1

Where to Read About. . .

Teaching Philosophy 2

Outcomes & Pedagogy 3

Course Work, Schedule

and University Calendar 4

Responsibilities, Policies

and Procedures 5-6

Course Purpose and Value

Department of English

and Modern Languages

Why read and study literature? Because, in its exploration of the complexities and splendors of the human condition, literature encourages

our attentiveness to the ethical issues that characterize human existence and allows us to exercise our moral

imaginations. Thus, the more we engage with literature, the better we understand others, ourselves, and the

world around us. The better we understand others, ourselves, and the world around us, the more capable we

are of cultivating meaningful personal and professional relationships and adding value to our own and others’

lives. Exploring and engaging in such nuanced reading and thinking further contours our capacity for

compassionate and empathic observation, as well as our responses to individual and social concerns.

Simply put, literature makes us better people and citizens.

“That’s great and all,” you might be thinking. “But how can the

study of literature be helpful in the pursuit of my [non-English]

degree?”

Since essentially all academic and professional endeavors require some form or level of critical and creative

thinking, writing, and personal and social responsibility, the work of this course is vital to your academic and

professional success. No, you very likely won’t be asked to analyze a sonnet or the fall of a tragic character

outside of a literature class or during a job interview. However, what you gain by engaging in such academic

tasks will prove valuable in many other areas of your life and education. To be sure, the observation, thinking

and writing skills you will develop in this course will prove relevant outside the walls of our classroom and

beyond the context of this course.

Don’t believe me? Just watch.

English 3382

British Literature Before 1800

Your Professor

Dr. Melissa Hudler

How to Contact Me

Maes 50

880-8575

mlhudler@lamar.edu *Emails sent after 4:30 and on the weekends will be responded to the

following week day

When I am Available

for You

M-Th 2:00-3:00

F 10:30-12:00

~ and by appointment ~

Dear Students, Welcome to the class! I look forward to getting to know you and to sharing this time with

you each week as we journey into unfamiliar worlds through the literature of bygone eras.

While such literature, along with the ideas and experiences it encompasses, might seem

irrelevant to our 21st-century experiences and sensibilities, I endeavor to make this “dusty

old literature” relevant to your worldview and human experience. Thus, we will engage

primarily with works that illustrate timeless aspects of the human condition.

Because students’ perspectives and insights never fail to enhance my own engagement with

the literature and thus enrich my teaching experience, you should expect to take an active

and vocal role in our class meetings. Each semester, I look forward to the buzz of students’

intellectual conversation and to the invigorating experience of lively class discussions. You,

my dear students, will have much to do with the satisfaction and joy of my semester.

Likewise, I hope that I, through your learning experiences in this course, achieve the same

for you.

My hope is that our engagement with the literature will enrich not only your academic

experience but also your personal lives. Indeed, my primary goal for teaching has always

been to guide students to recognize the value and relevance of literature and writing to

their intellectual and personal growth.

All best wishes for an enlightening and successful semester!

Dr. Hudler

Required Materials

Masters of British Literature,

Vol. A, Longman, ISBN

0321333993

Note-taking supplies

Loose-leaf paper/perforated

spiral (for submission of work

completed in class)

Reliable access to LU Learn-Blackboard

“I believe the purpose of reading is to exercise

or incite one’s imagination; specifically, one’s

ability to imagine being different”

The Practice of Reading

Denis Donoghue

2

I am sharing my teaching philosophy with you so that you understand the motivation behind

my teaching strategies and methods, which are grounded in the research and pedagogy of

active and collaborative learning.

I came to university teaching after a few years in the school system. It didn’t take long for

me to trade my student-centered and active learning techniques for the traditional instructor-

centered (lecture-based) and passive learning techniques so pervasive in higher education.

Fortunately, it also didn’t take long for me to become absolutely bored with this method of

teaching and to recognize its limitations, particularly for such skill-based and discussion-

centered courses as literature and composition.

