This course will teach the basics of reading texts critically,
writing examinations and essays, citation and research, and the
examination of early English literature and culture. The question
driving this course: while men often appear to dominate medieval
and early modern culture, how have women asserted and reasserted
themselves as authors and as human beings in that time? We will
discuss such texts and authors as Beowulf, Judith, The Husband's
Message and The Wife's Lament, Dream of the Rood, the lais of
Marie de France, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales, Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich, and
Shakespeare, as well as various shorter lyric poems and prose
pieces by both male and female authors through the 18th century;
we will see that what is often depicted as a battle for control
yields in fact reveals many cases where the feminine equals or
overcomes the masculine, and that the need for some kind of
balance and harmony is constantly demanded (if not always
achieved).
Course Objectives
TTU Core Curriculum Statement:
The objective of the humanities in a core
curriculum is to expand the students' knowledge of the human
condition and human cultures, especially in relation to
behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human
imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as
literature and philosophy, students will engage in critical
analysis and develop an appreciation of the humanities as
fundamental to the health and survival of any society."
Students who successfully complete ENGL 3302
should be able to do the following:
Explain
the impact of cultural attitudes towards gender roles in the
production and contemporary interpretation of early British
texts. Assessments used – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Discuss
the role of royal, social, and ecclesiastical power in
creating the attitudes towards gender roles in early British
literature. Assessments used – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Identify
the temporal boundaries of literary periods in early English
literature and the relevance of historical context to the
works studied in class. Assessments used – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Trace
the relationship of early British literary views of gender to
present-day attitudes toward gender roles. Assessments used –
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Course Requirements
Student learning will be assessed as follows:
Three 500-600-word response papers,
due as noted below, to assess successful close reading, essay
writing, and argumentation skills about key issues in assigned
texts and additional reading. (10% of final grade apiece)***
Annotated bibliography project on
an issue of each student’s choice within the themes of this
class to improve the students’ research skills, expose
students to key scholarship on early British literary works,
and formulate an educated opinion on the state of a current
issue in early British scholarship. (20% of final grade*)
Midterm and final examinations delivered
via Blackboard to assess students’ impromptu writing skills,
familiarity with texts, key critical terms, cultural issues,
and historical context discussed in the class. (10% of final
grade each**)
Active participation consisting of in-class group exercises,
Blackboard assignments, and random quizzes to assess
comprehension of the reading and to facilitate in-class
discussion in an impromptu setting. (20% of final grade)
Attendance to insure participation in group
activities, class discussion, and quizzes. (10% of final
grade; score will be the percentage of classes attended
divided by total number of classes FROM THE START OF THE
SEMESTER. Three unexcused misses permitted.)
Grading Scale: A 90; B 80; C 70; D 60; F 0-59. ALL MAJOR
ASSIGNMENTS (*) MUST BE COMPLETED TO PASS THE COURSE.
The specific assignments for each class
(page numbers, discussion topics, etc.) will appear on the
course website.Remember
that the course website is required reading too!
Contact me after any individual absence
or if you have a situation that may require frequent or
extended absences (religious observance, serious illness or
injury, pregnancy, military service, etc.). No
absence will be excused without appropriate documentation.Students are
expected to get the notes and any announcements from one of
their peers. Three unexcused absences are
allowed; after that, I will divide the number of classes you
attended by the total number of classes from the beginning
of the semester and use that as your percentage grade.
Four consecutive unexcused absences are grounds for failure in
the course.Quizzes
missed cannot be made up.Falsifying the attendance sheet, providing false
documentation, or giving a false reason for not logging in are
all considered academic dishonesty (see below).
Late work will be penalized.In order to help me
plan my grading schedule, I will only grant you extensions
if you ask me at least a week before the due date in
question. Notify me in the event of an emergency (lack
of planning on your part is not an emergency on my part).
Be on time to class, whether in the room
or logging in online. Frequent tardiness will count against your
attendance grade unless excused (instructor's discretion - see
my general policy statement). I count three tardies as
an absence.
Academic honesty is required.See the TTU policies linked above. I expect any work
submitted to be your own, neither composed as a whole or in
part by anyone else, nor handed over to another person for
wholesale or partial revision. If you use another
person's work in forming your own ideas, be sure to cite it
properly; unacknowledged paraphrase or direct unmodified use
both constitute plagiarism. Consult The Chicago Manual of
Style or the MLA
Handbook for acceptable citation format. See also
theplagiarism statement; plagiarism will result in
automatic failure for the assignment. Examinations must
be your own work with no outside assistance from any
unauthorized person, device, or document. All statements made
or documents sent to the professor are expected to be true: falsifying
a document or lying to the instructor can be considered
academic dishonesty if it is done to secure some kind of
advantage in the class. See my generative AI policy on the
plagiarism statement.
These are my main policies for the course.See also my general
policy statement, which is also required reading - in
the event of a contradiction, the policies on this syllabus
take precedence.
TTU Illness-Based Attendance Policy
If you are attending online, we won’t
have face-to-face contact, but this information is relevant for
the onsite students or distance students who may need to attend
a session in person.
If at any time during this semester you
feel ill, in the interest of your own health and safety as well
as the health and safety of your instructors and classmates, you
are encouraged not to attend face-to-face class meetings or
events. Please review the steps outlined below that you should
follow to ensure your absence for illness will be excused. These
steps also apply to not participating in synchronous online
class meetings if you feel too ill to do so and missing
specified assignment due dates in asynchronous online classes
because of illness.
