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English 206 Section 02 The Literature of Place

Spring 2015 Killian 106 10:10-11:00

Instructor: Paul Worley Office: Coulter 409 Email: pmworley@wcu.edu Website: www.paulmworley.com Office Hours: M/W 11:00-12:00; F 1:15-2:15; by appointment I. Rationale/Purpose The section of the Literature of Place will examine the South as a crossroads of global activities and globalization, focusing on North Carolina and Western NC in particular. Students enrolled in this course will read texts by authors from the South and around the globe who have either passed through or called the region “home.” In addition to honing writing and critical thinking skills, students will explore humanity’s struggle to understand itself and engage with different modes of looking at, knowing, and perceiving what it means to live in the South and what the region means to diverse peoples in the global environment. (P4) II. Course Aims and Objectives: Liberal Studies Objectives (for the entire program)

This course is a Liberal Studies course. The learning goals of the Liberal Studies Program are for students to:

• Demonstrate the ability to locate, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information; • Demonstrate the ability to interpret and use numerical, written, oral and visual data; • Demonstrate the ability to read with comprehension, and to write and speak clearly, coherently, and

effectively as well as to adapt modes of communication appropriate to an audience; • Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze arguments; demonstrate the ability to recognize behaviors and

define choices that affect lifelong well-being; • Demonstrate an understanding of

o Past human experiences and ability to relate them to the present: o Different contemporary cultures and their interrelationships; o Issues involving social institutions, interpersonal and group dynamics, human development and

behavior, and cultural diversity; scientific concepts and methods as well as contemporary issues in science and technology;

o Cultural heritage through its expressions of wisdom, literature and art and their roles in the process of self and social

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Liberal Studies Program Perspective Courses

This course is a Perspectives course. The primary goals of the Perspectives courses are: • To promote love of learning and to cultivate an active interest in the Liberal Studies; • To build on the Core's foundation through practice and refinement of areas of academic emphasis; • To provide students with a broadened world view and knowledge base; • To provide experiences in the arts, humanities, and social sciences from which connections between disciplines

can be revealed; • To provide an introduction to the challenges of living in a global society; • To create opportunities for reflection on values, and for discussing differences in values in a critical yet tolerant

manner; • To afford opportunities to make career or disciplinary choices.

In addition, each Perspectives course are expected to include emphasis on one or more of the following: • Critical analysis of arguments • Oral communication • Service learning • Moral reflection • Cultural diversity • Any other creative but defensible area of intellectual development that a discipline wants to focus on, and that the

program chooses to adopt.

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P4: Humanities This course satisfies the P4 Perspective requirement of the Liberal Studies Program. Beyond the Primary Goals of the Perspectives courses, you will be exposed to landmark texts that embody the traditional Western heritage of humanity’s attempt to understand the human condition and that engage you in the exploration of the significance of human modes of being, thought, and values in your life. As in all Liberal Studies Perspective offerings, this course will emphasize reading, writing, and the use of information, as well as one or more of the following: critical analysis, oral communication, service learning, moral reflection, and cultural diversity.

III. Course Materials Required Texts:

For purchase in bookstore Cabeza de Vaca, Álvar Núñez. Chronicle of the Narváez Expedition. Trans. David Frye. New York:

W.W. Norton Company, 2013. Montejo, Victor. Testimony: Death of a Guatemalan Village. Connecticut: Curbstone Books, 1987. Nazario, Sonia. Enrique’s Journey. New York: Random House, 2007. Neugass, James. War is Beautiful: An American Ambulance Driver in the Spanish Civil War. New York:

New P, 2008. Niggli, Josephina. Mexican Village. Albuquerque: U of New Mexico P, 1994.