My philosophy of teaching privileges a student-centered classroom, and, as such, is

grounded in student ownership of learning. I believe that students should own and thus act

upon their education, rather than allowing their education to act upon them. I believe that

students should know what they want from their education and should understand how their

education can enhance their academic and personal goals, desires, and values. I believe that

teaching is a responsibility, not just a profession, and thus believe that I have a moral

obligation to provide for my students the opportunity to discover their intellectual voices

and refine their abilities of expression, as well as to provide a safe and respectful

environment in which to achieve this.

In the same way that teaching is a responsibility, learning is a social act in that it involves a

responsibility not only to one’s own learning but also to the learning of one’s peers. As

such, learning requires dialogue and collaboration. This philosophy is firmly grounded in

research, synthesized in the following chart:

It is through active and collaborative activities that I will guide you to be more precise,

critical, and creative thinkers; more mature and articulate writers; and, overall, more

observant and thoughtful learners and citizens.

Finally, I believe that teaching is a mode of learning. Therefore, your perspectives and

interpretations will be central to our discussions. As I consider myself holding a dual role,

that of teacher and student, I find great pleasure in learning and improving as a result of my

interaction with students.

“Collaborative learning

gives students practice in

working together when the

stakes are relatively low,

so they can work

effectively together later

when the stakes are high.”

Ken Bruffee

Teaching Philosophy, or A brief Treatise on the Beliefs of a Virtuous Professor

In my teaching,

I am attentive to diverse

learning preferences,

and I encourage and

respect the student voice.

“Education is the kindling of

a flame, not the filling of a

vessel.” Socrates

“Spoon feeding in the long

run teaches us nothing but

the shape of the spoon.”

E. M. Forster

“Tell me and I forget, teach

me and I may remember,

involve me and I learn.”

Benjamin Franklin

3

The analysis of literature requires active practice,

for we are using literary analysis to develop

specific cognitive skills that can be used in a

variety of academic and real-world settings.

Moreover, research has proven that students

achieve deep learning only through active

engagement with course content and assignments

and through meaningful interaction with their

peers.

To that end, I will provide you with a variety of

active and collaborative learning experiences.

The value of such learning experiences is

evidenced in a 2012 survey conducted by the

National Association of Colleges and Employers.

The results of the survey report that employers

desire employees with strong critical thinking,

communication, and teamwork skills.

To be sure, the active and collaborative activities

in this course will equip you with these

professionally necessary and desired skills.

How We Will Accomplish These Outcomes

To accomplish the above learning outcomes,

you will interact with the literature for this

course in various ways, such as reflecting on

your reading, actively participating in class

discussions, and collaborating with your

classmates on analysis and interpretation

activities. Indeed, the more varied your

opportunities for engaging with the literature

and for displaying your understanding and

ideas, the more authentic and deeper your

learning will be. Moreover, with the Personal

Development Plan (PDP), you will take an

active role in assessing your progress and

reflecting on ways you and I can improve your

learning during the course of the semester.

Please know that I am invested in your success,

so you should not hesitate to seek my help at

any point during the semester.

Also know that I expect you to help me help

you by approaching the course and all of the

work involved in a sincere, responsible, and

proactive manner.

Research has proven that

students achieve deep

learning only through

active engagement with

course content and

assignments and through

meaningful interaction

with their peers.

Student Learning Outcomes A Humble Defense of the Necessity for Assignments of Various and Sundry Kinds

Caption describing

picture or graphic.

Department and Course Outcomes

Department

Ability to write purposefully within the

discipline for an educated audience.

Considerable skill in focused literary criticism.

Considerable skill in integrating research into

critical essays.

Opportunity to present your learning through

clear, salient, and supported oral and/or visual

speeches/demonstrations and/or through

discussion of group or class topics.

Course

Formulate insightful questions about the

literature.

Develop cogent arguments that reveal your

critical understanding of pre-1800 British

literary culture.

Express your arguments and interpretations

clearly and in logical and well-developed

responses and essays.

Synthesize your knowledge and understanding

of course content, analysis, and research

methods into a suitable final project.

State Outcomes

Social Responsibility

In written responses, presentations, and/or

discussions, you will illustrate an understanding of

social, cultural, historical, scientific or technological

forces that stimulated literature in one or more

literary movements or periods.

Personal Responsibility

In written responses, presentations, and/or

discussions, and potentially in the same response

used to measure “social responsibility,” you will

illustrate an understanding of the complexities of

personal choice or the role of the individual within

his or her social and cultural environment—as

evidenced in at least one literary work.

