ENG 241: Survey of American Literature I

Judy Riggin

Syllabus

[Introduction] [Your Responsibility] [Syllabus] [Assignments] [Exams] [Resources]

Syllabus
Communication
Course Summary
Prerequisites and Objectives
Books and Materials

Course Progress

Grading Scale

ELI Polices and Procedures
ELI Examination Passes
Using Technology

Communication:

How to Contact Me:
I am here to help you succeed in this course. Although we will interact regularly through your assignments and exams, you may also want to reach me when questions or problems arise. Here's how to contact me when they do:

If you wish to meet in person, please contact me for an appointment during my office hours:

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.

To log on to your email account and check for mail, click the Student Email tab near the top of this page. Enter your complete email address as your user name. Use the same password as you first used to log onto Blackboard (either the birth date you gave when you registered, or the last 4 digits of your student number). If you need help using the email account, go to the Email Login Page and click the link to "online documentation."

Please check your email regularly. That is how I will return graded assignments and send other private, course-related information. I will also reply to your emails at your VCCS account. I will not accept or respond to email sent by you from any account other than the one provided by the VCCS.

 

[ Top ]

 

 

 

Course Summary :

English 241 is the first course of Survey of American Literature I and II. In this class, your study will involve analytical reading and writing. The instruction examines a wide range of writers and American literary works from Native America and European exploration to the Civil War. This course intends to provide students with an understanding of the ideas, themes, and characteristics of American literature. Students also develop an awareness of the cultural, historical, religious, philosophical, and aesthetic contexts which shape American culture.

[ Top ]

 

 

 

Prerequisites and Objectives:

Prerequisite: Eng 112 or permission of instructor.

Course Objectives
If you successfully complete this course, you will be able to:

[ Top ]

 

 

 

Books and Materials :

Required Texts
The required textbooks for this course are:

You may purchase your books and materials
Call before going to a campus bookstore to make sure the materials are in stock. If you don't see what you need, ask for assistance. Each bookstore has a separate section for ELI courses. Print this page and take it with you to avoid confusion.

Additional Materials
The following materials are also required for this course:

[ Top ]

 

 

 

Course Progress:

ELI is designed for students with busy and sometimes irregular schedules. Most ELI courses do not require fixed assignment due dates. However, research shows that students are most successful with independent study when they start their course work on time and make steady progress. To help you do this, we suggest that you try to follow the timeline below. Base the months on your enrollment date (found in the Quick Start Syllabus), NOT the campus semester.

IMPORTANT : SUBMIT ONE ASSIGNMENT AT A TIME DURING THE MONTH. DO NOT SEND SEVERAL ASSIGNMENTS TOGETHER AT MONTH'S END.

Month I

Practice Journal

Journal 1

Journal 2

 

Month 2

Exam 1

Journal 3

Your Last Withdrawal Date falls approximately 9 weeks after your enrollment begins. By this date, you must have submitted at least two assignments or your instructor will automatically withdraw you from the course with no refund.

Month 3

Exam 2

Journal 4

Essay

 

Month 4

Journal 5

Exam 3

Complete Course Evaluation

Your End of Enrollment Date falls approximately 4 months after your enrollment begins. By this date, you should have completed all work for the course. If you have not, but you have satisfactorily completed approximately 50% of the course work, you may request a grade of Incomplete (I). See the section on Incomplete Grades for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Evaluation Survey

Please take time to complete the Course Evaluation survey at the end of your course. This is a short, online survey that provides valuable feedback to ELI and its instructors. You will have an opportunity to complete the survey when you go to the Testing Center for your final exam. Or, if you have a computer with Internet access, you can complete the survey online anytime .

[ Top ]

 

 

 

Grading Scale :

The course grading criteria are listed below:

Assignments Possible Points
% of Final Grade
Introduction/Practice Journal
5 points
Bonus
Journal Writings (five)*
100 points (20 pts.each)
20%
Essay
100 points
20%
Exam 1
100 points
20%
Exam 2
100 points
20%
Exam 3
100 points
20%

*In addition, you may earn extra credit of 20 bonus points if you submit a sixth Journal Writing about a field trip. See instructions for Journal Writing #6 at the end of the Assignments listed on this Course Site. This Journal #6 can be submitted any time during the course but no later than when you take Exam 3.

Final grades will be based on the following scale:

A = 90–100% = 450 to 500 points

B = 80–89% = 400 to 449 points

C = 70–79% = 350 to 399 points

D = 60–69% = 300 to 349 points

F = Below 60%= 299 and below points

NOTE: For ENG 241, you must take all three exams and submit the Essay in order to pass the course, regardless of how well you do on the other assignments. Please keep a personal record of all your grades so that you can compute your own course grade.

