English 254 Syllabus

Getting Started

How to Contact Me:

I am here to help you succeed in this course. Although we will interact regularly on your assignments and exams, occasional questions or problems may arise. Here's how to contact me when they do.

• BY EMAIL: rblunt@nvcc.edu
• BY CAMPUS TELEPHONE:
• BY ELI TELEPHONE: (703) 323-3347

If you need to meet in person, please contact me for an appointment.

Your Email Account:

You have been assigned a VCCS email address for use in this and other courses that you take through NVCC or other colleges in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The VCCS requires that you use this email account for any course-related email communication so that we can insure your privacy as required by law. If you don't know your VCCS email address, go to the Start Page and search for your address.

Discussion Forums:

In addition to email, you, I, and the other students in the course will communicate using discussion forums. Discussion forums allow you to post your ideas and comments and read and respond to the ideas and comments of others, without having to be connected to the course at the same time.

To access the discussion forums click the DISCUSSION FORUM link on the left.

Course Summary:

This course introduces you to works by African American writers from mid-twentieth century to the present. The course will also present the historical, sociological, and political context of the literature created by African Americans during these time periods. You will critically read numerous literary works and write analyses which examine the dominant themes and features of the works. You will be using Internet resources to enhance your understanding of the writers and their works. You will also be participating in online discussions with other students enrolled in the course and with me to assist you in your reading and writing about the literature.

Course Objectives:
After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

1. read literary genres critically and respond in writing
2. identify the major genres created by African American writers and the characteristics of those genres
3. identify the major themes of African American literature produced from the mid-twentieth century to the present
4. write clear, coherent, well-organized analyses of the literature
5. write a thesis statement which is supported in the analysis with details and textual evidence from the literary work

Course Materials: Gates Jr., Henry Louis, and McKay, Nellie Y.  The Norton Anthology of African American Literature.  New York: Norton, 2nd edition.

You can buy the text book at the campus bookstores or order it by mail. Buying your books by mail takes time, so do it immediately. Before traveling to the bookstore, you may call ahead to confirm that your books are in stock.

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Course Requirement

1 Introductory Letter	30 Discussion Forum Postings
3 Essays	3 Exams
5 Web Site Reports

Grading:

ASSIGNMENTS	POSSIBLE POINTS (EACH)	TOTAL POINTS
Introductory Letter	25	25
30 Discussion Forum Postings	10	300
5 Web Site Reports	5	25
Essay 1	100	100
Essay 2	100	100
Essay 3	100	100
Exam 1	100	100
Exam 2	100	100
Exam 3	150	150
Total Points		1000

Final Grade will be based upon the number of points that you have earned.

A=900-1000 points
B=800-899 points
C=700-799 points
D=600-699 points
F=Below 600 points