 5
11/25 Cartmell and Whelehan, Chapter 6 and 7
11/30 Cartmell and Whelehan, Chapter 8 and Conclusion
12/2 Individual Conference
12/7 Conference Presentations
12/9 Conference Presentations
This schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. All changes will be
announced in class. Students who miss class will need to ensure that they have not also
missed a schedule revision. Failure to hear a schedule change does not excuse one from
the implications of that change.
Assignments
This course asks students to submit six assignments:
1. Reader Responses to one portion of the assigned reading; to be submitted at the
beginning of every class that has a new reading (8/31, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7,
10/14, 10/19, 10/21, 10/26, 10/28, 11/16, 11/18, 11/23, 11/25, 11/30). Each reader
response is worth up to 10 points. The reader responses can contribute up to 150
points toward your final grade. Specifics for these assignments will be announced
during the first class session.
2. Student Offerings to complement the reading for that week; to be submitted at the
beginning of every class that returns to the same reading (9/2, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5,
10/12). Each student offering is worth up to 20 points (10 points for the written
portion; 10 points for the oral portion). Student offerings can contribute up to 100
points toward your final grade. Specifics for these assignments will be announced
no later than the second class session.
3. Chapter Presentations (with accompanying handout) over either one chapter from
Bluestone or Leitch (to be negotiated during the fourth class session). Chapter
presentations will be presented during the sixth and seventh class sessions. The
Chapter Presentation is worth up to 50 points. Specifics will be announced no
later than the fourth class session (9/2).
4. Abstracts to secure and explain your place on the “conference schedule” for
original presentations. Abstracts will be due at the beginning of the twenty-first
class session. The Abstract is worth up to 100 points. Specifics will be announced
no later than the eighteenth class session (10/21).
5. Original Presentations (with accompanying handout) over the adaptation of your
choice. Original Presentations will be presented during the twenty-second and
twenty-third class sessions. The Original Presentation is worth up to 100 points.
Specifics will be announced no later than the nineteenth class session (10/26).
6. Conference Presentations (with accompanying formal paper); to be presented
during the last two class sessions (12/7 and 12/9). The Conference Presentation is
worth up to 100 points. Specifics will be announced no later than the eighteenth
class session (10/21).
Students who miss the class in which these specifics are given will need to secure these
directions on their own and in time to have that assignment completed by the announced
due date. Furthermore, all presentations will be given on the night they are scheduled or
they will not be given. In the event a presentation is missed, a student will forfeit all
points related to the presentation portion of that assignment. The written portion of the
assignment can still be graded so long as that portion is submitted before the beginning of
the session in which the presentation was scheduled to begin. Such submissions should be
made over email.
Grading Rubric and Conversion
Reader Responses are worth 10 points each (x15): 150 total points
Student Offerings are worth 20 points each (x5):
100 total points
Chapter Presentations:
Abstracts:
Original Presentations:
Conference Presentations:
50 total points
100 total points
100 total points
100 total points
600 points in all
Final grades will be computed according to the following scale:
A= 540-600 points
B= 480-539 points
C= 420-479 points
D= 360-419 points
F= 300-359 points
A point system like this does not result in borderline grades. 539 points is a B rather than
almost an A. Please take every assignment seriously to avoid the frustration of just
missing a desired grade.
Late Policy
Late work will not be accepted in this class. Students will forfeit all possible points on
any assignment that is submitted after the announced time for submission or submitted in
an unauthorized manner.
Drop Policy
If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records Office and
ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students. This is always the
responsibility of the student. The Records Office will provide a deadline by which the
form must be returned, completed and signed. Once you return the signed form to the
Records Office and wait 24 hours, you must go into Duck Trax and confirm that you are
no longer enrolled. Should you still be enrolled, follow-up with the records office
immediately. You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid penalty for
absence. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will receive an
F in the course.
Academic Integrity Statement
Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of
personal and scholarly conduct. Students found responsible of academic dishonesty are
subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to,
cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse
of resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each
case of academic dishonestly and reporting the incident to the Director of Student Affairs.
More information can be found at http://www.ct.tamus.edu/StudentConduct.
Disability Support and Access
Texas A&M University – Central Texas complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. TAMUCT promotes the
use of the Principles of Universal Design to ensure that course design and activities are
accessible to the greatest extent possible. Students who require reasonable
accommodations based on the impact of a disability should contact Gail Johnson,
Disability Support Coordinator at (254) 501-5831 in Student Affairs, Office 114E. The
Disability Support Coordinator is responsible for reviewing documentation provided by
students requesting accommodations, determining eligibility for accommodations,
helping students request and use accommodations, and coordinating accommodations.
Tutoring
Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects
tutored include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing (APA). Tutors
are available at the Tutoring Center in Founder's Hall, Room 204, and also in the Library
in the North Building. Visit http://www.ct.tamus.edu/AcademicSupport and click
"Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and contact info. If you have questions, need to
schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor, contact Academic
Support Programs at 254-501-5830 or by emailing cecilia.morales@ct.tamus.edu.
Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for almost any subject on your computer! Tutor.com is an
online tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive FREE
online tutoring and writing support. This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing,
Career Writing, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. To
access Tutor.com, click on http://www.tutor.com/tamuct.
Library Services
Information literacy focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to live and
work in an information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the
development of critical reasoning, ethical use of information, and the appropriate use of
secondary research techniques. Help may include, yet is not limited to: exploration of
information resources such as library collections and services, identification of subject
databases and scholarly journals, and execution of effective search strategies. Library
Resources are outlined and accessed at:
http://www.ct.tamus.edu/departments/library/index.php
Instructor reserves the right to amend this syllabus at any time.