Additional readings listed on the syllabus available online through my website and/or Blackboard

IV. Faculty Expectations of Students/Course Policies Statement on Accommodations for students with disabilities:

Office of Disability Services

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Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. Students who require reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and/or medical condition and provide current diagnostic documentation to the Office of Disability Services. All information is confidential. Please contact the Office of Disability Services at (828) 227-3886 or come by Suite 135 Killian Annex for an appointment. Student Support Services Student Support Services provides support to students who are either first-generation, low-income or those who have disclosed a disability with: academic advising, mentoring, one-on-one tutorial support, and workshops focused on career, financial aid and graduate school preparation. You may contact SSS at (828) 227-7127 or email sssprogram@wcu.edu for more information. SSS is located in the Killian Annex, room 138. Writing and Learning Commons (WaLC) The Writing and Learning Commons (WaLC), located in BELK 207, provides free small-group course tutoring, one-on-one writing tutoring and academic skills consultations, and online writing and learning resources for all students. All tutoring sessions take place in the WaLC or in designated classrooms on campus. To schedule tutoring appointments, log in to TutorTrac from the WaLC homepage (walc.wcu.edu) or call 828-227-2274. Distance students and students taking classes at Biltmore Park are encouraged to use Smarthinking and the WaLC’s online resources. Students may also take advantage of writing tutoring offered at the Biltmore Park campus on certain days of the week; call 828-227-2274 or log in to TutorTrac and select “Biltmore Park Writing Tutoring” for availabilities.

Statement on Academic Integrity (including plagiarism):

Academic Integrity Policy "I will practice personal and academic integrity" – WCU Community Creed Western Carolina University (WCU) strives to achieve the highest standards of scholarship and integrity. Any violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is a serious offense because it threatens the quality of scholarship and undermines the integrity of the community. Any violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct (see dsce.wcu.edu for more information).

Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy include:

Cheating - Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.

Plagiarism - Representing the words or ideas of someone else as one’s own in any academic exercise. Note: WCU instructors reserve the right to use plagiarism prevention software (such as SafeAssignment.com), library resources, as well as Google, Yahoo, and/or other Internet search engines to determine whether or not student papers have been plagiarized. With plagiarism prevention software, instructors may upload student papers into a searchable database or teach students how to upload their own work as part of the course requirements.

Fabrication - Creating and/or falsifying information or citation in any academic exercise. Facilitation - Helping or attempting to help someone to commit a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy in

any academic exercise (e.g. allowing another to copy information during an examination)

Faculty members have the right to determine the appropriate sanction(s) for violations of the Academic Integrity Policy within their courses, up to and including a final grade of “F” in the course. Students will be notified, in writing, of any Academic Integrity Policy allegation and have the right to respond to the allegation. The full text of the WCU Academic Integrity Policy, Process, and the Faculty Reporting Form can be found online at: academicintegrity.wcu.edu. Please visit studysmart.wcu.edu for further information.

Attendance Policy:

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M/W/F: Regular class attendance and participation are expectations for this course. Upon a student’s fifth (5th) absence, the student’s final course grade will be lowered one full letter grade (e.g., from A to B, B to C, etc.). Upon an sixth (6th) absence, the student will fail the course automatically. The only excused absences under this policy are those absences described as “excused” within University policy. Those situations are: 1) bona fide medical emergencies (with documentation); 2) death of an immediate family member (with documentation); 3) pre-arranged religious observance; 4) participation in a University event sanctioned by the Chancellor to promote the university. Two of these situations (3 and 4) are foreseeable, and would require advanced notice, documentation, and coordination with the instructor in order to qualify as “excused” and not be counted against the numbers outlined in this policy. Students should consult the University Catalog (http://catalog.wcu.edu/) for details regarding the University’s General Attendance Policy and University Excused Absences.

Statement on late and/or makeup assignments:

Assignments submitted the course meeting following a given due date will be docked a full letter grade. In fairness to students who submitted work on time, assignments submitted up to a week late will be given no better than a C (75). Assignments are not accepted after they are a week late, and will be given an F and numerical grade of (0). Assignments that are simply not submitted will received an F with a numerical grade of (0). Furthermore, you will only be allowed to turn in one late assignment (and only if I say it’s OK to do so); any subsequent late work will not be accepted. You will not be able to pass this class unless you complete all assignments. I will not accept any final draft of an assignment sent to me via e-mail. If you are having trouble with an assignment, please speak to me as soon as possible.

Statement of expectations for participation/classroom behavior:

Participation: Active participation is a key component of this course. Please do not bring food to class as this will inhibit your moving about and communicating your thoughts and opinions to others. It is expected that students will be mindful and respectful of each other at all times, particularly when expressing opposing viewpoints on a given topic. Laptops/Cellphones: Please refrain from using your cellphones and laptops in class unless otherwise explicitly told to do so by the instructor. Should cellphone use become a problem you will be asked to leave. Recording: No student may record, tape, or photograph any classroom activity without the express written consent of the instructor. Students may not make audio or video recordings of course activities except students permitted to record as an approved accommodation. Recordings of class may not be posted publicly (online or otherwise) or distributed to individuals who are not students in the course without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded.

