ENGL 108B W22 Ugor

           4. Research Essay (15% of final grade)

You will be required to write one well-researched essay during the term. In your research paper, you will be expected to reflect on a chosen text utilizing relevant scholarly readings (books, essays, documentaries, etc.) and discussions from the class and elsewhere. The paper should be between 6-8 typed pages (2000 words) in length and should show clear evidence of scholarly research. The aim of the research is to use the twin concepts of globalization and postcolonialism in analysing any text we have read this term. Your primary concern will be to show what is global and postcolonial about the text and how it enacts global postcolonial concerns through various narrative techniques. In general, the emphasis will be on a clear demonstration of the ability to have academic conversation with other scholars on the text. Your research paper may focus on a postcolonial text which we didn’t read this term.

5. Spontaneous In-class Writing and/or Mini-Reviews (30% of final grade)

Please note that all in-class writings and mini-reviews must be retained by the students. You will be expected to submit a portfolio with all in-class work and reviews at the end of the term. In-class writings and reviews will constitute 30% of your grade for this course. You must be in class in person to participate in any in-class writing exercise. This means that if you are not in class, you cannot make up for any in-class writing and reviews that you have missed. Please do not email me to ask for an opportunity to complete any in-class writing(s) you missed. The folder, with all in-class writings and reviews, will be due for submission in the last week of April 2018.

Below is a breakdown of how the various course components will be evaluated.

Weighting of Course Requirements:

Attendance/Participation                               10% (Due Date, End of Term)

Annotated Bibliography                                 15% (Due Date, Feb. 17th)

Group Presentation                                       10% (Due Date, April 6^th)

In-class Writing and/or Mini-Reviews             30% (Due Date, April 4^th)

Research Essay                                            15% (Due Date, February 28th)

Final Examination                                          20% (Due Date, TBA)

Total                                       100%

Academic Integrity Statement: Academic integrity is expected in all classroom endeavours. Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. A student’s placement of his/her name on any academic exercise shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student’s own thought, effort, and study. Students who have questions regarding issues of academic dishonesty should refer to the university regulation which outlines acceptable behaviour in academic matters. For information on the various types of academic dishonesty please refer to the UWaterloo Academic Integrity Policy, located at Home | Academic Integrity | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca). It is the student’s and faculty’s responsibility to uphold the principle of academic integrity. Academic integrity is an important part of this university and this course. Academic integrity is required of you the students and I as the instructor. Academic integrity should be used in preparation of this course, in class time, regarding exams, and with regards to written assignments. In certain circumstances (such as cheating or plagiarism) a faculty member may be required to refer a student(s) to Community Rights and Responsibility for a violation of University of Waterloo’s Code of Student Conduct.

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:

1. Plagiarism, e.g., the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been obtained.
2. Improper collaboration in group work.
3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.

Stress and Other Related Issues

Life at college can get very complicated. Students sometimes feel overwhelmed, lost, experience anxiety or depression, struggle with relationship difficulties or diminished self-esteem. However, many of these issues can be effectively addressed with a little help. Student Counselling Services (SCS) helps students cope with difficult emotions and life stresses. Student Counselling Services is staffed by experienced, professional psychologists and counsellors, who are attuned to the needs of college students. The services are FREE and completely confidential. Find out more at Student Run Services: https://wusa.ca/services/student-run-services/.

Accessibility Statement

Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability and/or medical/mental health condition should contact Student Access and Accommodation Services at 200 University Ave West, Student Life Centre, Room 1116, Waterloo, ON or visit

the https://wusa.ca/services/student-supports/.

UWaterloo LEARN:

We will be using LEARN (the online learning management system at Uwaterloo) available at Homepage - ENGL 108B - Winter 2023 (uwaterloo.ca). Students should be aware that when they access the electronic components of this course, private information such as first and last names, usernames for the ISU e-mail accounts, and program affiliation may become apparent to all other students in the same course. The available information is dependent on the technology used. Continuation in this course will be deemed consent to this disclosure. If you have any questions or concerns about such disclosure, please discuss this with the course instructor. We will use ‘LEARN’ to distribute additional information about course assignments and expectations, including hand-outs and assignment guides, so you should make a point of accessing it frequently (at least twice per week) to keep up-to-date with our course. Any announcements about changes to assigned readings, office hours, or class cancellations will also be made through ‘LEARN.’ Students who are unfamiliar with the ‘Sakai’ system should familiarize themselves with it as soon as possible; if you have any questions please seek immediate assistance by calling technology support during office hours, or review the online tips and help available by visiting the Tech. Support webpage: Home | LEARN Help | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca).

Important Notes and Terms of Enrolment:

Please note that continuation in this course will be deemed agreement to adhere to the terms of enrolment outlined in this course outline. If you have any questions or concerns about these terms, please contact me immediately. Important Notes:

A).Course Policies:

You are expected to be cautious and polite while speaking in class. Even if you disagree with others in class, you must do so within respectable limits. Students are expected to hand in their assignments on time. Assignments will only be accepted in hard copy or through LEARN (NOT THROUGH EMAIL). Appropriate arrangements must be made for a late submission prior to the due date. Failure to do this will result in a 10% loss of the said assignment or maybe be rejected completely by the professor. Cell phones must be turned off and put away at the beginning of every class. It is important that you remember this caution! Laptops are only permitted for taking notes. For my position on the use of laptops, see Darren Rosenblum’s recent article in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/opinion/leave-your-laptops-at-the- door-to-my-classroom.html?_r=0.

b. Email Policy:

For the purposes of this course, all email communication sent from students to me must originate from the student's own University of Waterloo email account. This policy protects confidentiality and confirms the identity of the student. I will delete emails that do not originate from a UWaterloo email account. Take as much care with your email communications as you do with written assignments. Be sure to write clearly and to proofread and edit your messages. Avoid abbreviations and other texting shortcuts. Please remember that in email messages, as in your verbal communication with your professor, your tone should be polite and respectful.

c. Occasional Changes

The professor and the university reserve the right to adjust segments of the course during the term. If these changes become necessary, appropriate, and timely notice will be sent out to students. It is the responsibility of students to check their email and course website to note such changes.

Tentative Course Schedule:

Week One: Introduction: Global/World Literature: History and Meaning

January 10^th: Course Description, Schedule, Ground Rules, & Administrative Matters

• Story Vs. Narrative: An Introduction: read Sutherland, “Narrative/story” in How Literature Works, Pp. 28-31

January 12^th: What is World Literature?: History and Meaning (Review no. 1 due)

Week Two: Globalization & Postcolonialism: Interconnections, Conflicts & Complicities

January 17th: What is Global English Literatures (or Postcolonial Literatures)?

• Read R. Young, Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction (1-26).
• Screening of Life and Debt (Documentary, Stephanie Black, Jamaica)

January 19^th: Group Discussion on Globalization and Postcolonialism *(Review no. 2 due)

Weeks Three—Five: African Literature: Nation and Narration

January 24^th: Read Country of My Skull, Pp. v-66

• Watch Long Night’s Journey into Day: A Quest for Justice in South Africa. (Review no. 3 due)