English 203 Hybrid-Online: Introduction to World Literature

A Hybrid Online Course, Spring 2015 

Dr. Allen, Dr. Carey, and Dr. JordanCourse Coordinator: Ms. Tanja Nathanael

Drs. Allen, Carey, and Jordan will lecture every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-10:45 a.m., in LAB 203. Students are encouraged to attend. Per university policy, ALL course-related communication must be sent through Blackboard Email (using the "Messages" function in Blackboard) rather than Eaglemail, and should be addressed to the Course Coordinator, Ms. Tanja Nathanael. Inquiries sent through Eagle mail will be redirected to Blackboard Messages. For office hours and contact information, or to schedule an appointment, please check the course home page.

ONLINE ACCESS

To access the online components of this course, you must first go to https://usm.blackboard.com, then follow the log-in instructions. You will need to have your EMPLID and password (the same information you use to access SOAR and register for classes). If you have any difficulty logging in to Blackboard, please call the iTech Help Desk at 601-266-4357 or email helpdesk@usm.edu. For all other questions about how to navigate Blackboard, call the Learning Enhancement Center at 601-266-5518 or visit their website at www.usm.edu/lec.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Global Crossroads: A World Literature Reader (2014 Newly Revised Edition), published by Fountainhead Press

William Shakespeare's The Tempest, published by Simon & Schuster

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold, published by Vintage

The required texts are available at the University Textbook Center. Students on the coast campus should contact the Hattiesburg campus bookstore.

* All Additional Required Readings Will Be Available as .pdf files and URL links on Blackboard

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The study of literature has long provided insight into diverse human experiences, helping us broaden our perspectives beyond local issues by offering windows into other cultures. In recent decades, however, human experiences have become increasingly complicated: rapid technological advancement, globalization, and massive political movements, while in some ways expanding our understanding of the world, have in other ways created a very small world in which it is almost impossible to remain unaffected by global cultural issues. In this era of globalization, the study of World Literature has become more important than ever. In this course, students will develop an understanding of how the issues that affect them locally are intimately connected to broader themes globally. We begin with literature from Mississippi, and then travel the world thematically, exploring issues that continue to build upon previous ideas. By the end of the semester we will return from our literary travels to come full circle, finishing the term once more with literature from the Magnolia state.

This introduction to World Literature is presented in a unique hybrid online course format: offering both the traditional lecture-hall setting as well as total internet access to course content, English 203 Hybrid-Online uses technology to create a new level of educational flexibility. Students have the option of either attending the lectures in person or viewing them online (or both). With great flexibility, however, comes greater responsibility: although your attendance for in-class lectures is optional, mastery of the lecture material is required. Students who do not attend in-class lectures must view the video recorded lectures online, and on time with the course. Note: the quizzes and essay assignments are based on the assigned reading and the lecture material.  Students who choose to view lecture material online should listen carefully, pay attention, and take notes just as you would in class. To best view and access the online content, students must have consistent, reliable, high-speed internet access, using a PC or MAC. The use of smartphones and tablets is discouraged since files are large and compatibility unreliable. Note: the Blackboard App is functionally unreliable and should not be used for this class . The App will fail to submit assignments, fail to download readings, and provide incorrect information about student grades, among other problems. Students who utilize the Blackboard App are responsible for any problems that may occur as a result of this flawed technology.

NAVIGATING BLACKBOARD

Whether you choose to view lectures in class or online, all students must learn to use the Blackboard format. When you log on to Blackboard and select English 203 (found in the section marked “My Courses”), you will see a number of choices in the yellow panel on the left side of your screen. Note the following:

“Course Materials”: includes ALL of the assignments for the semester, as well as links to the lecture videos, quizzes, discussion boards, and other important documents. Students should check this daily, and ahead of schedule, for the broad plan for the week and pertinent reminders. Make sure to explore all available links and read all material provided on each and every page. Note that the front page of “Course Materials” is

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merely an outline of the course content. In order to access readings, lectures, quizzes, etc. you must click on the link for a specific week.

Accessing Online Lectures: to find lecture material and videos, click “Course Materials” on either the homepage or the yellow panel on the left side of your screen, then open the corresponding week’s link. Videos of presentations will be available every Tuesday and Thursday no later than 5:00 PM (Central time). If a video is not yet available, you will get a "File not found" message: try again later. 

