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Modern Drama Fall 2015 CRN 85897, 85898, 85899 |
Dr. Chip Rogers |
Office:
Arts and Sciences (COAS) 203 |
Objectives As indicated in the MGA Catalog, this course is "a study of European and American drama in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The course explores the development of drama in its social, political, and psychological contexts." From the late nineteenth century to the current day, drama has been typically in the vanguard among the arts in interrogating and illuminating all manner of social problems and cultural upheaval. We will examine a range of plays that bear out this assertion, from the comparatively "conventional" to the radically experimental (modernist and post-modernist). Playwrights studied will include such preeminent modern dramatists as Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Bertolt Brecht, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett, and August Wilson, among others. Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
 At least a "C" in English 3010. Texts The Norton Anthology of Drama, Second Edition, Volume 2. Handouts of a limited number of plays distributed via my website (www.chipspage.com).Policies Attendance: Each class is important, so it is crucial that you be in class on time every day. I record attendance, and absences do affect your grade. Students with more than four absences fail the class, regardless of the reasons for any of the absences—I make no distinction between "excused" and "unexcused" absences. I understand that "stuff happens," and not every student will be able to attend every class meeting. I will try to work with you on any assignments you happen to miss other than reading quizzes, especially when you let me know about the absence missing class: email me anytime you must miss class. Late work: Late work is penalized one letter grade for each class day the assignment is late. Work turned in more than three class days late will receive no higher grade than F, and I accept no work more than two weeks late. Bare minimum course requirements: Regardless of your overall grade average, to be eligible to pass the course you must turn in both formal papers, submit at least six critical responses, complete corrections assignments for both formal papers and your first two critical responses, and take both the midterm and final exams. Plagiarism: Except for assignments expressly calling for collaborative effort, all written work must be your own. Any unacknowledged borrowing from the writings of others will be considered plagiarism, a serious breach of academic integrity. I will submit cases of plagiarism or other academic dishonesty for review by the Student Conduct Officer. The penalty for plagiarism in this class is an "F" for the entire course, not just the assignment in question. Note that this more specific definition of plagiarism is operative in this class:
For more on plagiarism, follow the "On Plagiarism" link on my website. Withdrawal Policies: Students may withdraw from the course and earn a grade of “W” up to and including the midterm date (Wednesday, October 14, 2015 for full-session fall classes). After midterm, students who withdraw will receive a grade of “WF.” A WF is calculated in the GPA as an “F.” Instructors may assign “W” grades for students with excessive absences (beyond the number of absences permitted by the instructor’s stated attendance policy). Students may withdraw from a maximum of five courses throughout their enrollment at Middle Georgia State. Beyond the five-course limit, withdrawals result in “F” grades. End of Course Evaluations: Student evaluations of faculty are administered online in Brightspace (D2L) at the end of each term/session for all courses with five or more students. All responses are anonymous and completion of evaluations is voluntary. "Technical Policy" (re: plagiarism detection): a plagiarism prevention service may be used in evaluation of written work submitted for this course. If directed by the instructor, students are expected to submit or have their assignments submitted through the service in order to meet requirements for this course. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions. Instruments of Evaluation Class discussion: Most class periods will involve open discussion of the reading assignments with little lecture, so your participation in discussion is essential. I will call on reticent or "quiet" students. To participate, obviously you must be present in class; to score higher than B- in participation you will need perfect attendance and to contribute in discussion spontaneously and appropriately several times each class meeting, as well as being fully engaged in all other course activities. Critical response writings: typed informal writings of at least 250 words responding to the readings before we discuss them in class. Note that each critical response assignment is valid for one class period only, and that critical responses are accepted only by the beginning of the period for which they are assigned. I will post critical response questions on the web and announce them in class the meeting before each reading assignment is due. Grades are recorded for only eight critical responses, meaning that you do not have to address each assigned topic, only a total of eight over the course of the semester. Exams: Both the midterm and final exams will consist of two parts: 1) "short answers," or brief paragraph-length commentary on the significance of specific passages from our readings, and 2) essays making connections in theme or technique between different novels. There will be one essay on the midterm and two on the final. You will have some choice in the short answer and essay portions of each exam: you might on the midterm, for instance, select 5 of 7 short answer questions and 1 of 3 essay options. Papers: In two essays of 7-9 typed pages (2100 word minimum), you will explore in some depth a subject you choose from a list of paper topics I will post on the web at the appropriate time. Papers must be formatted and have sources documented according to MLA guidelines. For at least one of the papers, you will incorporate substantial research into the essay—i.e. you will be required to cite four or more secondary sources of quality scholarship or criticism in addition to the primary work(s) you discuss. You will submit a brief topic sentence outline well before each paper is due as indicated on our schedule of readings and assignments. Corrections: For the first two critical responses you submit and the formal papers, after your work is graded you will hand in corrected drafts with all changes highlighted. Since corrections require a freshly printed draft after the paper has been graded, you should save all your work on disk to avoid having to retype entire drafts. For specifics, see corrections instructions. Readers Theatre performance: Near the end of the semester, the class will produce and perform onstage readings of brief excerpts from a selection of plays covered in the class. Conferences: Conferences are not mandatory, but I strongly recommend them if you struggle with any aspect of the readings and at any stage of the paper-writing process—exploring topics, drafting, revising, or editing. My typical aim in paper conferences is to head off potential problems in your essays and to offer helpful, critical response to your work before you submit it for grading. "Rewrites": You may rewrite and resubmit either or both of the graded formal papers for re-grading. Rewrite grades replace original grades completely. Note that rewriting involves far more substantial revision than correcting grammatical errors: rewrites should also address larger problems in focus, structure, content, and style. The starting point for revision is my typed comments on your graded papers; rewrites should also address comments and questions written in the margins of the original graded papers.Cyber-Note Most handouts and all out-of-class assignments will be posted on my website rather than being distributed as "hard copy" in class—you are responsible for printing and reading these web-page "handouts" before we discuss them in class. Most handouts are indicated as linked pages on the online schedule of readings and assignments. I may occasionally contact you through email also, and I encourage you to email me with questions on any course matters large or small. Final grade breakdown
Keeping up with grades: You should check your grades periodically in Brightspace (D2L). Let me know if you have concerns about your class average or grades on specific assignments before you consider withdrawing from the course. A note on note-taking: Although this course involves comparatively little lecture, it is essential that you take notes every class period. "A" students typically take extensive notes. Even in class periods where your classmates do more "discussing" than the professor, you should make note of any significant points made by anyone in the discussion. You would also do well to underline, highlight, or otherwise note all passages from the readings that we take special notice of in class, for I usually select short-answer quotations for exams from those we've particularly noted in discussion. The Bottom Line: I hope every member of this class gets an A, and I will do all I can to make this happen. Don't get me wrong—the standards for "A" work are high, and I make no exceptions in course policies on absences, missed assignments, plagiarism, or late work. The key to succeeding in this class is taking responsibility for your own success, meaning that you attend to all assignments with your most careful and earnest diligence, that you respond positively to any setbacks and heed my feedback on all assignments, and that you seek my help as much and as often as you need it. I guarantee you have one of the most accessible professors at Middle Georgia State: ask for help outside of class, and I'll do my level best to deliver.
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