Class Policies

The class meets three times a week, MWF at 12:20. Since the success of the class depends on your input, attendance is required. You are allowed two absences without excuse; after that I’ll drop your final grade by three points for each additional unexcused absence. If you expect to have a problem with lateness or absence on a particular day, please let me know as early as possible. Only very serious or very imaginative excuses will be considered legitimate.
Please do the readings assigned as homework before the class in which they are discussed. Texts are available at the bookstore; other readings can be downloaded from this online version of the syllabus. The readings are on a secure section of the website which can be reached here; the login is ‘ENGL201’ and the password is the room in which the class meets (all in capitals, with no spaces).
Instead of a research paper, the class is built around weekly writing exercises which are meant to offer specific answers to specific questions. Each exercise should be typed, double-spaced, and approximately 500 words long (roughly two pages). Due dates are listed on the syllabus; late papers will not be accepted except in very extraordinary circumstances and by prior arrangement. There are ten of these exercises assigned throughout the semester; you are required to do EIGHT of them, at least four before Spring Break. No research is required for these assignments, but if you do use outside sources, you must cite them; please follow a standard format such as the MLA, Chicago Manual of Style, APA, etc. (The library has links to online sites giving examples of various styles of citation, as well as general guides to grammar and style, here; another fine source on research and documentation can be found here). Each exercise will be worth 25 points; I will add together the points from the first four and the second four exercises to get two 100-point grades. Your writing exercises will be read for grammar, style, and structure as well as for content; I will be happy to discuss any general or specific questions about your writing at any point in the semester.
There will be two exams, a midterm and a non-comprehensive final. These will include both objective material (identifications, short answers, etc.) and essay questions.
My office hours are 10:30-12 Mondays and Wednesdays, 9-11 Tuesdays, and by appointment most other times. Please email me (rliuzza@utk.edu) for an appointment or call me (974-6970) with any questions or comments you might have about any aspect of the class or assignments.
Your final grade will be based on the midterm, the final exam, and the two grades from the writing exercises; I will add up to five points to your final grade for active and intelligent class participation.
It should go without saying that rigorous standards of academic honesty are expected from all students at all times. As students of the University of Tennessee you have made a personal commitment to honor and integrity; this includes a pledge that you will “will neither knowingly give nor receive any inappropriate assistance in academic work” (see the student handbook Hilltopics here). All work submitted must be your own, and any instances of plagiarism or copying will receive a grade of zero; further penalties can include failure in the course or suspension from the university. If you are at all uncertain about this topic, please see me before you turn in your paper. The library has links to online resources for understanding and avoiding plagiarism here.

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