Statement on participation in on-line course evaluations:

You are highly encouraged to participate in the university-sanctioned evaluation of this course. The dates for this semester are November 9-December 6.

Statement of use of special programs or services:

As part of its design, at different points in the semester this course may make use of social media. Students are therefore required to have a Twitter account (twitter.com). Student privacy is a priority, so students may opt to have an anonymous Twitter handle if they so choose. Other programs such a Blackboard will be utilized as appropriate.

Inclement weather policy:

In the event of inclement weather please pay attention to University announcements regarding cancellation of class or closure while maintaining an accurate assessment of your personal situation. If you live off campus and do not feel you can safely make it to/from campus, do not come.

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V. Grading Procedures: Percentage of Grade Student’s Score Place Names Assignment 10% Global South Mapping Project 15% Final Research Paper 20% Mid-Term Exam 15% Final Exam 20% Participation and Homework 20% Final Grade: Place Names Assignment

A course on place would be incomplete without thinking about place names and the power of naming. Working with Scott Philyaw from digitalheritage.org, each student will identify a place name in the WCU region. Where does the name come from? Who name the place? Has the name changed over time? This will require a little bit of original research. Students should produce at least 100 words of text and be able to identify their sources.

Global South Mapping Project As a collective project, the class will produce a map showing the connections between Cullowhee, North Carolina, the US South, and the rest of the world using StorymapJS. Each student is responsible for one site, 100 words of text, and no fewer than 2 external links to further information. The map will be posted at the beginning of the semester and be an ongoing project.

Final Research Paper

In this paper you will expand on a topic of interest to you that pertains to course readings. You will develop a thesis and argument about that topic, and produce a well-written, original piece of research. Deadlines for the assignments are listed in the course calendar. This paper will be between 3-5 full pages (circa 750-1250 words), double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 point font. Papers are exercises in critical thinking where you will read texts, analyze them, and draw conclusions based on supporting evidence that you will assemble. As always, papers at every stage should follow MLA format and documentation, be free of errors in spelling and grammar, and by typed. As stated below, plagiarism is not tolerated.

Exams More specific information about exam design will be distributed at a later date. The Midterm and Final Exams gauge your knowledge of, retention of, and engagement with the material.

Participation and Homework

You are expected to attend class and actively participate in discussion by coming prepared, having read the day’s reading, bringing your book, and by asking and responding to questions. This is a discussion-based course, so if I have to call on you, you are not actively participating! Any daily pop quizzes done in class will be allocated here. In addition to any written homework, you will may be asked to prepare brief (100-200 word) response papers to prompt and/or course readings. These will be allocated here. As part of this, you will be asked to do a brief presentation having to do with the course reading introducing what you feel are the relevant/salient topics from the day’s reading. These will be brief (10-15 minutes), require you to make use of PowerPoint, and formulate 3-4 questions around which the class will base its discussion. You are more than welcome to guide the discussion where you would like to see it go! This assignment is half of the participation grade.

Grading and Quality Point System* Grade Interpretation Quality Points per Grade Interpretation Quality Points per Semester Hour Semester Hour

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A+ Excellent 4.0 I Incomplete [ -- ] A Excellent 4.0 IP In Progress [ -- ] A- 3.67 S Satisfactory [ -- ] B+ 3.33 U Unsatisfactory [ -- ] B Good 3.0 W Withdrawal [ -- ] B- 2.67 AU Audit [ -- ] C+ 2.33 NC No Credit [ -- ] C Satisfactory 2.0 C- 1.67 D+ 1.33 D Poor 1.0 D- .67 F Failure 0 * See Graduate Catalog for the graduate level grading system. The grades of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and F indicate gradations in quality from Excellent to Failure. Please note that a C- grade is less than satisfactory and may not meet particular program and/or course requirements. Composition-Condition Marks. A student whose written work in any course fails to meet acceptable standards will be assigned a composition-condition (CC) mark by the instructor on the final grade report. All undergraduates who receive two CC grades prior to the semester in which they complete 110 hours at Western Carolina University are so notified by the registrar and are required to pass English 300 or English 401 before they will be eligible for graduation. This course must be taken within two semesters of receiving the second CC and must be passed with a grade of C (2.0) or better. Students must be familiar with the class attendance, withdrawal, and drop-add policies and procedures. Assignments

Note: Attending class without the book in which the reading is due or without having done the reading will result in a zero for homework and participation for that day’s class. You will not be eligible to pass this class unless you complete all assignments. Handwritten assignments at the college level are unacceptable. I will not accept handwritten work from you under any circumstances. Final drafts of essays will not be accepted unless I have seen and critiqued a preliminary draft of the essay.