Messages: to send email to the Course Coordinator, use Blackboard email, located under the “Messages” tab. Email should be directed specifically to Ms. Tanja Nathanael, the Course Coordinator; do not send emails to “ALL.” Sending emails to all 400+ class members will not only create an excessive number of emails but also will solicit incorrect and contradictory responses.

Other E-mail: All course business conducted by email must be done within the confines of Blackboard email. For security and privacy reasons, we cannot use outside email addresses, as we have no way of verifying a student's identity outside of Blackboard email. All email correspondence must use formal language, and address the course coordinator or professors as you would if you were in class, in their offices, or composing a letter to them. Messages should use complete sentences, observe rules of grammar and spelling, and include a salutation and signature. Inappropriate and/or informal uses of email to be avoided include: the use of all capital letters to "shout," the use of multiple exclamation points and/or question marks to register dismay or astonishment, emoticons ("smileys"), and incivility of any kind.  This class emphasizes the correct use of formal prose at all times, including any written communication with the professors responsible for the course. Informal or grammatically incorrect emails will be returned with instructions for how to properly send a professional communication.

Announcements: The Course Coordinator and/or Professors will post general announcements from time to time providing vital and timely information. While a copy of an announcement is sent to all student eagle mail accounts, it is important to check the “Announcements” section on a regular bases. It is a student’s responsibilities to keep up with Announcements; therefore, if you are not using your eagle mail account, activate it immediately. Moreover, make it a daily habit to check the Announcement tab for updates. Failing to read an announcement will not be an acceptable excuse for missed assignments.

Where to Go For Technical Help: students with general Blackboard questions have several options.

First, utilize the help files on the Blackboard page prior to logging in, including the 24/7 Blackboard Support Link located in the middle of the screen, the Accessibility Information Link and the Installation Details Link, both of which are located at the very bottom of the screen.

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Second, utilize the link to the On Demand Help and Learning Catalog that appears on your Blackboard page once you have logged in.

Third, read the posts under the "General Questions and Answers" thread on the course bulletin board. Chances are that your question has been asked before and there's a quick, clear answer waiting for you. 

Fourth, click on “Course Resources” on the course homepage and view the various tutorials and videos set up to help students learn how to utilize Blackboard.

Fifth, if these links do not answer your questions or for more general computer problems you may contact the Learning Enhancement Center via phone (601-266-5518) or email (lec@usm.edu).

Where to Go with Course-Related Questions: students with Blackboard questions that are specific to this course (for example, Blackboard wouldn't let you answer a particular question on an exam; you can't use the dropbox because it seems to be full already; you need a signature on a withdrawal form; you want to report grading errors, etc.) should contact the Course Coordinator, Ms. Tanja Nathanael, using Blackboard email (“Messages”) immediately.

Questions should be clear and specific, providing as much detail as possible; likewise, email subject lines should be clear, specific, and succinct.  “Help!!!!!” is not an appropriate subject line; instead, “Disconnected during exam 2,” or “Tuesday’s video link broken” would be more appropriate and useful subjects. Note: for the first two weeks of the semester, Ms. Tanja Nathanael will read email daily. After that, she will read email on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students should check Blackboard email at least once each week.

Error Messages: On occasion, when attempting to access a function within Blackboard (i.e., a quiz), an “Error” message may appear. This is usually a user-end problem that is easily fixed by a) changing browsers—close the browser you are in and switch to another: for example switch from Firefox to Internet Explorer. In general, Chrome, mobile devices such as smartphones, and certain Apps, such as the Blackboard App, do not always interface well with Blackboard. b) clear your computer’s cookies and caches: sometimes the computer being used will not “connect” to Blackboard because Blackboard does not recognize it or believes it is already connected elsewhere. Note: user-end problems are the student’s responsibility, and are not a valid excuse for missed assignments.

COURSE GOALS

English 203 is a writing course designed to introduce students to diverse literature from around the globe. Students will produce three writing assignments, amounting to approximately 2,500 words or more, demonstrating the following learning outcomes:

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Students will develop a topic and present ideas through writing in an organized, logical, and coherent form and in a style that is appropriate for the discipline and the situation.