Department Statement on State-mandated Outcomes:

Since most of what we teach in our literature courses reflects

the interplay of the individual within his/her society, “the one

and the many,” and since we do not have field tests or

laboratories in our disciplines, we see social and personal

responsibility as a dynamic rather than two distinct activities.

www.soic.indiana.edu

4

I believe that methods of assessment should contribute to learning—not just

measure it. To that end, the assignments for this course build from each other so

that you can accomplish deep, focused learning and ongoing improvement.

Discussion Starters

You will complete discussion starters for each reading assignment. These will

consist of a brief critical reflection (50-75 words), 2-3 discussion questions, and an

explanation of the value of your questions (i.e. why they’re worth asking; why you

want to ask them). To assist your work toward the Research Project, you should

consider the modern-day value/relevance of the literature when generating your

questions. Your Discussion Starters will be due each day discussion for a reading

assignment is scheduled to begin. These assignments must be typed and brought

to class. You will turn them in following group and/or class discussion. Your credit

for these will be determined at the conclusion of each unit and will be based on the

number of quality Discussion Starters you have submitted on time.

*Discussion Starters that are not typed will not be accepted*

Requiring you to type these assignments guarantees 3 things: (1) the assignments

are not completed in class, (2) I can read them, and (3) you have access to them to

complete other course work, since I will collect and keep them for periodic grading.

Discussion Starters will not be accepted late!

Critical Reflections

You will complete 2 Critical Reflections over the course of the semester. For these

assignments, you will perform a close analytical reading of 1 work or group of

works assigned together. These writings should stem from the content of the

appropriate Discussion Starters and be further informed by group and class

discussion, but not by research. CRs will be due at the conclusion of the reading

units for which you choose to complete these assignments. Each CR must be 2

double-spaced typed pages.

Literary Analysis

You will complete 1 Literary Analysis, the topic of which must be derived from

your Critical Reflections. Thus, your Analysis will be an expansion of one or more

(related) CRs. This formal essay will reveal your ability to assert a cogent analytical

claim and sustain logical development of and support for your claim. Your Literary

Analysis will be due at the midterm and must be 4-5 typed pages.

Research Project As a final showcase of your learning, you will complete a project that reveals the

value or relevance of the literature to our 21st-century world. We will address such

relevance as appropriate during class discussion. You will support your assertion of

value/relevance via primary and secondary source material. Graded portions of the

Project will consist of evidence of progress (written and/or oral) and the completed

project. I encourage you to think creatively and to make use of technology in order

to accomplish an engaging and authentic project.

More detailed requirements for each assignment will be provided.

Course Engagement

A consistent display of meaningful engagement in course content and class

activities will be considered for the purpose of rounding up semester point totals.

Such engagement is characterized by regular and complete attendance, consistent

participation in class activities, and timely completion of all course work. You will

receive the number of points needed to boost your semester point total.

*Regular and complete attendance: not exceeding allowed absences, no

late arrivals, and no early departures

How You Will Showcase Your Learning, or the Means by which to Prove Yourself a Noble and Learned Pupil

09/20 Non-payment

purge (after 5 pm)

Last day for full

refund on dropped

(not withdrawn)

courses

09/25 Final non-payment

purge after 5 pm

10/02 Final non-payment

purge (after 5 pm)

10/06 Last day to drop or

withdraw without

academic penalty

11/10 Last day to drop or

withdraw with

academic penalty

11/23- Thanksgiving

Holiday

12/11 Last class day

15 Points 5 points/reading

unit

20 Points 10 pts. each

25 Points

40 Points Progress 10 pts.

Project 30 pts.

TOTAL: 100

The quality of

your course

engagement will

be considered in

the event your

point total is 5 or

fewer points

from a total that

will boost your

letter grade.

Unit 1

Middle Ages

Unit 2

Early Modern Period

Unit 3

Restoration & 18th Century

Unit 4

Research Project

Depending upon the pace

of the class, Unit 3 and

Unit 4 might overlap.

