Fall 2020 ENGL 4613 x10 (ONLINE course on D2L)

Dr. Peter Fields, assoc. professor of English

peter.fields@msutexas.edu

Bea Wood 230 in Prothro-Yeager

IN-PERSON Office Hours: MTWR 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (also by appointment after 1:30 PM weekday afternoons). MASKS ARE REQUIRED. SEATING IS SIX FEET APART.

LANDLINE: You may contact Dr. Fields any time by his landline: [email me for this number]. He is teaching from home. His wife is immune-compromised. You can reach him during office hours by his campus phone: 940-397-4246. The landline is best outside of office hours. If the hour is exceptionally late (or early) leave a message on the landline’s voicemail.

Required books

                The one volume LORD OF THE RINGS with appendices.

                A companion book that has something in it you might use in PowerPoint and Essay.

Course goals

Read various literary texts united by a common theme or topic.

Apply knowledge of literary analysis to interpret literary texts.

Engage in a writing process that includes invention, drafting, and revision.

Find, evaluate, and synthesize credible sources

Use sources ethically and follow a designated style guide [MLA].

Demonstrate proficient use of Standard Written English.

Tentative Daily Schedule & Due Dates for the Drop Box

August 24-28 Week 1

Reading LOTR

The Fellowship of the Ring LOTR Book 1. Chs. 1-12 (pp. 21-209).

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC THINKING THREAD 1

August 31 –September 4

The Fellowship of the Ring LOTR Book 2 Chs. 1-10 (pp. 213-398).

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC THINKING THREAD 1

September 7-11    [September 7 Labor Day Holiday]

The Two Towers LOTR Book 3 Chs. 1-11 (pp. 403-586)

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC THINKING THREAD 2

Sept 14-18

The Two Towers LOTR Book 4 Chs. 1-10  (pp. 589-725)

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC THINKING THREAD 2

September 21-25

The Return of the King LOTR Book 5 Chs. 1-10  (pp. 731-874)

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC THINKING THREAD 3

September 28-October 2

The Return of the King LOTR Book 6 Chs. 1-9  (pp. 877-1008);

Arwen and Aragon, Appendix A.v. (pp. 1032-38)

Appendix E Writing and Spelling (pp. 1087-1100)

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC THINKING THREAD 3

October 5-9

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC & your THREAD for PowerPoint

October 12-16

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC & your THREAD for PowerPoint

October 19-23 DUE DATE

The drop box for PowerPoint 1 opens 12 AM Friday morning October 23 and closes 11 PM Monday night October 26.

October 26-30

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC & your THREAD for Essay.

November 2-6 DUE DATE     [NOTE: Requires Works Cited. See Purdue Owl.)

The drop box for the Essay opens 12 AM Friday morning November 6 and closes 11 PM Monday night November 9.

November 9-13

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC & your THREAD for FINAL PROJECT (PowerPoint or Essay)

November 16-20

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC & your THREAD for FINAL PROJECT (PowerPoint or Essay)

November 23-27 [THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY November 25-27]

D2L DISCUSSION FORUM TOPIC & your THREAD for FINAL PROJECT (PowerPoint or Essay)

Nov 30-Dec 4 DUE DATE (requires Works Cited; model will be provided in D2L)

The drop box for FINAL PROJECT (PowerPoint OR Essay) opens 12 AM Friday December 4 and closes 11 PM Monday night December 7. (Note: Provide Works Cited for FINAL PROJECT, either PowerPoint or Essay)

ENGL 4613 Power Point Rubric

ENGL 4613 Essay Rubric

Attendance

I do not penalize anyone for attendance issues because this is an online course. I do not muster students for daily attendance. However, the registrar requires that I submit attendance for 4^th day and 12^th day. In that case, I go by the class list on D2L. It indicates whether you have visited our class on D2L. If you have, I will not mark you absent for 4^th day. If you have visited our class after the 4^th day, I will not mark you absent for 12^th day. I am not sure what the registrar will require thereafter. I may be required to also submit attendance for FIRST day. If that’s the case, I will still go by class list which indicates if you visited our class on D2L the first day.

Submission of work by SPECIAL ACCESS

Students who miss the opening and closing of the drop box are penalized 10 points. I will grant them SPECIAL ACCESS. If you have not been granted that SPECIAL ACCESS, email me and remind me to do so.

Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception.

Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters.

We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student.

We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed.

Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, (940) 397-4140.

The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MSUTexas e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed the 6 hours of Communication Core and 2) earned 60 hours. Students may meet this requirement in one of three ways: by passing the Writing Proficiency Exam, passing two Writing Intensive Courses (only one can be in the core), or passing English 2113. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at https://msutexas.edu/academics/wpr, or call 397-4131.

Senate Bill 11 passed by the 84th Texas Legislature allows licensed handgun holders to carry concealed handguns on campus, effective August 1, 2016. Areas excluded from concealed carry are appropriately marked, in accordance with state law. For more information regarding campus carry, please refer to the University’s webpage at https://msutexas.edu/campus-carry/rules-policies.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact MSU Chief of Police at police@msutexas.edu.