Students will use Standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage.   Students will evaluate major developments in world history, the historical roots of

contemporary global cultures, or the literary, philosophical, or religious contributions of world cultures.

Students will comprehend and proficiently interpret text.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

IMPORTANT: the list below includes only the primary readings for the course. For important details about these readings, as well as for all other requirements and recommendations, click on “Course Materials” on the homepage. Any changes or announcements will likely appear on the “Announcements” section. Be sure to check regularly for updates, as this schedule is subject to change. Again, students are responsible for checking the “Course Materials” and weekly agenda pages as well for announcements and updates.

ENG 203X Spring 2015 Schedule

Week 1:T. 01/13: Course Introduction

Th. 01/15:  Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi: 20th century U.S./African-American (Allen)

Fr. 01/16: Quiz 1 opens at noon, is worth 5 points, and covers the syllabus only.

Week 2:T. 01/20: Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi: 20th century U.S./African-

American (Allen) Last day to drop full-semester classes and receive 100% financial credit Last day to add/drop full-term classes without instructor permission

Th. 01/22: Writing Workshop (Allen)Writing Exercise #1 Posted

Week 3:T.   01/27: Selected short stories by Persian women: 20th century Iran (Allen) - see

weekly agenda page for reading.

Th. 01/29: Selections from Slate of Life: 20th century India (Allen)

Fr. 01/30: Quiz 2 opens at noon and is worth 5 points.

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Week 4:T.   02/03: Ama Ata Aidoo, Anowa: 20th century Ghana (Allen)

Th. 02/05: Ama Ata Aidoo, Anowa: 20th century Ghana (Allen)Writing Exercise #1 Due Today!

Week 5: T.   02/10: José Rizal, Selections from Noli me Tangere: 19th century Philippines

(Allen)

Th. 02/12:  José Rizal, Selections from Noli me Tangere: 19th century Philippines (Allen)

Fr. 02/13: Quiz 3 opens at noon and is worth 5 points.

Week 6:T.   02/17:  Mardi Gras Holiday

Th. 02/19: Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, “In a Grove” and “Rashōmon”: 20th century Japan (Carey)Writing Exercise #2 Posted

Week 7:T.   02/24: Eudora Welty, “The Petrified Man”: 20th century U.S. South (Carey)

Th. 02/26: William Faulkner, “Barn Burning”: 20th century U.S. South (Carey)

Fr. 02/27: Quiz 4 opens at noon and is worth 10 points. Quiz 4 is a mid-term comprehensive exam that tests students on all of the material covered thus far this semester.

Week 8:T.  03/03: Selections from The Arabian Nights: 13th Century Arabia, Islamic Golden

Age (Carey)

Th.03/05: Franz Kafka, Selected Parables: 20th century Czech Republic (Carey)Writing Exercise #2 Due Today!

Week 9: Spring Break

Week 10: T.   03/17: Selected versions of “Little Red Riding Hood”: 19th century France and

Germany; 20th century Italy and China (Carey)

Th. 03/19: Brothers Grimm, “Snow White”: 19th century Germany (Carey)

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Fr. 03/20: Quiz 5 opens at noon and is worth 5 points. Week 11:T.  03/24: The Epic of Gilgamesh: Ancient Sumeria (Carey)

Th.03/26: The Epic of Gilgamesh: Ancient Sumeria (Carey)

Week 12:T.   03/31: Writing Workshop II (Nathanael)

Short Essay Assignment Posted

W. 04/01: Last day to withdraw from the University and receive a grade of W (After this date students will earn a letter grade for all enrolled courses)

Th. 04/02: William Shakespeare, The Tempest: 17th century England (Jordan)

Fr. 04/03: Quiz 6 opens at noon and is worth 5 points.

Week 13:T.   04/07: William Shakespeare, The Tempest: 17th century England (Jordan)

Th. 04/09: William Shakespeare, The Tempest: 17th century England (Jordan)

Week 14:T.   04/14: Selected Ottoman lyric poetry: 16th-century Turkish Renaissance

(Jordan)Short Essay Assignment Due Today!