1. If you are ill and think the
symptoms might be COVID-19-related:
a) Call Student Health Services
at 806.743.2848 or your health care provider.
b) Self-report as soon as
possible using the ttucovid19.ttu.edu management
system. This
website has specific directions about how to upload
documentation from a medical provider and what will happen if
your illness renders you unable to participate in classes for
more than one week.
c) If your illness is determined
to be COVID-19-related, remaining documentation and
communication will be handled through the Office of the Dean of
Students, including notification to your instructors.
d) If your illness is determined
not to be COVID-19-related, please follow steps 2.a-d below.
2. If you are ill and can attribute
your symptoms to something other than COVID-19:
a) If your illness renders you
unable to attend face-to-face classes, participate in
synchronous online classes, or miss specified assignment due
dates in asynchronous online classes, you are encouraged to
visit with either Student Health Services at 806.743.2848 or
your health care provider. Note that Student Health Services and
your own and other health care providers may arrange virtual
visits.
b) During the health provider
visit, request a “return to school” note;
c) E-mail the instructor a
picture of that note;
d) Return to class by the next
class period after the date indicated on your note.
TTU Title IX Statement
Texas
Tech University is committed to providing and strengthening an
educational, working, and living environment where students,
faculty, staff, and visitors are free from gender and/or sex
discrimination of any kind. Sexual assault, discrimination,
harassment, and other Title IX violations are not tolerated by the
University. Report any incidents to the Office for Student Rights
& Resolution, (806)-742-SAFE (7233) or file a report online at
http://depts.ttu.edu/titleix.
Faculty and staff members at TTU are committed to connecting you
to resources on campus.
Note
that while I am certainly willing to assist you in any way
possible should an issue arise, I am a mandatory reporter and
am legally required to pass on any information about a
potential Title IX violation to the appropriate authorities on
campus. If you tell me, I have to go up the chain.
If for that reason you don't feel you can tell me (and there are
many reasons why someone may not feel comfortable reporting a
problem), be sure to tell someone, and report it when you are
ready!
TTU Student Counseling Center 24-hour Helpline,
806-742-5555 (Assistsstudents
who are experiencing a mental health or interpersonal violence
crisis. If you call the helpline, you will speak with a mental
health counselor.)
Voice of Hope Lubbock Rape Crisis Center,
806-763-7273, voiceofhopelubbock.org(24-hour hotline that provides support for survivors of
sexual violence.)
The Risk, Intervention, Safety and Education (RISE)
Office, 806-742-2110, rise.ttu.edu(Provides a range of resources and support options focused
on prevention education and student wellness.)
Texas Tech Police Department, 806-742-3931, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ttpd/(To report criminal activity that occurs on or near Texas
Tech campus.)
Additional Resources
TTU Student Disability Services: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/sds/ - See above for the mandatory syllabus
statement.Accommodation
cannot be made retroactively, so I strongly recommend that
all students needing accommodation see me within a few days
of the start of term with your accommodation letters. SDS
policy requires you to submit documentation on their original
letterhead or via email directly from SDS - I cannot accept
copies.
The Office of Campus Access and
Engagement (https://www.depts.ttu.edu/access-engagement/) works across Texas Tech University to
foster, affirm, celebrate, engage, and strengthen all student
communities. For more information about services,
opportunities for participation, and ways in which Texas Tech
can support your success in college, please contact (806)
742-7025.
The Center for
Collegiate Recovery Communities (https://www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/csa/) offers students in
recovery a nurturing and supportive community. The Center
provides students in recovery with an abstinence-based program
where students can flourish in recovery as they attain
educational goals, including advanced degrees. The services
provided through the CCRC increases the continuum of care for
students in recovery, enhancing the quality of life for
students in recovery at Texas Tech University. The CCRC
supports students in recovery from alcohol, drugs, and
behavioral addictions. By providing recovery support through
relationships with staff, academic advising, scholarships /
fellowships, recovery housing, study abroad opportunities, and
more, students can flourish in recovery and in life.
Red To Black (806-742-9781) - http://www.depts.ttu.edu/r2b/Red
to Black Peer Financial Coaching is a nationally recognized
model program staffed by students pursuing Personal Financial
Planning degrees. We provide financial education and awareness
to students through individual coaching sessions,
presentations, outreach booths and resource referrals. Topics
covered include creating
spending plans; building and using credit wisely;
maximizing student loans; choosing employee benefits.
Raider Red’s Food Pantry (806-742-1932) - Any student who faces
challenges securing their food or housing and believes this
may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact
the Dean of Students for support. Furthermore, please notify
the professor if you are comfortable in doing so. The TTU Food
Pantry is in Doak Hall 117. Please visit the website for hours
of operation at https://www.depts.ttu.edu/dos/foodpantry.php. Available to all currently enrolled
TTU students, providing nonperishable food items and
information sheets with additional community resources,
recipes, and/or information about healthy eating.
Schedule of Classes
August
28 - Syllabus and Introduction to the
course: The Battle of the Sexes
30 -
Tacitus, selections from Germania; The Battle of Maldon
(BB)
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not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by Texas Tech.
