Course Information:WRIT 1605
Section 001, course #46733—meets from 1 p.m. - 1:50 in EduE 32 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The course home page can be found at: <http://www.d.umn.edu/~cstroupe/sp14/1506>

• Orality and Literacy by Walter Ong (Routledge) ISBN 9-780415-281294;
• Narrative by Paul Cobley (Routledge New Critical Idiom) ISBN ISBN-10: 0415212634.
• Bridget Jones's Diary (Penguin) by Helen Fielding, ISBN: 014028009X; ISBN-13: 978-0415212632
• Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, by Marjane Satrapi (Author); ISBN-10: 037571457X
  # ISBN-13: 978-0375714573
• Picture of Dorian Gray (Dover Thrift Edition); ISBN-10: 0486278077; ISBN-13: 978-0486278070
• Dracula (Broadview Literary Texts) (Paperback) by Bram Stoker, ISBN-10: 1551111365
  # ISBN-13: 978-1551111360;
• 1984 (Signet Classics) by George Orwell, # ISBN 978-0-451-52493-5
• A Number of Printouts of chapters or articles available via the course Moodle site.

• Your work on the Preparation Sheets, Reading Guides, and Online Discussions: 30%
• Performance on the final exam: 30%
• Performance on the midterm exam: 25%
• In-Class Participation: 15%
• Note that unexcused absences in excess of 3 will deduct 2% each from your overall grade
  
  

Purpose
In this course, you will gain a broad historical perspective on the effects of writing and reading on the material, cultural, and political structures of society.

This perspective will be achieved by reading both theory and literature, by applying that theory and analyzing that literature in formal writing, by preparing for quizzes and exams that provide incentive to complete and absorb the readings, and by participating in discussions in class and online.

In particular, we will learn how fundamentally influential the various forms of literacy are not only on communication, but on our shared sense of reality and identity.

Readings

You will be expected to complete all the assigned readings by the beginning of class. You should mark the book or printout to help you locate key words, ideas, names, passages, and examples in the future, such as when you're studying for the exams. See the online handout on the practice of Active Reading.

Preparation Sheets and Online Discussions

As preparation for some reading assignments, I will give you prompts to respond to, either online or in print. Your responses should give evidence that you have read the assigned reading and that you understand it well enough to summarize key points from it in your own words and to reflect on their implications and consequences.

Exams

There will be a mid-term and final exam, which will be a combination of opened- and closed-book formats.

Your regular attendance is absolutely necessary for your success in the class. The UMD policy states:

Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings. It is the responsibility of students to plan their schedules to avoid excessive conflict with course requirements. However, there are legitimate and verifiable circumstances that lead to excused student absence from the classroom. These are subpoenas, jury duty, military duty, religious observances, illness, bereavement for immediate family, and NCAA varsity intercollegiate athletics. For complete information, please see: http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/ExcusedAbsence.html
1. Allowed Absences
You are allowed a small number of absences which you can spent however you wish: 4 (in a MWF class) or 3 (in a TT class). Allowed absences do not excuse you from the work due or completed on the days you are absent, and some in-class activities and timely requirements cannot be replicated or made up. Save your "free" absences for a rainy (or snowy) day.

2. Unexcused Absences and Penalties:
Absences in excess of the number of allowed instances deduct 2 percent each from your overall grade.

3. Excused Absences
In the case of serious, legitimate, and verifiable conflicts that result in absences in excess of the allowed number, the UMD attendance policy states that absences can be excused if

1. you contact me prior to, or as soon as possible after, the circumstance resulting in your absence(s)

2. you provide written documentation from an authoritative source (e.g., a doctor, the Athletic Department) which speaks specifically to the reason you were unavoidably unable to attend class that particular day.

Like the other types of absences, documented, excused absences do not excuse you from the work due or completed when you did not attend, and some in-class activities and timely requirements cannot be replicated or made up.

Class participation will include reading aloud from or explaining what you wrote in preparation for that class meeting. Be sure you have access to your text. I will try to call on a good number of students, and I do expect everybody to be prepared to speak . I will often collect your printed writings at the end of class.

Turning in all required work on time is critical; work turned in late will be assessed a 3% penalty per day. No credit will be given for work more than 10 days late.

Students with Disabilities Policy
It is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations. Please call 218-726-6130 or visit the DR website at www.d.umn.edu/access for more information.

Incompletes
Incompletes for the semester will be given only in the following very limited circumstances:

• you must contact me in advance of the semester's end to make a request for an incomplete;
• no more than one or two weeks of class, or one or two assignments, can have been missed;
• you must be in good standing in the class (not already behind, in other words);
• you must have a documented family or medical emergency, as required by university policy;
• you must arrange a time table with me for completing the missed work that is acceptable for both of us.