ENGL 105: Freshman Honors English: Ways of Knowing

Professor Kathryn Conrad
Fall 2014
MWF 1-1:50 pm, 4037 Wescoe
Office hours:  MTW, 2-4, 3001L Wescoe

Course Description

This course explores literature that asks, explicitly or implicitly, how do we know what we think we know?  What is the "reality" we think we are accessing?  What limits our capacity for knowledge? We will examine a variety of texts, including poetry, essays, and novels, in order to begin to probe those questions and more, with a special focus on the relationship between humans and their tools for knowing.  Topics we will consider will include metaphor, time perception, language, technology, the nature of the human, and the concept of the "noosphere." Authors will include William Blake, Oliver Sacks, Sherry Turkle, Jaron Lanier, Bram Stoker, Brooke Gladstone, Alan Lightman, and Daniel Suarez.

Course Goals

KU Core: All KU students must take two Core 2.1 courses.  Students pursuing a BA in the College are required to take either ENGL 101 and 102, or ENGL 102/105 and a second Goal 2.1 course.  All 200-level English courses satisfy the second Goal 2.1 requirement. This course fulfills the second KU Core Goal 2.1 (written communication) requirement.  It will also count as one of the two required written communication courses for the BA in the College.

KU Core Goals: As a KU Core Goal 2.1 course, this course is intended to help you develop your writing, from idea and research through revision and final product, for multiple genres and communication situations.  Writing will be the supermajority of your grade in the course, in keeping with Goal 2.1 standards.

Honors: This course also serves as one of the Honors Course Requirements for the KU Honors Program.

Course Requirements

Students will be expected to write in a variety of genres: a literary analysis, an analysis of visual rhetoric, a research paper, and blog postings focused on several kinds of genres and evaluative tasks.

--complete assigned readings
--participate in classroom discussion and discussion groups

• Participation and attendance: 10%
• Blog posts: 20%
• Papers: 70%

Texts

In addition to several texts available online, I have ordered the following texts:

• Alan Lightman, Einstein's Dreams
• Bram Stoker, Dracula
• Jaron Lanier, You Are Not a Gadget
• Lester Faigley, The Brief Penguin Handbook. 4th ed.  (Note: this is ordered for all introductory English classes.  I will not be referring to this text but I recommend that you have it to consult.)

Resources, Policies, & Contacts

(Adapted from statements and policies from the KU Registrar, CLAS, the Writing Center, the KU Faculty Council, and the English Department)

Grading:  In this course we will be using the +/- grading scale, approved by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to describe intermediate levels of performance between a maximum of A and a minimum of F.  Intermediate grades represented by plus or minus shall be calculated as .3 units above or below the corresponding letter grade.

Plagiarism:  Plagiarism is stealing and passing off someone else's ideas or words as one's own or using information from another's work without crediting the source. Any detected cheating offense--including but not limited to plagiarism; the unauthorized use of crib sheets, texts, or other materials during an examination or quiz; the copying of another student's work (even with the permission or aid of that student, who is thereby culpable); the use of prewritten essays (the student's own or someone else's); the uncredited adoption of another writer's interpretation of a work; or the unauthorized use of work written for another assignment or class--will be reported to the University. A record of each verified offense will be kept throughout the student's association with the University.     
        Plagiarism is not a game, nor is it simply a "shortcut" when time presses. It is a very serious form of academic misconduct and will be treated as such in this class. When you consult outside sources for ideas--through published or unpublished essays, interviews, the Internet, conversation, etc.--you must cite those sources in your work. I understand that academic work can be daunting: if you are struggling with an assignment, are unclear about my expectations, or are behind on your work, please consult me. There is always a better path than plagiarism; I can work with you to help you find your own voice while incorporating others' ideas appropriately. If after reading the statement above, you are still unclear about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me BEFORE turning in an assignment.  
        A plagiarized assignment will result in failure of the assignment (no credit given); it also impacts your larger course grade more than a paper that merely receives an F, and will usually result in failure of the course. The Department of English has a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism. Formal records are currently kept by the Department of English and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I may also send a copy of the plagiarism form to the home department or school of any student who is found to have plagiarized.