Th. 04/16: Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s Turkish Embassy Letters: 18th-century England (and beyond) (Jordan)

Fr. 04/17: Quiz 7 opens at noon and is worth 5 points

Week 15:T.   04/21: Sophocles, Electra: 400 BCE Classical Greece (Jordan)

Th. 04/23: Sophocles, Electra: 400 BCE Classical Greece (Jordan)

Week 16:T.   04/28: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Chronicle of a Death Foretold: 20th century

Columbia (Jordan)

Th. 04/30: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Chronicle of a Death Foretold: 20th century Columbia (Jordan)

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Fr. 05/01: Quiz 8 opens at noon and is worth 10 points. Quiz 8 covers all of the material covered since the mid-term exam.

The dates listed above also appear in Blackboard’s “Course Materials,” accessible from the left-hand navigation pane.  Students are strongly advised to view Blackboard’s “Course Materials” daily, and ahead of schedule, to keep up with the deadlines for all assignments in the course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The two major course requirements consist of writing assignments and quizzes. The three writing assignments, worth 50 points total, and eight quizzes, worth 50 points total, comprise the 100 total points for the class. The final grade is determined on a simple 100-point scale; there are no weighted grades. In addition to the 100 required points, there are 16 possible points offered as extra credit opportunities throughout the semester: class participation, for a possible 10 points; one plagiarism tutorial for a possible 1 point; and extra credit questions on random quizzes, for a possible total of 5 points. There are options for “class participation” both for students attending lectures in class, as well as students viewing lectures online. Details about the three major course requirements are listed below.

Writing Assignments:Per University GEC mandates, this course requires 2500 words of writing total, per student. Students will produce these 2500 words throughout the course of the semester in the form of three writing assignments, worth 10, 15, and 25 points respectively. The assignments will increase in length as the semester progresses. Detailed information on each writing assignment will be provided online once the assignments are given. The writing assignments, which include two writing exercises and one short essay, will be posted under “Course Materials” in the appropriate weeks. Deadlines for all writing assignments are specified in the course schedule provided above.

Online Tutoring Help Available for ENG 203 Students: The Writing Center offers both online and in-person tutoring for ENG 203 students. To make an appointment, call 601-266-4821, and specify whether you would like an online or in-person consultation.

Formatting: Blackboard does not accept certain kinds of word-processing formats.  The following word-processing formats are acceptable:   Word (PC and Mac)   WordPerfect (PC and Mac)   AppleWorks (Mac)   HTML and RTF formats (PC and Mac)

Blackboard will not accept documents prepared with Microsoft Works.  If you use Works, before you submit the assignment to the Blackboard dropbox, you must use the wordprocessor's SAVE AS function to create a new document in HTML or RTF format. The iTech Help Desk at 601-266-4357 can walk you through the steps if you

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experience difficulty.

Submitting: there is only one way to get credit for an writing assignment— writing assignments (exercises and essays) must be submitted through Blackboard. Students may not email writing assignments directly to instructors, and may not deliver, mail, or fax paper copies to the Department of English. The Course Coordinator will provide detailed information about exactly how to submit writing assignments through Blackboard, so make sure to pay close attention to all lectures or lecture videos for further information.

Students will submit each writing assignment to a dropbox on Blackboard. The appropriate dropbox will be located in the week that the essay is due. For example, since Writing Exercise #1 is due during Week 4, the dropbox for Writing Exercise #1 is located in Week 4. You can access the dropbox by clicking on “Week 4” in the Course Materials page.

It is the student's responsibility to make sure her or his essay has been submitted correctly. Students are advised to double-check to make sure their essays have posted correctly, and then check to follow-up once an essay grade has been posted. Blackboard/Turnitin will generate a “receipt” of your submission – print and keep that receipt for your records. Please note that an essay can only be submitted once. After an essay has been uploaded to Blackboard/Turnitin it cannot be retrieved or resubmitted; therefore, before submitting your essay to the dropbox, make sure the essay is complete and the one you wish to submit.

Late writing assignments will be accepted for three days immediately following the due date and time only; ALL late writing assignments will carry a penalty of 25% of the essay's point value.  Further, any essay that does not meet the minimum length requirement will also carry a penalty of 25% of the essay's point value.

Understanding Essay Grades: essays will typically be graded within two weeks of the due date. The Course Coordinator will provide information about how to see your grades and, later in the semester, how to read the feedback on your essays; so make sure to pay close attention to all lectures or lecture videos for more information.