Detailed unit schedules

will be provided over the

course of the semester

University Calendar

Course Schedule

5

Responsibilities and Policies for the creation of a fair and productive learning environment

In my effort to create a student-centered class, I have worked to create a learning-centered, rather than a

policy-centered, syllabus. However, to ensure a productive, organized, and respectful learning environment,

responsibilities must be articulated and policies must be established and enforced. Accordingly, you would be

wise to heed the following:

Failure to display respect for the work and goals of the course, the instructor, your classmates, and ultimately

your own learning experience will result in the following progression of consequences:

verbal request/warning and/or written warning (depending upon the nature of the offense)

dismissal from class with a documented absence

meeting with department chair and/or other relevant party

The creation of a fair and productive learning environment is a shared responsibility; therefore, I include

responsibilities for myself.

I reserve the right

to alter as needed the

course policies,

procedures, and

requirements described

in this document

in order to maintain

the integrity of this

course

and its goals.

Your responsibilities are to. . .

Attend class regularly, promptly, and completely

Engage fully and attentively in the work of the course at

all times (i.e. not engaging in anything unrelated to this

course for any amount of time)

Make meaningful contributions to group and class

discussions

Display common courtesy and respect to your peers and

to me

Complete and submit on time all assignments according

to given requirements

Uphold academic honesty and integrity in all work

completed and submitted

“What if I arrive late or need to leave class early?” If you arrive late, please enter class quietly, so as not to disrupt the learning environment and know that you have been marked

absent. Therefore, you must inform me after class (or during group discussions) that you came in late so that I can change your absence

mark. It is your responsibility to ensure that your absence mark is changed. If you need to leave class early, please tell me at the

beginning of class. An early departure of 10 minutes or more will be documented. After 3 late arrivals, early departures, or a

combination, subsequent instances of either will remain or be documented as absences.

“How many absences are allowed without penalty? You are allowed 3 (TTH) or 4 (MWF) absences, no matter the reason for them. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to use/plan your

absences wisely so that situations beyond your control do not put you beyond the allowed limit. For university-sanctioned events,

relevant documentation must be submitted prior to the scheduled absence(s). Otherwise, these absences will count against your total

absence allowance, and the make-up and/or late work policies will be enforced. Depending upon the situation, submission of

assignments might be required prior to your scheduled absence, even with prior notice.

“What if I accumulate multiple absence marks?” Every absence beyond the 3rd and up to 7 will carry a 5-point penalty per absence. More than 7 absence marks, no matter the reason,

will result in failure of the course. This is departmental policy.

My responsibilities are to. . .

Facilitate learning via instruction, materials, and

assignments conducive to the goals of the course and in

the best interest of your learning experience

Provide a safe zone for intellectual exploration and

experimentation and opportunities to learn from

failures

Offer clear and helpful feedback on written

assignments

Maintain a respectful, organized, and supportive

classroom environment.

Be consistent and fair, yet flexible when necessary

without undermining the efforts and responsible

behaviors of other students.

Attendance, with Regularity and Punctuality proving Necessary Qualities of this Virtue The degree and quality of your own and your classmates’ learning, as well as the quality of our cooperative learning

environment, depend significantly upon your punctual, complete, and regular attendance. I will take attendance at

the beginning of each class meeting. If you arrive late or disengage from the class by occupying yourself with

anything unrelated to this course, you will be marked absent.

6

Late and Make-Up Work We will both suffer less grief if your understanding of late and make-up

work is that it is essentially not permitted, and that you are expected to be

a mature, responsible college student and thus get your work in on time no

matter what it takes.

But let’s imagine some possible situations. . .

“What if I’m absent the day a Discussion Starter is due?

As long as you email your DS to me the day it is due, you will receive

credit for it. Your DS grade will be penalized 1 point for each DS not

submitted. Because of the nature and purpose of the Discussion Starters,

these assignments will not be accepted late.

“What if I’m absent the day a Critical Reflection is due?”

If you are unable to attend class the day a CR is due, you should email

your work to me that day. Without official documentation for your

absence, there will be a 5% deduction for each day (not just class days)

your paper is late. This includes weekends, as email is always “open”.

“What if I’m absent the day the Literary Analysis is due?”