If you do not submit at least two assignments by your Last Withdrawal Date, you will be automatically withdrawn from the course with no refund. If you do not withdraw and do not finish your course assignments, you will receive a grade based upon the work you have submitted. Usually, this grade is an “F.” If you are past your Last Withdrawal Date but have mitigating circumstances that prevent you from finishing the course, contact your instructor in writing to request a "W" grade.

If you are making progress in your course, but your End of Enrollment date is near and extenuating circumstances prevent you from completing all of the course assignments, you may request a grade of Incomplete. To request a grade of Incomplete for this course, you must have satisfactorily completed 50% of all assignments and examinations, meaning all assignments of Month 1(Practice Journal, Journals #1 and #1)and Month 2 (Exam #1 and Journal #3).

If you are receiving financial aid, course withdrawal or a grade of “F” may affect your status. Please contact the Financial Aid office for further information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ Top ]

 

 

 

ELI Policy and Procedure:

The ELI Web Site will answer many general questions about ELI and the courses available through ELI. Please also read ELI Policies and Procedures for the policies that govern your enrollment and the services available to you.

[ Top ]

 

 

 

ELI Exam Passes:

You are expected to take your examinations at one of the NVCC campus Testing Centers. Be sure to allow enough time to complete your exam before the Testing Center closes; Testing centers have specific policies relating to the administration of ELI exams. Testing Centers will NOT let you take an exam if you bring your children.  This is an issue of liability.

For Testing Center locations, hours of operation and policies, click here .

At all Testing Centers, you will be required to show photo identification to take your examination. This may be an official driver's license, a DMV ID, or a military ID. You will also be required to provide the appropriate Exam Pass, which is located on your course web site or in the Syllabus, and your NovaConnect ID (also called your Student Number and EmplID). To look up your NovaConnect ID before you go to the testing center, go to http://www.nvcc.edu/novaconnect /.

If you have received a W grade, you must have written permission from your instructor to take exams. Be sure to take this permission with you to the Testing Center to take the exam.

Exam Passes - SUMMER 05; FALL 05

Proctor Request Form

Campus Learning Resource Centers

[ Top ]

 

 

 

Using Technology:

Email

All NVCC students automatically receive a student email account through the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). If you use email for course-related correspondence, you must use this account (instructors will not reply to non-VCCS accounts). For information on how to set up and access your account, go to www.nvcc.edu/ithd/studentmail.html , or call the IT Help Desk at (703) 426-4141.

Video Programs

 

 

In addition to the textbook(s) and this website, this course includes a series of twelve video programs. You may access these programs in several ways.

•  Each assignment that requires viewing of a video lecture will have a link to the online* version of the video via the Interactive Outline. (requires a broadband connection and Windows media player 8 or higher)

*Not recommended for dial-up modem users. For students who are connecting to the internet at a rate below 56K, you may want to use the alternate forms of viewing as listed below:

•  CD's are available by requesting them through ELI Distance Learning at 703-323-3347(CD's are in the same format as the interactive outlines)

•  Telecourse videos are broadcast via NVCC cable television (see TV schedule). Telecourse schedule information is also available at www.nvcc.edu/tvcenter .

•  The telecourse videos are blockfed overnight on NVCC-TV from 11:59pm to 6am (see Overnight Blockfeed Schedule or the Schedule of Classes).

•  Videos are available at each campus Learning Resource Center (LRC), but tape copies and VCRs are limited. Students should be aware that viewing tapes in the LRC would be time-consuming. At Loudoun, tapes are kept in the Testing Center .

•  Telecourse videos are available for rental. See the TV schedule for rental agencies.

If you start your course after broadcasts have begun, you may view previously shown programs at campus LRCs, off the Overnight Blockfeed, if available, or rent the tapes from a rental agency, if available. If you experience TV reception problems, call (703) 323-3377.

 
The programs you need to view for this course are listed below in broadcast order:

Program 1 “That is why there are so many legends now”

Program 2 “Pleasure, profit and content”
Program 3 “A hideous and desolate wilderness”
Program 4 “Who says my hand a needle better fits”
Program 5 “The increase of business became my burden”
Program 6 “So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature”
Program 7 “Our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor”
Program 8 “What must have been a dream”
Program 9 “So far may the best man err”
Program 10 “The bloodstained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery”
Program 11 “I become a transparent eyeball”
Program 12 “The revery alone will do”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ Top ]