KU Statement on Diversity and Inclusion: As a premier international research university, the University of Kansas is committed to an open, diverse and inclusive learning and working environment that nurtures the growth and development of all. KU holds steadfast in the belief that an array of values, interests, experiences, and intellectual and cultural viewpoints enrich learning and our workplace. The promotion of and support for a diverse and inclusive community of mutual respect require the engagement of the entire university.

Recording of Classes:  At KU, course materials prepared by the instructor, together with the content of lectures, are the property of the instructor. Video and audio recording of lectures and review sessions without the consent of the instructor is prohibited. On request, the instructor will usually grant permission for students to audio tape lectures, on the condition that these audio tapes are only used as a study aid by the individual making the recording. Unless explicit permission is obtained from the instructor, recordings of lectures and review sessions may not be modified and must not be transferred or transmitted to any other person, whether or not that individual is enrolled in the course.

Attendance and Termination of Enrollment: Students may neither add nor change sections in any English course after Friday, August 29 without departmental permission. For courses numbered above 200, instructor's permission is required to add or change sections.   The last day to petition to add classes is Monday, September 22.  

The Department of English reserves the right to terminate administratively the enrollment of any student who misses two consecutive class meetings during the first two weeks of the semester.* Should an emergency situation cause the student to miss two consecutive class meetings, the student should contact the instructor(s) or the English Department, 785-864-4520, immediately.

Students who decide to drop English classes should do so promptly so that other students may enroll in the class.  

Students with Disabilities: The Academic Achievement & Access Center (AAAC) coordinates accommodations and services for all KU students who are eligible. If you have a disability for which you wish to request accommodations and have not contacted the AAAC, please do so as soon as possible. Their office is located in 22 Strong Hall; their phone number is 785-864-2620. Information about their services can be found at the Student Access Center website. I also encourage you to contact me privately in regard to your needs in this course.

Drop policy: If you are having trouble succeeding in the course, it is especially important that you consult with me so that we can develop a plan of action that may enable you to complete the course.  If you decide to drop this class, please refer to the Registrar's website.

Policy on Student Academic Creations: Since one of the aims of this course is to teach students to write for specific audiences, ungraded student-authored work may be shared with other class members during the semester in which you are enrolled in the class.  Please do not submit materials on sensitive subjects that you would not want your classmates to see or read, unless you inform the instructor in advance that you do not want your work shared with others. 

Other uses of student-authored work are subject to the University's Policy on Intellectual Property and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  If your instructor desires to use your work outside of this class (e.g. as a sample for another class or future classes), you will be asked to fill out and sign a written form authorizing such use.

Writing Resources:  For help with your writing, I strongly encourage you to contact the KU Writing Center.  At the Writing Center you can talk about your writing with trained tutors or consult reference materials in a comfortable working environment.  You may ask for feedback on your papers, advice and tips on writing (for all your courses), or for guidance on special writing tasks.  Please check the Writing Center website for current locations and hours. The Writing Center welcomes both drop-ins and appointments, and there is no charge for their services. For more information, please call (785) 864-2399 or send an e-mail. The website is loaded with helpful information about writing of all sorts, so even if you consider yourself a good writer, I encourage you to visit.

Weather cancellations: Call 785-864-SNOW to discover whether classes have been cancelled by the University due to inclement weather. Cancelled classes will be made up via online assignments; see Blackboard for details. Be sure that Blackboard has your correct contact information, since I will use it to send e-mail in case of a cancellation.

Portfolio of writing (first  drafts with comments, final drafts, evaluation sheets) due by 4 pm in 3001L Wescoe Hall.  I will be in my office from 2-4 pm. You may turn essays in under the door prior to that point.