For an explanation of how essays are scored, go to “Course Resources” (either on the homepage or the yellow panel on the left side of your screen) and click on “Course Rubrics.” The "Essay Scoring Matrix" provides the criteria for scoring student essay grades; students should make sure to consult this page after retrieving their essay score.

Plagiarism: academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, submitting another's work as your own, cheating on examinations, accepting questions or answers to exams from another person, giving questions or answers to exams to another person, and duplicating another's work in any way without correct citation. IN ADDITION, academic dishonesty also includes the submitting of work previously used in another class or a paper written for ENG 203: World Literature from another semester or section. In other words, a paper, or any significant portion of that paper (greater than 24%), that had been previously

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submitted for and received a grade, even if that paper is your own, is "self-plagiarism" and considered "recycling fraud," even if the essay consists of your own ideas. For the purposes of our class, self-plagiarism will be treated as academic fraud. Plagiarism OF ANY KIND will result in immediate failure of the assignment or essay, receiving ZERO points. In addition, the infraction shall be reported to the English department's plagiarism coordinator. A second infraction of any kind will result in the immediate failure of the course and reporting of the infraction to the Dean of Students for possible further action. The following statement on Academic Honesty appears in the 2002-2003 edition of the Student Handbook (72):

When cheating is discovered, the faculty member may give the student an F on the work involved or in the course. If further disciplinary action is deemed appropriate, the student should be reported to the dean of students.In addition to being a violation of academic honesty, cheating violates the code of student conduct and may be grounds for probation, suspension, and/or expulsion.

Students on disciplinary suspension may not enroll in any courses offered by The University of Southern Mississippi.

Plagiarism is also explicitly defined in the Student Handbook (73-74):

A. Plagiarism is scholarly theft, and it is defined as the unacknowledged use of secondary sources. More specifically, any written or oral presentation in which the writer or speaker does not distinguish clearly between original and borrowed material constitutes plagiarism.

B. Because students, as scholars, must make frequent use of the concepts and the facts developed by other scholars, plagiarism is not the mere use of another's facts and ideas. However, it is plagiarism when students present the work of other scholars as if it were their own work.1. Referring to commonly known facts is not plagiarism.2. Students may refer in their own words to generally known and widely accepted ideas or theories without fear of plagiarism as long as they do not copy the plan or organizational scheme used by another scholar.

C. Plagiarism is committed in a number of ways:1. Reproducing another author's writing as if it were one's own.2. Paraphrasing another author's work without citing the original.3. Borrowing from another author's ideas, even though those ideas are reworded, without giving credit.4. Copying another author's organization without giving credit

D. Plagiarism is avoided when students give credit (footnotes or other documentation forms) to the source in the following instances:1. When quoting directly from someone else's writing (A direct quotation must always be enclosed in quotation marks.)

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2. When paraphrasing someone else's writing (To paraphrase means to restate a passage from someone else's writing in one's own words.)3. When following the outline or structure of another author's argument, explanation, or theory--even though the material is summarized in one's own words.

E. When in doubt about how widely known ideas are, observe these steps:1. Ask your instructor.2. Document the source.

F. Plagiarism is a serious offense. An act of plagiarism may lead to a failing grade on the paper and in the course, as well as sanctions that may be imposed by the student judicial system.

If one reproduces "another author's writing as if it were one's own," plagiarism has been committed. It does not matter if the writing comes "from a book, the web, another student's essay, or any other source, written or spoken"; using another's work without giving proper attribution is academic theft.

Each student should complete the Plagiarism Tutorial provided by the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries by Friday, January 30 (Week 3) of class. See the “Course Materials” page for Week One for specific instructions. Completion of the final post-test offered in the tutorial is worth one point extra credit.

The top of the first page of every writing assignment must include an acknowledgment that the student is in compliance with the University of Southern Mississippi policy on Academic Honesty and plagiarism (see below).  Specifically, every student essay must include the following statement in order to be graded:

"I have read, understand, and am in compliance with the Academic Honesty policy.   In particular, I have not committed any kind of plagiarism.  There are no un-attributed direct or indirect quotations or paraphrases from printed materials, websites, other students' papers, or any other sources in my essay."

