Properties

Attendance is crucial and will be taken at each class. Unexcused absences will affect your letter grade as follows: 2 absences = 1 letter grade lost

Be advised that excessive unexcused absences will result in a grade of “FA” (failure due to absences). However, according to University policy, you may withdraw from the course at any point up to mid-semester (February 28, 2012). Leaving the room at any time before I have dismissed the class, whether you return or not, constitutes an absence. If you miss class, it is up to you to request that the absence be excused; you must provide legitimate documentation for the excuse. If the absence is one that can be foreseen, you should request an excused absence ahead of time; if the absence is unforeseen, you should request an excused absence and present verification for it no later than one week from the end of the period of absence. Should you find that you will be missing a number of classes, please contact me immediately. Please see the AU policy for information on excused absences.

Tardiness is an unacceptable class disruption. Two late arrivals (of five minutes or more) will count as one absence.

▪ There will be two formal written assignments in this class: one 5-7 page essay, one 10-12 page essay. For each of them, you will have an option to give me a draft that will be returned to you with my comments.

▪ All papers should be typed in standard font (Times New Roman), size 12, double-spaced, on 8.5x11 white paper, with one inch margins, and stapled. Take time to proofread your papers thoroughly.

▪ All assignments will be explained to you in further detail as the semester progresses.

There will be 4 response papers. 4-5 people will be writing responses for the same class. Your paper should answer a specific question or questions posed to you in advance. It is your responsibility to obtain these questions from me, 2-3 days before this writing assignment is due. Make your response concise and focused. Response papers are due at the beginning of class, and you should be ready to share your response during class discussion that day. Response papers should be typed in standard font (Times New Roman), size 12, double-spaced and should be 1 and a half to 2 pages long. (If you quote extensively, adjust the length of the response accordingly.) Response papers cannot be submitted for a grade after the day they are due, and they cannot be submitted via e-mail.

To encourage thoughtful reading and regular attendance, I will give unannounced quizzes, based on your assigned reading for that day. Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class, and quiz questions will not be repeated for latecomers. As long as you complete the assigned readings, quizzes will be easy for you. Quizzes which you miss will receive a grade of zero. Quizzes cannot be made up—another reason to attend every class! However, quizzes missed because of excused absences will simply not be counted in determining your final course grade.

The purpose of this assignment is to introduce additional authors and texts to the class. Even though these authors are not in the spotlight in our course, we need to be aware of their voices and contributions. They will also make rewarding subjects of your research essays. See the last page of the syllabus for the list of names to choose from.

In pairs, you will present one writer to the class. You will need to learn and share your writer’s biographical information and explain her significance as a woman living and writing in the Renaissance. Do not just report the facts of the woman’s biography—make your presentation lively! You will also summarize and comment on a short piece of writing by this author (if you are not certain what text to choose, consult with me). Your presentation should last 10 minutes. You may obtain the reliable biographical information as well as short writing samples for each of these authors from an anthology placed on reserve in the library, Early Modern Women Poets, edited by Jane Stevenson and Peter Davidson, Oxford, 2001.

All assignments should be turned in by the end of the period on the day when they are due.

I will not accept late assignments except in cases of unforeseen excused absences.

Should you miss class, it is your responsibility to obtain information and materials from that class, and to turn in the work that was due the day you missed class in a timely manner. If your absence is excused, any work from the missed class will be due the first day you return to class. All make-up work must be turned in one week after your absence, unless I approve of an extension under extraordinary circumstances. If your absence is unexcused, you must turn in your work the day the work is due. You must see me before or after class or during my office hours to receive any materials from that class and discuss what you missed.

· summarizing or paraphrasing someone else's words or ideas without acknowledging that source; or

· turning in a paper that has been written by someone else as if it were your own.

Read the “Student Academic Honesty Code” at https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/AcademicHonestyCode.pdf. Plagiarism at AU is a serious offense and may be grounds for a failing grade and dismissal from the university. If I suspect plagiarism, I will initiate proceedings as described in the policy established by the Office of the Provost.

Students who need accommodations are asked to submit your Accommodation Memo and an Instructor Verification Form electronically, and then arrange a meeting during office hours the first week of classes or as soon as possible if accommodations are needed immediately. If you have a conflict with my office hours, an alternate time can be arranged. To set up this meeting, please contact me by e-mail. If you do not have an Accommodation Memo but need accommodations, make an appointment with The Program for Students with Disabilities, 1233 Haley Center, 844-2096, or email haynemd@auburn.edu.

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous and respectful manner. Cell phones, pagers, beepers, Blackberries, iPods, iPads, and laptops are not allowed unless express permission is granted by me in case of extreme situations. Unless I grant my permission, no photography or video / audio recording is allowed in class.

I welcome your e-mails and will respond within 24 hours except in extreme circumstances. Occasionally, I will send out class e-mails, so please check your e-mail regularly. Please refrain from submitting entire drafts via e-mail, unless you have made prior arrangements with me. You may, however, submit an outline, thesis, or one paragraph for feedback. All rough, revised, and final drafts should be submitted in hard copy.

You are welcome to meet with me during my office hours or by appointment to discuss reading and / or writing assignments as well as any other matters relevant to the course. I particularly encourage you to come by while you are in the process of working on your essays; that is when I can be of most help with regard to your writing.

Save all of your notes, handouts, graded work, etc. I expect you to incorporate my corrections in your subsequent writing (for example, if I point out a tendency to a particular grammatical error, I expect you to look up the rule and not make the same mistake from then on). You are strongly encouraged to save back-up copies of essays and response papers on secondary drives and to email copies to yourself as a safeguard against computer failure.

This translates into points as follows:

Participation………….……... max 100 points

Essay 1…………………….... max 100 points

Essay 2…………………... ….max 200 points

Midterm…………………...…max 150 points

Quizzes…………...………….max 50 points (5 points each)

Response papers……………..max 100 points (25 points each)

Creative Project ......................max 75 points

Presentation………………… max 75 points

Final……………………….... max 150 points

Total………… max 1000 points.