ENG 522 Syllabus For Web

ENG 522.
01W (86255): Major Figures in American Literature

Dr. Sean Ferrier-Watson
Sean.ferrier-watson@tamuc.edu
Office Hours: by appointment via Zoom
Course Description
Major Figures in American Literature. Three semester hours. A focused analysis on a significant
figure in American literature, or a treatment of two or more important writers who bear some
kind of close personal or thematic relationship. May be repeated for credit when the emphasis.
This class seeks to explore the works and influence of Shirley Jackson, primarily known for her
short story “The Lottery” and novel The Haunting of Hill House. The course will review her
majors works and contribution to American literature.
Student Learning Outcomes
▪ Students will demonstrate comprehension of key course concepts as measured by various

writing and research assignments.
▪ Students will demonstrate effective skill in comprehending diverse scholarly arguments as
measured by the assignment guidelines mention in the syllabus.
▪ Students will demonstrate comprehension of literary analysis and critical thinking skills
Technology Requirements
This course will be facilitated using D2L, the Learning Management System used by TAMU-
Commerce. You will need your CWID and password to log in to the course page. If you do
not know your CWID or have forgotten your password, contact Tech Services at 902-468-
6000, or helpdesk@online.tamuc.org. To complete this course successfully, you will need a
computer with internet access (high speed recommended, not dial up) and a word processor
equipped with Microsoft Word. Our campus is optimized to work in a Microsoft Windows
environment. This means our courses work best if you are using a Windows operating system
(XP or newer) and a recent version of a browser like Internet Explorer or Google Chrome.
Your course will also work with Macintosh OS x along with a recent version of Safari 2.0 or
better. Along with Explorer, Chrome, and Safari, D2L also supports the Firefox browser (3.0)
on both Windows and Mac operating systems.
Students will also be expected to download and have access to Zoom.
TAMU-Commerce provides students with technical support in the use of D2L. Technology
problems are not an excuse for a late assignment—make sure you submit your work in time
to allow for any problems accessing the Dropbox. You may reach the help desk by the
following means, 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
o Email helpdesk@online.tamuc.org to initiate a support request with an D2L
Technical Support Representative
o Click the “Help” button on the toolbar for information regarding working with D2L
(e.g. how to submit something to the Dropbox, how to check the grade book, etc)
Additional University Policies
▪ You are responsible for reading and understanding all the items included on this syllabus and
on additional materials you receive from me over the course of the term.
▪ The Department of Literature and Languages will not tolerate plagiarism or any other form of
academic dishonesty. Instructors uphold and support the highest academic standards, and
students are expected to do likewise. Penalties for students who are found guilty of academic
dishonesty include failure of the assignment and/or course, disciplinary probation,
suspension, or expulsion. Refer to the Texas A&M University-Commerce Code of Student
Conduct 13.99.99.R0.10 for details:
(http://www.tamuc.edu/aboutUs/policiesProceduresStandardsStatements/rulesPr
ocedures/13students/graduate/13.99.99.R0.10GraduateStudentAcademicDishon esty.pdf.
Examples of plagiarism include but are not restricted to: turning in an essay written entirely
by someone else; copying any portion of someone else’s words and presenting those words
as your own (e.g. without quotation or citation); copying paragraphs, sentences, or parts of
sentences from another source; using the same ideas that you have found in another writer’s
essay and presenting those ideas as your own; using someone else’s basic sentences but
changing just a few words (again, without quotation or citation). If you are not clear about
how to avoid any of these acts, it is us to you to clarify. Unintentional plagiarism is still
plagiarism, and I expect all students to understand what constitutes an act of academic
dishonesty.
▪ All students enrolled at the university shall follow the tenets of common decency and
acceptable behavior conducive to a positive learning environment. Texas A&M University-
Commerce will comply in the classroom, and in online courses, with all federal and state
laws prohibiting discrimination and related retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information or veteran status. Further, an
environment free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or
gender expression will be maintained.
▪ The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that
provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other
things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning
environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a
disability requiring an accommodation, please contact: Office of Student Disability
Resources and Services, Gee Library- Room 132 Phone (903) 886-5150 or (903) 886-5835
Fax (903) 468-8148 Email: Rebecca.Tuerk@tamuc.edu; website
http://www.tamuc.edu/campusLife/campusServices/studentDisabilityResources
AndServices/
▪ Students who have concerns regarding their courses should first address those concerns with
the assigned instructor in order to reach a resolution. Students who are unsatisfied with the
outcome of that conversation or have not been able to meet individually with their instructor,
whether in-person, by email, by telephone, or by another communication medium, should
then schedule an appointment with the Department Head or Assistant Department Head by
completing a Student Grievance Form (available in the main office, HL 141). In the event
that the instructor is the Department Head, the student should schedule a meeting with the
Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities after following the steps outlined
above; if the instructor is the Assistant Department Head, students should schedule a meeting
with the Department Head. Where applicable, students should also consult University
Procedure 13.99.99.R0.05 (“Student Appeal of Instructor Evaluation”).
▪ Students should not attend class when ill or after exposure to anyone with a communicable
illness. Communicate such instances directly with your instructor. Faculty will work to
support the student getting access to missed content or completing missed assignments.
Textbooks
Required
Franklin, Ruth. Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life ISBN-13: 978-1631493416