VIII. Tentative Course Schedule May change to accommodate guest presenters & student needs  

Date Reading Assignment Week 1 Mon, Jan 12 Introduction to the Course

Wed, Jan 14

Fri, Jan 16 The Spanish in NC? Cabeza de Vaca, 3-25 Assign Global South Mapping Project

Week 2 Mon, Jan 19 University Closed – Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

Wed, Jan 21 WCU place names with Scott Philyaw Cabeza de Vaca, 25-50

Fri, Jan 23 Cabeza de Vaca, 50-75

Week 3 Mon, Jan 26 Talk on Digital Humanities by Liz Skene

Cabeza de Vaca, 75-91 Adorno, 179-90

Wed, Jan 28 Ibn Said, ALL Fri, Jan 30

Week 4 Mon, Feb 2 Library Skills day with Heidi Buchanan

Herrera-Sobek, “Josephina Niggli: A Border Writer and Precursor of Chicano/a Literature” Niggli, 3-18

Wed, Feb 4 WCU and the US-Mexico Border Niggli, 18-42 Fri, Feb 6 Niggli, 42-62

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Place names assignment due

Week 5 Mon, Feb 9 Niggli, 135-55 Wed, Feb 11 Niggli, 155-72 Fri, Feb 13 Visit to Niggli Theater Niggli, 172-97

Week 6 Mon, Feb 16 Niggli, 197-219 Wed, Feb 18 Niggli, 305-24 Fri, Feb 20 Niggli, 324-46

Week 7 Mon, Feb 23 Niggli, 346-66 Wed, Feb 25 Niggli, 427-50

Fri, Feb 27 Niggli, 450-74 Mid-term Exam

Week 8 Mon, Mar 2 Niggli, 474-91 Wed, Mar 4 Talk by Rita Palacios Montejo, half

Fri, Mar 6 Montejo, ALL Preliminary final research topics due

Week 9 Mon, Mar 9 Spring Break – No Classes Neugass, 2-44 Wed, Mar 11 Spring Break – No Classes Fri, Mar 13 Spring Break – No Classes

Week 10 Mon, Mar 16 Library Skills Day with Heidi Buchanan Neugass, 92-116

Wed, Mar 18 Neugass, 116-36

Fri, Mar 20 Neugass, 198-205; 209-22 Revised topics approved by this date

Week 11 Mon, Mar 23 Neugass, 222-44 Wed, Mar 25 Neugass, 244-68 Fri, Mar 27 Neugass, 268-86

Week 12 Mon, Mar 30 Neugass, 286-306 Wed, Apr 1 No Classes Fri, Apr 3 No Classes

Week 13 Mon, Apr 6 Immigration Nation Nazario, “Afterword,” 274-95 Wed, Apr 8 Nazario, “Prologue,” ix-xxvi Fri, Apr 10 Nazario, 3-23

Week 14 Mon, Apr 13 Nazario, 24-44 Wed, Apr 15 Nazario, 45-61 Fri, Apr 17 Nazario, 62-81; 103-19

Week 15 Mon, Apr 20 Nazario, 137-58 Wed, Apr 22 Nazario, 158--78 Fri, Apr 24 Nazario, 179-96

Week 16 Mon, Apr 27 Nazario, 197-218 41 Wed, Apr 29 Nazario, 218-40

42 Fri, May 1 Present Global South Mapping Project in class

Fifth Week Grades Due Monday, February 16 Advising Day Tuesday, February 24 Last Day to Drop with a “W” Monday, March 16 Final Semester Examinations Saturday-Friday, May 2-8 Final Exam in this course 8:30 Wednesday, May 6

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I have read and understood the course syllabus. ___________________________________________ _________________________ Name Date