By enrolling in this course, students give permission for their essays to be submitted to and analyzed by Turnitin.com, a service employed by the University to identify and document plagiarism in order to ensure academic honesty.

Further instructions on the “Turnitin” process will be delivered by the Course Coordinator later in the semester, so make sure to pay close attention to all lectures or lecture videos for more information.

Quizzes:Quizzes are scheduled every two weeks beginning the first week of class. Quizzes will open at noon (CST) on Fridays and close at noon (CST) on the following Wednesday. They are available to students for a full five-day window of time. With the exception of Quizzes 4 and 8, each quiz is worth 5 points and covers the material since the previous

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quiz. Quizzes 4 and 8 are worth 10 points each and are the mid-semester comprehensive and final, respectively. All quizzes are timed: students have 10 minutes each for all quizzes except the midterm and final, for which students have 20 minutes to complete. Please note that even though there is a “save” key at the top of each quiz, saving a quiz does not stop the clock—your quiz will shut down once you have reached the maximum time allotted whether you have completed the quiz or not.

Quiz #1 is a special test covering the syllabus only. The purpose of this quiz is to make sure students understand the course design and to provide students with the chance to practice online testing skills. For quiz number one only, students may take this test up to three times within the testing window. All other quizzes will only allow students one attempt. The testing window for Quiz #1 opens January 16th at noon (CST) and will close on January 21st at noon (CST). Because you can take this quiz three times and the highest score is the one that will count, you should make sure that you do your best to earn all five points.

Quizzes 4 and 8 (the mid-semester comprehensive and final, respectively) will each consist of twenty multiple-choice questions, focused on the texts we have read for class, the introductions to the texts as well as the content of the lectures. All other quizzes will consist of ten multiple-choice questions focused on the texts we have read for class, the introductions to the texts as well as the content of the lectures.

Extra credit questions may appear on random quizzes. You may choose to answer the extra credit questions, or to skip them. A correct answer will be added to the total quiz grade, whereas an incorrect answer to an extra credit question will not count against the total quiz score.

Make-up quizzes are only allowed in the event of a Blackboard failure. All Blackboard failures are recorded in the Blackboard test bank, which your professors can access. There will be absolutely no make-up quizzes as a result of user-end problems or failures—no exceptions.

For optimum performance, students should close all other applications and browser windows, empty their CD tray, and make sure Blackboard is the only application running when taking a quiz.

To take a quiz, click on "Course Materials" in the left-hand navigation pane and then choose the appropriate week for the quiz. Because the quizzes are timed and your Blackboard timer may not update itself regularly, students are advised to use a watch to monitor their progress. Please note that a quiz will automatically close at noon (CST) of the closing date; therefore, students should not wait until the last minute to start a quiz because it will close mid-quiz if you reach the closing time regardless of where you are in the process.

NOTE: You will not be able to see quiz results until the testing window closes for all students. At the conclusion of a quiz, do not be surprised if you receive only a message

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that the exam has been submitted, and you do not see your score: this is normal.  Quiz scores will be posted by 3:30 pm (CST) on the day the testing window closes.

Class Participation (Extra Credit):Out of the 16 possible points offered in extra credit opportunities throughout the semester, 10 can be earned through class participation. There are three different ways a student may earn participation points for the semester. Each option is worth 1/5 of one point (or .2 each).

Option One: Attending classStudents may earn participation credit by attending class, fully prepared to participate and engage with the course material.

Option Two: Posting a thoughtful and original discussion questionStudents may participate by posting a thoughtful and original question about the literature to be discussed during the next class at least twenty-four hours prior to the time of the lecture. Discussion questions must be posted on the Discussion Board under the appropriate thread and must be original – in other words, if the question (or some version of the question) has already been posted earlier in the discussion board for that lecture, you cannot repeat the same question. You must check all prior posts within the discussion board to ensure the question you are asking has not already been asked. Discussion Questions must include a quotation from the text in order to receive credit. Discussion Boards are located either on the yellow panel on the left side of your screen, or under “Course Materials” on the appropriate week.