Jackson, Shirley. Come Along with Me ISBN-13: 978-0143107118
—. The Road Through the Wall ISBN-13: 978-0143107057
—. Hangsaman ISBN-13: 978-0143107040
—. The Bird’s Nest ISBN-13: 978-0143107033
—. The Sundial ISBN-13: 978-0143107064
—. The Haunting of Hill House ISBN-13: 978-0143039983
—. We have Always Lived in the Castle ISBN-13: 978-0143039976
—. Life Among the Savages ISBN-13: 978-0143128045
—. Dark Tales ISBN-13: 978-0143132004
Recommended
MLA Handbook, 9th ed. Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

ISBN: 978-1-60329-351-8
Assignments
Final Research Project 30%
The Final Research Project has two options: Option #1 (article length paper and abstract) and
Option #2 (conference length paper, annotated bibliography, and abstract). Both papers must
focus on Shirley Jackson or her work in some way, preferably on content assigned in the class
readings during the semester. Students must use appropriate scholarly citation and formatting
(i.e., APA, MLA, or Chicago)—double spaced pages, pagination, header, and citation page. I
recommend modeling this paper on an actual CFP for a conference or refereed publication. I
suggest Horror Studies, Women’s Studies, Gothic Studies, Supernatural Studies, JFA, or ASAT.
Please look for links to these publications/organizations on the class website. Graded on a 100-
point scale. See calendar for due dates.
Option #1
Article: students will write a thesis driven research paper between 5,000 to 10,000 words in
length, not including the required citation page. The paper must be appropriately researched for
peer review, making use of ten to thirty sources. A 300-word abstract must also accompany the
paper.
Option #2
Conference Paper: students will write a thesis driven research paper between 3,000 to 4,000
words in length, not including the required citation page. The paper must be appropriately
researched for a conference presentation, making use of ten to twenty sources. A 300-word
abstract and annotated bibliography of ten secondary sources must also accompany the paper.
Source annotations should be between three to seven sentences in length.
Weekly Discussion Board 10%
Students will participate in an online discussion board each week during the semester, answering
general questions regarding the piece(s) being read for an assigned week. To earn credit, students
must complete a main post (200 words) and respond to two classmates (100 words for each
response). The discussions are graded credit/no credit. See calendar for due dates.
Biography Response Paper 20%
Students will write a 500-word response paper over the assigned biography on Shirley Jackson
for a midterm assignment. See calendar for due dates.
Participation 40%
Students will receive this credit for regularly participating in online class activities and
assignments. If students miss more than two weeks of class, they will start to lose this credit 10%
for each inactive week.
Course Policies
Grade Redemption Policy
Student missing assignments or work because of compelling circumstances can request a grade
redemption. Such circumstances might include the following: illness, hospitalization, family
emergency, technical malfunction with MyLeo. You must request a grade redemption in writing
via email. If I deem your situation worthy of redemption, I will ask you to draw up a contract
agreeing to our terms of redemption. If you violate any part of this contract, I have the authority
to declare the contract broken and assign you an F for the class. I also retain the right to declare
the contract null-and-void at any point in the semester. This policy is NOT a right. Student
contracts are only available at my discretion.
Deadline Policy
Soft Deadline
This deadline guarantees you will receive comments and grade before the end of the semester.
These comments will be longer and more specific than comments provided for the other two
deadlines. You can also request feedback via Zoom after the semester ends (recommended for
students hoping to publish)
Hard Deadline
This deadline is the regular submission date. You will receive your grade and some comments by
the end of finals week. You can also request feedback via Zoom after the semester ends
(recommended for students hoping to publish)
Overdue Deadline
This deadline is for late submissions. It will include a point deduction of at least 5% under
normal circumstances. You are not guaranteed comments by the end of the semester, but a grade
will be available at end of finals week. You can also request feedback via Zoom after the
semester ends (recommended for students hoping to publish). If you have good cause for
submitting late, like MyLeo malfunction, family emergency, or illness, please email me about
the situation immediately to discuss possible accommodations under the Grade Redemption
Policy.
Late Policy
I will allow late assignments for the Final Project and Biography paper, but I will not grant
leniency for discussion boards or other minor assignments under normal circumstances. Students
should submit assignments on time. If late work is submitted and accepted, I will deduct some
points as a penalty, varying based on the amount of time over the due date. Penalties can become
substantial one week after the deadline (i.e., 30% deduction or more). I expect all students to
submit their work in a timely fashion. In most cases, I do not believe it is fair for some to receive
extra time on an assignment while others submitted the assignment in a timely fashion. As such,
I rarely grant exceptions to my late policy. Late work is due by the last class day of the semester
under normal circumstances. I will not take late work after this date unless extreme
circumstances warrant such an extension (see Redemption Policy).
Email/Phone Policy
Email is the preferred method of contacting me. I will respond to emails within 48 hours (with 24
hours being the norm), not including holidays or weekends. I rarely respond to weekend emails.
The only email address I can respond to is sean.ferrier-watson@tamuc.edu, so please make sure
you are using this account when inquiring about private student matters (i.e., grades, attendance,
etc).
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism and other forms of scholastic dishonesty are serious offenses and can result in hefty
penalties. If a paper is suspected of plagiarism, it must be initially reported to the Dean of
Students; however, as the instructor of the course, I am usually the arbiter of determining what
offense are deemed plagiarism or scholastic dishonesty within my course and discipline.
Students are typically referred to the Dean of Students in my class for substantially quoting a
word-for-word source without using quotation marks, or failing to identify the author or origin of
the idea for paraphrased (summarized) text. Students are responsible for properly citing sources
within their papers, but exceptions to the policy might be made if evidence of unintentional
plagiarism seems to exist (i.e. the professor or Dean determine such circumstances). If students
plan to use writing from previous papers or assignments, they must first receive permission from
me in writing and must reproduce enough revised or original work on the assignment to align
themselves with the original work done by other students in the class; furthermore, if a student
plans to expand or work on a project currently being done in another class, they must also
receive written permission from that professor as well. Penalties for violating this policy are
determined on a case-by-case basis and can range from penalties on the assignment to failure of
the course. Students can even receive point deductions and other penalties for failure to engage
in careful research conventions like citation and proper contextualization of source material. For
more scholastic dishonesty procedures or plagiarism codes, please the college policy in the
Student Handbook.
Classroom Conduct
I expect all students to be respectful of me and their classmates while attending one of my class
sessions (in person or online). As such, students should act civilly in my class and abide by the
behavioral rules stipulate by college in your Student Handbook. Failure to do so might result in
being asked to leave the class. Cell phones, laptop computers, and other devices, if not being
used for the class, may count as a distraction and may be viewed as disrespectful to your
classmates and myself. Anything deemed as an unnecessary distraction can also be grounds for
dismissal. Please be considerate of others when attending one of my classes and refrain from
making inappropriate comments or insulting speech. This policy of polite and appropriate
discourse also applies to assignments and other forms of in-class writing. Failure to abide by
these stipulations can impact an assignment grade.
Calendar for Fall 2021
August
Week 1
30-Welcome!
• First Day Meet and Great Discussion Board!
• Welcome Video!
• Syllabus Review Video
• Read Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life’s introduction (biography)
• Power Point Lecture
3-Come Along with Me
• “Janice” (1938)
• “The Lottery” (1948)
• Chapters 1-2 from the biography
• Zoom Conference from 2PM to 3PM (optional)
September
Week 2
6- Labor Day
• No Class!
7- Come Along with Me
• “The Summer People” (1950)
• “A Day in the Jungle” (1968)
• “Pajama Party” (1968)
• “The Bus” (1965)
• Complete Discussion Board #1
10- Come Along with Me
• “Island” (1950)
• “The Little House” (1968)
• “A Visit,” formerly “The Lovely House” (1950, 1968)
• “The Rock” (1968)
Week 3
13- The Road Through the Wall (1948)
• Complete first half of The Road Through the Wall
Week 4
• Complete the second half of The Road Through the Wall
October
Week 5
27- Hangsaman (1951)
1- Hangsaman (1951)
Week 6
4- The Bird’s Nest (1954)
8- The Bird’s Nest (1954)
Week 7
11- The Sundial (1958)
• Complete the first half of The Sundial
Week 8
• Complete the second half of The Sundial
Week 9
25- The Haunting of Hill House (1959)
• Submit Biography Response Paper by 11:59PM
• Complete the first half of Hill House
November
Week 10
• Complete second half of Hill House
Week 11
8- Life Among the Savages (1953)
• Read sections 1-2 from Savages
Week 12
• Read sections 3-end of Savages
Week 13
22-Thanksgiving!
• No Class
26-Thanksgiving!
• No Class
Week 14
29- We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962)
3- We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962)
Week 15
6- Dark Tales
• “The Man in the Woods” (2014)
• “The Possibility of Evil” (1965)
10- Dark Tales
• “Jack the Ripper” (1996)
• “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (2015)
• Submit Final Research Project by 11:59PM (soft deadline)
Finals Week
13-Research Project
• Submit Final Research Paper by 11:59PM (hard deadline)
15-Overdue Deadline for Research Project
• Submit Final Research Paper by 11:59PM (late deduction penalty)

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ENG 522 Syllabus For Web

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ENG 522.

01W (86255): Major Figures in American Literature

Student Learning Outcomes

▪ Students will demonstrate comprehension of key course concepts as measured by various

Additional University Policies

Franklin, Ruth. Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life ISBN-13: 978-1631493416

MLA Handbook, 9th ed. Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Final Research Project 30%

Weekly Discussion Board 10%

Biography Response Paper 20%

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