This course will provide students an opportunity to develop critical reading and cultural analysis skills in order to achieve deeper understanding of a variety of texts and artifacts. Students will explore the various factors informing the production of texts and learn how to conduct research in order to gain experience exploring different perspectives on select works and themes. The course will include several opportunities for students to articulate their interpretations and insights in essay assignments, which will be assessed for clarity, insight, and understanding.

THECB Core Course Objectives

1. Critical Thinking Skills
2. To assess the student’s critical thinking skills, the Research Project rubric will be applied to the Literary Research Project.
3. Communication Skills
4. To assess the student’s written communication skills, the Research Project rubric will be applied to the Literary Research Project.
5. Personal Responsibility
6. To assess ethical use of sources as a measure of personal responsibility, the Research Project rubric will be applied to the Literary Research Project.
7. Teamwork
8. To assess the student’s teamwork, the Peer Review Teamwork rubric will be used to assess each student’s preparation for and participation in peer review workshops.

Course Goals

1. Engage in a writing process and demonstrate proficient use of standard written English in three comparative literary essays including a comparative literary research project.
2. Demonstrate teamwork as part of group AI teams.
3. Demonstrate proficiency in MLA in-body citing and Works Cited

TEXTBOOK

Mays, Kelly ed. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 15^th ed. Ebook. Norton, 2025. Inclusive Access (IA) – IA means the cost of book was added to tuition. Students already own it. In D2L on the navigation bar, click on Content and then the module Norton E-Book. Then click on The Norton Introduction to Literature 11^th edition E-Book. Then click on Contents. In the table of contents, each item is a link to a specific story, poem, or discussion. Our pagination follows “Full” (not “portable”). The “Full” page number occurs in the e-text where that page begins in the printed edition.

See course schedule in the syllabus.

Academic Conduct Policies

Academic Dishonesty comprises cheating, collusion, and plagiarism (the act of using source material of other persons, either published or unpublished, without following the accepted techniques of crediting, or the submission for credit of work not produced by the individual to whom credit is given).

Essays 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, and 3c Literary Research Project must be completely written by the student. The penalty for plagiarism of any part of these assignments is an F (a “0,” no points). Use of AI at any stage of these essays is prohibited. EXCEPTION: The AI Team Report requires use of AI and students must work on the assignment in groups (as assigned by D2L). Additional guidelines on procedures in these matters may be found in the Office of Student Conduct.

GRADING

Table 1: Percentage value for 8 assignments: Essays 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c Literary Research Project, and the AI Team Report: each member adds personal comments to their copy of the report; team-members critique each other’s report with AI teamwork rubric. We also have an attendance grade.

Table 2: Letter grade values. There is no rounding up of any assignment grade and no rounding up of the final calculated grade as computed by D2L: e.g., a 79.9 is a C; an 89.9 is a B; a 69.9 is a D; a 59.9 or lower is an F. The D2L final calculated grade is the semester grade.

ASSIGNMENTS

Students must submit their writing assignments to their relevant drop boxes before they can be graded. Getting input from me by email about your writing-in-progress is NOT the same as submission for grade. Essays 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c Literary Research Project, and the AI Team Report must be submitted to their drop boxes in D2L in order to count, be evaluated, and graded. Any other form of submission (e.g., by email attachment or printed) will not count, be evaluated, or graded. Once submitted to their drop box, assignments can be graded even if early.

NOTES

This course analyzes short stories, drama, and short poems in light of Freytag’s Pyramid. Notes on how we apply the pyramid are provided in Content in D2L in the module “Notes – Short Stories, Shakespeare, and Short Poems w. Freytag’s Pyramid.”

INSTRUCTIONS

We have instructions for our essays and the AI Team Report. In Content in D2L, see the module “Instructions - Essays 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c Literary Research Project, and AI Team Report.”

MODELS

In Content in D2L, see the models for Essays 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c Literary Research Project, Research Paragraph, and AI Team Report.

EXTRA CREDIT

Students may improve the grades of Essays 1a, b and 2a, b. They must have the instructor’s approval which includes a plan for how they might be improved. Any late penalty is retained. Revision when complete must be submitted to the original assignment’s drop box before 11:59 PM Monday December 7.

If you missed my taking roll, touch base with me before you leave class and make sure I mark you present. As of their second undocumented absence, students begin to incur a 10-point penalty for each undocumented absence. Absences for illness can be excused if students provide medical documentation: 1 absence (100), 2 absences (90), 3 absences (80), 4 absences (70), 5 absences (60), 6 absences (50), 7 absences (40), 8 absences (30), 9 absences (20), 10 absences (10), 11 absences or more (0).

LATE WORK

D2L will accept late work until 11:59 PM Friday August 7. If Essays 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, and the AI Team Report are flagged as late by D2L (even if by less than a minute), they are penalized 10 points out of 100. The same is true for 3c Literary Research Project, but the drop box for 3c will lock and not accept work after 11:59 PM Monday December 7.

FORGIVENESS OF LATE PENALTY

Forgiveness of late penalty for Essays 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c Literary Research Project or the AI Team Report would require medical documentation or the equivalent. Otherwise, the late penalty of 10 points applies.

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.

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.

Obligation to Report Sex Discrimination under State and Federal Law

Midwestern State University is committed to providing and strengthening an educational, working, and living environment where students, faculty, staff, and visitors are free from sex discrimination of any kind. State and federal law require University employees to report sex discrimination and sexual misconduct to the University’s Office of Title IX. As a faculty member, I am required to report to the Title IX Coordinator any allegations, personally observed behavior, or other direct or indirect knowledge of conduct that reasonably may constitute sex discrimination or sexual misconduct, which includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, or stalking, involving a student or employee. After a report is made, the office of Title IX will reach out to the affected student or employee in an effort to connect such person(s) with resources and options in addressing the allegations made in the report. You are also encouraged to report any incidents to the office of Title IX. You may do so by contacting:

Laura Hetrick

Title IX Coordinator
Sunwatcher Village Clubhouse
940-397-4213

laura.hetrick@msutexas.edu

You may also file an online report 24/7 at Maxient 

Should you wish to visit with someone about your experience in confidence, you may contact the MSU Counseling Center at 940-397-4618. For more information on the University’s policy on Title IX or sexual misconduct, please visit MSU Texas Title IX

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.

Pregnant and parenting students, faculty, and staff are eligible to receive support and resources from the Student Engagement and Title IX Offices. Support and resources may include early registration, personal financial support, parenting development resources, lactation rooms, and healthcare resources. For more information, visit the  Parenting Students Website or contact the Parenting Liaison Ruby Garret at  ruby.garrett@msutexas.edu or call 940-397-4500.