The Center Cannot Hold

In this class, we'll talk about World Literature as a reading method that asks us to take into account our own perspective in the world, while acknowledging that others inhabit very different perspectives. This awareness of our own and others' unique perspectives is also a vital part of our learning community, and the diversity of students' perspectives is an asset in our class. I will do everything I can to create a high trust, low stress community where we can all learn from each other's unique encounters with the texts we are reading, but it will take all members of the class to maintain that environment by actively participating and valuing each other's contributions so that we can all learn from our texts and from each other.

At the end of the semester, students will be able to:

• Understand nuanced ways of thinking about race, gender, and nation within the contexts of colonialism, empire, modernity, and globalization;

• Use analysis and evidence from texts in support of claims;

• Communicate complex thesis-driven and evidence-based ideas orally and in writing, which includes listening to and taking seriously ideas that challenge their own.

Native peoples—including the ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ (Cherokee)² and the yeh is-WAH h’reh (Catawba)—lived, hunted, and traded in this region long before the colonization of North America. The English Department recognizes the Indigenous peoples of the land now called North Carolina and acknowledges their displacement, dispossession, and continuing presence. Their influence echoes in the words that name the places we live and learn in: Watauga, Cherokee for “village of many springs” or “beautiful water,” Catawba, “people of the river,” and Appalachian, Muscogee for “other side of the river” or “dwelling on one side.” This statement stands as a reminder to reflect on our interconnected pasts while we contemplate our path forward and to register our gratitude and appreciation for those on whose territory, a place rich with stories, ceremony, and spiritual significance, we reside today.

See the source of this acknowledgement here.

What you can expect from me:

• Timely feedback on your work

• Rigorous engagement with your ideas in class or in writing

• Facilitation of a variety of ways of engaging with texts and the ideas of other students

• Compassion and patience when you need extra time or help

• Availability to meet with you throughout the week (with advanced notice)

• Frequent communication about the course

• Accommodations for your learning style whenever possible (whether or not you have a documented disability)

What I expect from you:

• Completion of readings and posted video material in a timely manner

• That the work you submit represents your own thoughts and ideas, and does not constitute plagiarism (see Course Policies for more information)

• Participation in lecture discussions or group work, including serious, thoughtful and compassionate engagement with the ideas of your classmates

• Communication with me if you are struggling with any aspect of the course material. You can find information about how to contact me at this link.

This course meets in person twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-4:45pm in Sanford 102. Our course will occasionally skip an in-person meeting in order to give you time to prepare for and complete the midterm or the final. Please see the schedule for more information.

You should make frequent use of our ASULearn site, which will go live at the beginning of the semester to find announcements about the class, as well as readings that aren't included in the required texts.

On Thursday of each week I'll send out a reminder for the next week's tasks, but keep in mind that all of the readings for the class are posted at the Schedule page.

The App State Syllabi Policies all obtain in this class. You can find those at this link, and you should read them carefully. I won't repeat them here, but I'll point out a few things particular to this class.

Plagiarism: Please don't plagiarize! You have made a (great!) choice to be in this course and to attend this university, presumably in order to learn. No one suffers more from acts of plagiarism than you do because it robs you of the opportunity to learn and to develop your own ideas. If you plagiarize or allow your own work to be plagiarized by another student, you will fail the assignment and likely the course regardless of the amount of plagiarized text. If you need more information about how to properly cite sources, please refer to the “Writing Tips” on our course site or make an appointment to meet with me. And please always get in touch with me if you aren't sure what plagiarism is, or if you're feeling tempted to plagiarize in order to complete an assignment. I'm sure we can come up with a better solution.

Disability Resources: I know that we all learn in different ways, and you may need accommodations in order to learn better regardless of whether or not you have a documented disability. I'm committed to making this course as inclusive and accessible as possible. If I can do something to support your learning in a different way, please let me know!

Attendance: The attendance policy in this class is as follows: you can miss two class meetings (freebies) before absences begin to affect your grade. These absences are intended to be used for emergencies, and what might be called excused absences, so you should save them for times when you really cannot be in class. If you ask for an excused absence in the 14th week of class, I will tell you to use one of your freebies. The only exception to this is religious holidays and (your own) positive COVID test results (see the COVID policy FAQ for more on this). If you have used all of your freebies, your absence will lower your attendance score by about 4 points. Although all slides will be posted on ASULearn, if you miss class, you are responsible for contacting a classmate to help you catch up. You can find a more detailed description of the Engagement and Participation policy on the Assessment page, linked here.

You can also find more information about course policies at the FAQ page, linked here.