Eng 2388

Course objective & expected outcomes:

The objective of the humanities in a core curriculum is to expand the students’ knowledge of the human condition and cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in humanities disciplines students will engage in critical analysis and develop an appreciation of the humanities as fundamental to the health and survival of any society. Thus, students in English 2388 should orient themselves to the history, aesthetics, and critical tradition of cinema within the humanities by applying foundational film concepts and reading strategies across the three major genres—avant-garde, documentary, and fictive-narrative. As the course intersects with larger social and cultural issues, it offers a broad view of contemporary history. Students should consider how cinema reflects and informs our human condition and the behaviors, ideas, and values of our culture. So, specific skills that students should engage:

• Reading and analyzing cinematic texts with special attention to their combinations of visual and aural elements
• Discussing cinema and considering various perspectives and interpretive frameworks
• Writing thoughtfully and critically about cinema

And expected outcomes might include:

• Extending literacy and reading strategies to other aural-visual texts
• Gaining knowledge of the humanities with special attention to modern international history and the progressions of the social, cultural, and communicative function of cinema

Requirements & grading:

Students will be evaluated on their performance on required assignments, which implement these objectives and skills. Assignments include:

• Assigned textbook readings and in-class and out-of-class screenings, to be assessed by 5 unannounced quizzes, each weighted at 3% of your final grade (5 * 3% = 15% total)
• Active engagement in course discussions.
• Completion of three critical writing assignments, each equally weighted at 20% (3 * 20%= 60% total) of the final grade
• One midterm exam, weighted at 10% of your final grade
• A comprehensive final exam, weighted at 15% of your final grade

Final letter grades will be based on a 100-point scale: A= 100-90; B= 89-80; C= 79-70; D= 69-60; F= 59 and lower; letter grades will follow TTU convention, and there will be no curve.

Textbook:      

This textbook is required; you are responsible for readings and the information contained within them regardless of whether we discuss their specific points in class or not. There are links to the first two chapters, so there is no excuse for not doing the readings in the first part of the class.

Gerald Mast & Bruce F. Kawin, A Short History of the Movies (Longman, abridged 9th edition)

Attendance:

Regular attendance is expected and required.  Students should come to class on time and prepared for the day's activities.  Ultimately, students are responsible for all work covered in the course; accordingly, any student with excessive absences will be in jeopardy of failing the course. The instructor reserves the right to implement individualized tardy or absence policies for students repeatedly coming to class late.  If you are not present for a quiz or other in-class activity, you do not receive that credit.

Attendance Policy Revision [Sept. 10, 2008]:

In response to the special needs of this particular semester, the attendance policy for ENGL 2388 sections 002 and 003 has been revamped thusly:

Session attendance will be taken shortly after the start of class.  You will be permitted three absences with no penalty.  These absences are to be used only in the case of illness or other unavoidable circumstances.  If you are sick for more than an entire week of class time, you will need to document your illness.  Similarly, any other class absence which must be excused (such as attending University mandated events) must be properly documented, with documentation being presented before of the event.  After three absences, each additional absence will result in a 3-point deduction from your final calculated grade.  Coming to class more than ten minutes late will count as an absence, and coming into class after the roll has been called will be recorded.  Three late entrances will constitute one absence.  This policy will begin on Monday, September 15, 2008.

Special Accommodation:

Any student who because of a disability may need special arrangements in order to meet the requirements of the course should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make the necessary accommodations.  The student must present appropriate verification from AccessTECH within a reasonable amount of time of initial accommodations.

Other policies:

Plagiarism is grounds for failure in this course; for TTU definitions and policies concerning plagiarism and academic dishonesty, check the University Catalog.  Given the nature of the written assignments, there should be no reason to consult outside sources.  However, if you do consult a work other than your primary text (the film you are reading), acknowledge your source; use MLA style.  Furthermore, replicating readings from class lectures within an essay is a form of plagiarism. To reiterate: if you repeat (verbetim or formally) readings of specific films discussed in the class (from the syllabus, other students' work, or mentioned in lecture) within your essay work, then you are are at least undermining the "uniqueness" component of your essay and at worst plagiarizing work.

The Ethics Guidelines for the english dept. offer guidelines for expected behavior.

Occasionally during the semester, student-instructor conferences will need to be scheduled.  If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, please notify me as soon as possible via my listed phone number or e-mail.

Please note important dates on the University calendar and consider the course schedule.  This is not to discourage you from completing this course; however, the workload can be quite intensive, and you do not want to fall behind and be unable to drop the course. Please note that I cannot drop you from this class; it is your responsibility, should you feel it necessary, to drop the class on the appropriate date (which is also your responsibility to double check).

Appreciate and help maintain the academic environment of the classroom.  Some students might find offensive certain subjects depicted in some films screened and/or discussed.  If you encounter something offensive, feel free to remove yourself from the situation—leaving the room, theater, etc.—and contact the instructor as soon as possible to arrange for alternate assignments.  Likewise, please show respect for your fellow classmates in your conduct.  This includes listening to whoever is speaking and not interrupting presentations in progress, including class discussions and screenings.  Also, please turn off all electronic devices—cell phones, for example—before class begins. I do not appriciate watching the glowing screens of students texting during the film screenings.   Barring any specifically offensive sections, please do not leave during film screenings—if you can sit through a 50 minute lecture, there is no excuse to leave in the middle of a film screening.

It would be prudent to get contact information (phone number, email address) from several classmates.  Use this student network as a resource for studying, workshopping written work, screening films, checking assignments, etc.

You must have an active email address for this class. Announcements may be dissemintated via email.   Assignments and this syllabus will be disseminated via this website; hard copies will not be available. This syllabus subject to change.

It is your responsibility to keep accurate records for the class.  You are responsible for maintaining and providing backup copies of your assignments and essays, as well as for tracking your standing in the class.  If you do not receive a graded assignment when they are returned to the class, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor, as it is a sign that there is some issue with the essay preventing it from being graded.  It is your responsibility to be alert for the fact that work has been returned and to see that your work has been graded and returned.

If you cannot submit your assignments in person, you must submit them via email to avoid late penalties, and you must -also- submit a hard copy of your work as soon as possible.

Exams will consist of a visual portion projected in ENG 106.  If you cannot take the exam with the rest of the class, then you must make alternate arrangements as soon as possible; do not miss the exam for any reason.

This syllabus is subject to change, with appropriate notice to the class.

Ombudsman for Students

The Ombudsman for Students is available to assist students with any conflict or problem that has to do with being a student at Texas Tech University.  You may visit the Ombudsman in 237 Student Union Building or call 742-4791.

 
Major Class Dates:

Finals Schedule:

Calendar: