Office: H 413, 726-8640
Spring 2011 Office Hours: MW 11:00-12:00 and by appointment
E-mail Professor Sigler
Professor Sigler's homepage
Class reading schedule
Class handouts and online texts on Moodle (password required)

"I do feel that there is a screw of such magnitude loose somewhere that the whole framework of society is shaken,
and the very first principles of things can no longer be trusted."  ~ Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit

CLASS TEXTS
The following texts may be purchased at the UMD Bookstore. Please purchase only the editions indicated below so that you will have the correct pagination for taking notes and following discussion in class. This will be essential for exams.

Required
Heather Henderson and William Sharpe (eds.), The Victorian Age (Longman Anthology of British Literature, 4th ed., Vol. 2B)
Mary E. Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret (Oxford)
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Dover)
Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South (Norton)
Amy Levy, The Romance of a Shop (Broadview)
Bram Stoker, Dracula (Broadview)

Recommended
Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook (7th edition)
Sean Purchase, Key Concepts in Victorian Literature (Palgrave)
A good writing handbook

COURSE PURPOSES
English 5562 provides a survey of selected literature of the Victorian period. We will study the literature of Victorian Britain in the context of the great cultural and social issues of the time, such as the extension of empire, the conflict of science and religion, the economics of industrial society, and the progress of political reform, which included the "Woman Question." In particular, our survey of Victorian literature will focus on the separate nineteenth century "spheres" of domestic and public life, to explore how popular domestic ideology constructed the domestic sphere as a political and economic alternative to the public world, calling into question the structures of Victorian society, and becoming a major force in political history which continues to shape modern culture.

The goals of the class are as follows:

• To acquaint students with the major literary genres and figures of the Victorian period, and to explore the process of canon formation in and after the period; 
• To develop students' understanding of some of the sociological factors and intellectual movements of the Victorian period, both as reflected and as constructed by the literature of the time. We will strive to read representative texts as the people of the time read them in relation to the social contexts from which they came; in doing so we can learn something about our own time as well. 
• To develop more effective analytical skills and improve students' ability to read insightfully, to think critically, and to communicate effectively in discussions and writing.
• To identify some of the research "problems" in Victorian literature, and to begin to find approaches to those problems through research and writing.

REQUIREMENTS
When I figure final grades, I will consider all of your class work as well as attendance and contributions to class discussions. Failure to complete any one of the requirements below may constitute grounds for failing the course. In determining final grades, each course requirement carries the following weight:
*Attendance and Regular Class Participation (15%)
*Research Essay (20% of grade)
*Midterm Examination (15%) 
*Final Examination (20%)
*Quizzes and Short Assignments (20%)
*Oral Presentation (10%)

READING
This course will proceed primarily by discussion; your presence and regular, informed participation are crucial to your success in the class and the success of the class itself as a shared scholarly endeavor. You will be expected to read carefully and think critically about the class materials, and to read each assignment before its scheduled discussion date. Substantive participation in class discussions is expected from everyone, and I also encourage you to take reading notes on each text, and to mark passages we discuss in class. To receive credit for participation you must bring the text(s) being discussed to class.

WRITING PROJECTS
Formal writing (done outside of class) must use MLA format, be word-processed, free from mechanical errors, double-spaced, and printed in "best quality" using a standard 12-point font and 1-inch margins. You must keep a copy of any work you hand in, and retain graded work until the end of the semester. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date, and must be turned in on time to receive full credit. Work should always be turned in directly to the professor. Papers left in the professor’s box, or dropped off by students who do not remain in class, will be considered late, and it is the student's responsibility to ensure that any work not directly submitted has actually reached the professor. Assignments may not be submitted via e-mail.

Research Essay
Specific instructions for the essay projects will be distributed in class and via the class Web site. Your essay project will be 10-12 pages in length, and must use at least 7 different sources (only 3 of which can be electronic). Your research essay should focus on one of the assigned texts for the class, and must be based on original ideas and research. Please consult with me early and often as you work on your assignment. Also, you are welcome to consult the writing tutors at the Tutoring Center (40 CCtr). A proposal and bibliography for your project is due on 9 March; the completed essay is due on 20 April 2011.

Late Assignments
All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date, and must be turned in on time to receive full credit. Assignments left in the professor's box, or dropped off by students who do not remain in class, will be considered late.  Late assignments will be accepted up to five days after the due date, but a letter grade will be taken off for every day they are late.  I will not grant extensions unless merited by prior arrangement between us and documented proof of your inability to complete the assignment on time due to truly exceptional circumstances (scheduled school activity, death in the immediate family, truly severe illness, etc.). If some emergency occurs, you must contact me BEFORE the class in which the paper is due.  Last minute computer and printer problems do not count as an emergency. Please back up your work and plan accordingly.

Examinations
The midterm and final examinations (open book) will consist of identification questions as well as essays of analysis and synthesis. You will be given a number of short identification questions, as well as several brief excerpts from the required readings on our syllabus. You will be asked to answer all of the identification questions and to explicate your choice of the excerpts. In explicating the passages, you will interpret them in depth and detail. Give your sense of what each excerpt means and why it is important. Point out specific themes, images, character traits, stylistic features, etc. that convey your sense of the meaning. Also, place each excerpt in the context of the work from which it is taken. How does it fit into your interpretation of the entire work? How does it function in the text as a whole?

For each exam, you will also write an essay of synthesis in which you will compare and contrast two or more of our authors as they relate to one particular common topic: e.g., their vision of childhood, use of physical setting for thematic purposes, perspectives on gender, distinctive uses of genre, relationship with their readers, etc. You will have a choice of several topics for this comparison/contrast, and will select one to write on.

Short Writings and Quizzes
To help record attendance, to prepare for class discussions and to demonstrate how carefully you are reading the assigned works, you will spend a few minutes prior to or during each class period writing about the day's assignment. Each brief exercise (e.g., participation in a forum discussion of the day's reading, or a quiz) will be graded on a five- to ten-point scale. Quizzes and short writings cannot be made up if missed; however, to allow for an emergency when you might have to miss class, you may skip one writing exercise without penalty or, if you do them all, your lowest score will be dropped from your average for the semester. Quizzes turned in by students who do not remain in class will not receive credit.

Moodle Site
Copies of the class syllabus, course handouts and several short readings will be available to download through the ENGL 5562 Moodle site, which you will enter using your UMN userid and password. Signing up for conferences and presentations, and a number of short writing assignments and quizzes, will also be conducted via the Moodle site. In this class, our use of technology will sometimes make students' names and U of M Internet IDs visible within the Moodle website, but only to other students in the same class. Since we are using a secure, password-protected course website, this will not increase the risk of identity theft or spamming for anyone in the class. If you have concerns about the visibility of your Internet ID, please contact me for further information.

Academic Integrity
Be extremely careful to acknowledge the sources that have influenced your work. Should you incorporate the ideas, general phrasing, or exact words of any other source without properly crediting the author(s), you are guilty of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense against the integrity of the university; it is a fundamental breach of the teacher-student relationship.  If I detect plagiarism or any other form of cheating, you will fail the course and UMD’s Academic Integrity officer, will be notified of the reason for your failure. See also the Student Academic Integrity Policy in the UMD Catalogue.

PARTICIPATION
This class will proceed mostly via large- and small-group discussion, and participation in these will count as 15% of your final grade for the class. All students will be expected to participate throughout class discussions (i.e. several times per class period); your presence and active, informed participation are therefore essential to your success in the class and to the success of the class itself as a shared scholarly endeavor. Please come to class prepared to engage with the texts, your colleagues, and me by reading the assigned works by the first date they are listed on the schedule and having questions and ideas to contribute throughout our discussion. Be sure to turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones, before class begins.

ATTENDANCE
You are required to attend all class meetings. If you do not attend class, you will miss important discussions and announcements, and will probably fall behind in the class readings. More than two unexcused absences will lower your final grade in the course, and more than four unexcused absences will constitute grounds for failure. Students must provide specific and appropriate written documentation for excused absences; please see the Academic Administration policy on attendance for further information. Please keep me posted regarding unavoidable absences by a brief note, by message on my voice-mail (726-8640), or (preferably) by e-mail.

Students who arrive more than a few minutes late for class, or who do not remain for the full class period, will be considered absent. Also remember that late arrivals or early departures will cause you to miss announcements, quizzes and/or important class material—and will also detract from your attendance/participation grade for the class. If you do have to miss a class, or arrive late, it is your responsibility to obtain class materials, assignments and information from the professor and/or class colleagues.

ACCESS
If you have any disability, either temporary or permanent, that might affect your performance in this course, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may adapt materials or testing to provide for equitable participation. The UMD Access Center (726-8217) can also provide further information and assistance.

STUDENT CONDUCT
Students are expected to know and abide by UMD’s Student Academic Integrity Policy and Student Conduct Code. Suspected violations will be reported to UMD’s Academic Integrity officer, and may constitute grounds for failing an assignment or the course. Any classroom behavior that disrupts either the professor's ability to teach or student learning is prohibited, and may constitute grounds for loss of participation credit or being asked to leave the class. This includes any activity not related to the class, including inappropriate use of technology in the classroom (i.e. ringing cell phones, text-messaging or e-mailing, or surfing the internet). All electronic devices (phones, laptops, ipods, etc.) must be turned off during class, no recording devices are permitted, and food should not be brought to or consumed in class.

E-MAIL
As of August 2001, university-assigned student e-mail accounts (your d.umn.edu account) are the University's official means of communication. You are responsible for regularly checking your account, as most class updates and announcements will be made via e-mail. E-mail is also the best and surest means to contact me (9am-4pm weekdays). When emailing me, please consider it a formal communication: include the appropriate salutation, your name and the name of the class you are in, and your question. Remember, however, that long conversations over e-mail are not fruitful because of the limitations of technology. If you have an extended question or dilemma, or need to discuss anything grade-related with me, please visit me during office hours or schedule an appointment.

 HOW TO LEARN FROM AND DO WELL IN THIS COURSE

• Read with energy, interest, and pleasure. Approach reading as an exchange of questions between yourself and the text. Mark up that book (forget about resale!).
• Come to class prepared to engage with your texts, your colleagues, and me—that is, read the assigned works by the first date they are listed on the schedule and be ready to discuss them.
• View your writing as a craft, a discipline, and a process. Begin writing assignments before you actually start writing the essay. Come into my office to discuss ideas, research, drafts, and rewrites. Also use your colleagues as readers and sources of feedback.
• If you ever have questions or concerns about readings, assignments, grades, or anything else connected with the course, please feel free to consult with me about them. I enjoy talking with students, and I don't want anxiety or uncertainty about grades to interfere with your enjoyment of the class. I am available in my office during the hours listed above; if the office hours are unfeasible for you, you are always welcome to e-mail me to arrange some other time.
• If you have any disability, either temporary or permanent, that might affect your performance in this course, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may adapt materials or testing to provide for equitable participation. The UMD Access Center (726-8217) can also provide further information and assistance.

CRITERIA FOR GRADES
A = excellent written work (essay, examinations): superb content and effective expression; perfect score on most daily writing exercises; informed, active participation in class discussions (no more than 2 absences); outstanding contributions.
B = superior written work—exceeds average, but room for improvement; 80-89% average on daily written exercises; informed, active participation in most class discussions (no more than 3 absences); significant contributions.
C = written work that meets average (i.e., high) standards for UMD students, but some problems with content and/or expression; 70-79% average on daily writing exercises; informed, active participation in class discussions (no more than 4 absences).
D = significant problems with any or all course components (writing projects, examinations, daily writing exercises, participation in class discussions).
F = performance that does not meet minimum standards for students at a major state university.
I = incompletes are given only in the following very limited circumstances: a student must contact the professor and specifically request an Incomplete; no more than one or two weeks of class, or one or two assignments can have been missed; a student must already be in good standing; s/he must have a documented family or medical emergency; s/he must arrange a schedule with the professor for making up the missed work that is acceptable for both professor and student.

Spring 2011 Reading and Assignment Schedule

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