Option Three: Posting a thoughtful and original lecture-responseStudents may participate by posting a thoughtful and original comment or response to a lecture within forty-eight hours after the lecture video has been posted . Lecture responses must be posted under the appropriate thread on the Discussion Board no more than 48 hours after the lecture has been uploaded to receive participation credit. (An announcement will be sent to students’ eagle mail noting the time at which the lecture was posted to Blackboard.) Like the discussion question, your comment must also be original. You must check all prior responses or comments in the discussion board for that lecture to ensure your comment has not already been posted. Only one response per lecture will be counted toward participation points. Lecture responses must include a quotation from the text or from the lecture itself and add something new to the discussion of the text in order to receive credit. Repeating or paraphrasing a point made by the instructor in the lecture in your response will not receive credit. Again, Discussion Boards are located either on the yellow panel on the left side of your screen or under “Course Materials” on the appropriate week.

Students may choose any combination of the above three options in order to reach the ten point maximum participation grade; however, students may submit only one discussion question and one response per lecture.

EVALUATION

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Final letter grades are awarded based on points earned, according to the following scale. Grades are determined by points not averages.

A 100 – 90B  89 – 80 C  79 – 70 D  69 – 60 F  59 and below

Note: The grade scale for the course is fixed.  Do not ask your instructors to make special changes, add points to a final grade, "round up" to a new grade, or provide last-minute extra credit opportunities on an individual basis. Any special requests would be grossly unfair to the other members of the course.

Tips from Former Students:1) Do not make the mistake of waiting until just before a quiz is due to begin: Blackboard will cut you off when time expires, so if you start a quiz at 11:58 AM on a Tuesday and the window closes at noon, Blackboard will allow only 2 minutes to finish. 

2) The system can become overloaded just before an assignment is due if everyone turns in their work at the last-minute. To avoid frustrating transactional delays when posting your assignments on Blackboard, complete assignments as early as possible.

3) Between 11 PM and 6 AM on Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday, BellSouth often performs maintenance on lines coming into the university.  Avoid taking exams during these windows.

4) View and print out the weekly Course Materials and additional material for the week before you view or attend the lectures; when you view or attend the lectures, be sure to take good notes, as this will help you to learn the material and fare better on the quizzes.

5) Don't fall behind.  Online learning demands greater student motivation and responsibility than traditional classroom learning.  Do not make the mistake of thinking that since classroom attendance is not required you can do the work anytime you want: on the contrary, this course has many precise assignment due dates. Make sure your grade will not suffer because you leave work until the last minute.

STUDENT RESOURCES Writing Tutors: 1) On Campus: conveniently located on the first floor of Cook Library just past the Starbucks, The Writing Center is a FREE tutorial service available to any Southern Miss student who wants help with any type of writing project. The Writing Center offers one-on-one instruction designed to help you become a more effective writer. Call 601-266-4821 or come by to make an appointment.

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2) Online: Online Tutoring Help Available for ENG 203 Students! The Writing Center now offers online tutoring for students enrolled in ENG 203 online. To make an appointment, call 601-266-4821, and be sure to ask for an online appointment.

Office Hours: the course coordinator is available during office hours to meet with students regarding any problem with the course. Students may drop in during office hours or email Ms. Tanja Nathanael to schedule an appointment outside of regular office hours. 

Study Tools: There are a number of online sites listed under "Course Resources" on the course homepage that can help students navigate through this course. Students are encouraged to explore the available resources and take advantage of the opportunities available to them.

Campus Computing Facilities: properly configured computers are available for student use in LAB 109 and in the first-floor lab in Cook Library. Check with the iTech Help Desk (601-266-4357) for hours of operation.  Students planning to utilize these facilities must bring their own headphones. The headphones from any portable CD player or similar equipment will work fine. *Note: Cook Library users should take special note that only first-floor computers are properly configured to work with Blackboard. 

Counseling Services: the University Counseling Center offers individual therapy, group therapy, and couples counseling free of charge to all students. Sessions are confidential, and conducted by trained professionals. For more information, visit www.usm.edu/counseling.

Office of Disability Accommodations: If a student has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies.

Address: The University of Southern Mississippi Office for Disability Accommodations 118 College Drive # 8586 Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 Voice Telephone: 601.266.5024 or 228. 214.3232 Fax: 601. 266.6035 Individuals with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at 1.800.582.2233 (TTY) or e-mail Suzy Hebert at Suzanne.Hebert@usm.edu.

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