FAQs

For this course, most of the “work” you’ll be doing—reading and preparing for discussion—is ungraded; however, rigorous engagement with the texts is the goal of this class and will enable you to succeed in the graded written assignments (and the RAQs). If you are not prepared for discussion, you will not be able to practice the analytical skills that this course aims to teach (and which will be assessed in the graded assignments). Please see the “Reading Tips,” posted on our ASULearn page, for how to read in preparation for our course meetings. In practical terms, students should expect to spend two to three hours of studying for every hour of class time; therefore, you should expect to spend on average 4-6 hours a week preparing for this class. You can find more information about this at the App State Syllabi Policy page, linked here.

• A = 100-94%

• A- = 93-90%

• B+ = 89-87%

• B = 86-84%

• B- = 83-80%

• C+ = 79-77%

• C = 76-74%

• C- = 73-70%

• D+ = 69-67%

• D = 66-64%

• D- = 63-60%

• F = 59-0%

This is a seminar class, which means that the aim of the class is to learn in discussion with others. You can, of course, use computers to take notes or to refer to reading material; however, I urge you to turn off notifications and put your devices away when you're not using them. Nothing kills a discussion faster than a room full of glowing screens. Remember, we are only together for 3 hours a week--please make mindful use of that time.

A few readings for this class will be available on our ASULearn site as PDFs; however, you will need to purchase, rent, or otherwise obtain the books listed below. I have ordered these through the App State bookstore, and many should be available through our ASULearn site as eBooks. However, you can also rent them from the library or acquire them through a third-party seller. I do not care which editions of the texts you get.

• Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca

• Laila Lalami, The Moor’s Account

• William Shakespeare, The Tempest

• Aimé Césaire, Une Tempête

• Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (our page numbers are from the Norton, 2nd ed.)

• Michael Tournier, Friday, or, The Other Island

• J. M. Coetzee, Foe

• Kurt Vonnegut, Galápagos

• Joanna Russ, We Who Are About To

• Robert Zemeckis, dir. Castaway (available to stream on Netflix and Hulu)

Every Friday I will send a reminder email with tasks and assignments for the following week through our ASULearn page. The ASULearn page is the best place to look for up-to-date information about class activities, readings (which are subject to change), special events, and announcements. I will send out important updates via the announcements feature, so you should have your settings set up so that announcements will go directly to your App State email account. You should consider the information and dates on the course site to be the definitive version of class activities and expectations.

The last two years have presented stressful and unforeseen challenges and this semester will likely continue to present difficult situations. I am committed to extending as much compassion as possible during this time (as I hope you will as well). If you test positive for COVID or suspect you may have COVID, under no circumstances should you come to class. Email me as soon as possible, and, if you are able and willing to attend class, I'll set up a Zoom link so you can attend virtually. Staying in touch is the best way to ensure that we are all on the same page regarding expectations for the successful completion of the course.

As you can see at this link, masks are now mandated for students and faculty while indoors. I expect you to be masked during our class at all times. In accordance with App State's policy, if you are not masked, I will ask you to leave the classroom.

• The texts in this class are complex. You should set aside a considerable amount of time to read each text. Careful re-reading of important passages will help you move beyond comprehension of the text’s content toward a meaningful understanding of how and what each text is doing. The more work you have put into your reading, the more you will be able to make meaningful and substantial contributions to discussion.

• Read with a pen in your hand – be an active reader. Mark points in the text (or in a notebook) that confuse you or intrigue you; make note of keywords; make notes if you think of an idea or if you make connections between this text and other aspects of our course material.

• Practice writing discussion questions for class (even if you are not slated to be the discussion leader). Stay curious about what you're reading.

• Always bring the texts currently under discussion to class and be prepared to use them. We are striving toward making arguments with evidence.