This assignment will be submitted to Blackboard, so your inability to

attend class should not impact your ability to meet the submission

deadline. If you are unable to submit to BB by the deadline, please email

your work to me. The grade penalty for submitting late is explained above.

*Technology-related excuses will not be accepted. Therefore, I strongly

encourage you to use Onedrive (provided free by Lamar) or another cloud

service of your choice so that your work is always available to you

anywhere and on any computer.

“What if I’m absent the day I’m scheduled to give a presentation?”

You must contact me before the next class meeting to reschedule your

presentation. Do not wait until your return to class to reschedule, as I

will not address this matter in class. If you do not contact me ahead of time

to reschedule, you will not be allowed to give your presentation.

“What about the Research Project?”

The research project will not be accepted late, as the due date is set as late

as possible while still allowing me sufficient time to meet the University

deadline to submit final grades.

“What if I’m absent because of my participation in a University event?”

In the event of a University-sanctioned absence, the above policies will be

adjusted appropriately only with official documentation of your

participation submitted prior to your scheduled absence.

Academic Integrity

You are required to uphold academic integrity in all work completed for

this course. To that end, I aim to provide a learning experience that does

not tempt academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism is the offense of passing off another’s work and/or ideas as

one’s own—an offense that puts a student at risk of failing the course.

You should always consult me if you are unsure if or how content in your

papers should be documented. Consequences of plagiarism: (1) failure

of the assignment or the course, depending upon the nature and/or extent

of the plagiarism, (2) report filed with the Department of English and

Modern Languages, and (3) notification sent to the chair of your major

department and to the Provost of Academic Affairs, Dr. Kevin Smith.

Repeated reports of academic dishonesty during the course of your

enrollment at the university may result in expulsion from the university.

The University’s policy on academic dishonesty is detailed in the Student

Handbook. You are responsible for reading this information and for

seeking clarification of any unclear content from me or from your advisor.

Dropping the Course It is your responsibility to complete the required procedures for

dropping or withdrawing from the course (see “Class Schedule and

Registration Procedures” on Lamar’s website). I will not drop a

student who stops attending class. In the event of an extended

absence due to illness or personal hardship, you must instigate the

drop/withdraw process by contacting your major department or the

Records Office to request that the drop be completed on your behalf.

Be aware of the drop dates and, if the need arises, begin the drop

process in a timely manner.

Requesting an Incomplete The Incomplete is reserved for a student who has completed all

course work up to the event (illness, family emergency, or

debilitating accident) that prevents him/her from completing the

course. The missed course work must be submitted by the deadline

indicated on the Incomplete Request form; otherwise, the I will be

changed automatically to an F.

Students with Disabilities In coordination with the Disabilities Resource Center, every effort

will be made for this course to be a meaningful component of a

student's individualized educational plan. Any student registered with

the DRC is responsible for keeping me informed of specific needs via

official documentation from the Office. Such documentation must

be presented at the beginning of the semester and before affected

assignments are assigned.

Contact: 880-8347, 880-2225, http://www.lamar.edu/disability-

resource-center/

Academic Continuity Plan In the event of an announced campus closure in excess of 4 days due

to a hurricane or other disaster, students are expected to login to

Lamar University’s website’s homepage (www.lamar.edu) for

instructions about continuing courses remotely.

Emergency Procedures

Severe Weather:

Follow the directions of the instructor or emergency

personnel

Seek shelter in an interior room or hallway on the

lowest floor, putting as many walls as possible

between you and the outside

If you are in a multi-story building, and you cannot

get to the lowest floor, choose a hallway in the

center of the building

Stay in the center of the room, away from exterior

walls, windows, and doors

Violence / Active Shooter (CADD):

CALL- 9-1-1

AVOID- If possible, self-evacuate to a safe area outside the

building. Follow directions of police officers.

DENY- Barricade the door with desk, chairs, bookcases or

any items. Move to a place inside the room where you are not

visible. Turn off the lights and remain quiet. Remain there

until told by police it is safe.

DEFEND- Use chairs, desks, cell phones or whatever is

immediately available to distract and/or defend yourself and

others from attack.

Additional procedures are detailed here

Responsibilities and Policies (cont.)

University Procedures