Austin Community College 

English 2328 - American Literature: Civil War to Present

Composition and Literary Studies Dept

Dual Credit Course

Round Rock High School - Room 1501

Professor:  Roy F. Smith

Office hours: 8:00-9:00 am M-F

Room: RRHS 1501

Phone #: (512) 464-1640

Email: roy_smith@roundrockisd.org   (best contact method) 

*Expect a return reply within one business day

REQUIRED BOOKS AND MATERIALS:

Laptop with Internet Access 

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (*all other readings will be provided online or in print by the instructor)

DEPARTMENTAL SYLLABUS: 

Parts of this syllabus have been pulled from the official CLS Departmental Syllabus, which applies to all sections of English Literature across Austin Community College. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

American Literature: Civil War to Present  (3 Credit Hours) 

A survey of American literature from the Civil War to the present. Students will study works of prose, poetry, drama, and fiction about their historical and cultural contexts. Texts will be selected from among a diverse group of authors for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character.

PREREQUISITES 

• ENGL 1301 & ENGL 1302 or equivalents w/ minimum grade of C.
• A sophomore-level literature class from ACC and/or a transfer institution (for example, E314 or E316 from UT or ENG 2000 courses from Texas State) w/a minimum grade of C.
• Students have 84 college credit hours, including ENGL 1301(or equivalent) w/a minimum grade of C, from ACC and/or transfer institutions.

Course Objectives/Rationale

The goals of sophomore literature courses are

● To provide a working knowledge of the characteristics of various literary genres.

● To develop analytical skills and critical thinking through reading, discussion, and written assignments.

● To broaden a student’s intercultural reading experience.

● To deepen a student’s awareness of the universal human concerns that are the basis for literary works.

● To stimulate a greater appreciation of language as an artistic medium and of the aesthetic principles

that shape literary works.

● To understand literature as an expression of human values within an historical and social context.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of sophomore literature, students should be able to

● Identify key ideas, representative authors and works, significant historical or cultural events, and

characteristic perspectives or attitudes expressed in the literature of different periods or regions.

● Analyze literary works as expressions of individual or communal values within the social, political,

cultural, or religious contexts of different literary periods.

● Demonstrate knowledge of the development of characteristic forms or styles of expression during

different historical periods or in different regions.

● Articulate the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of works in the arts and

humanities.

● Write research-based critical papers about the assigned readings in clear and grammatically correct

prose, using various critical approaches to literature.

Composition and Literary Studies Department Students Learning Outcomes

The following outcomes are developed in all sophomore literature students regardless of student age or

course location:

● Write clearly, coherently and effectively about various genres in literature

● In discussions and writing, address the culture and context of the work of literature

● Write about and discuss elements of literary texts and relate these to the work as a whole.

Core Objectives (General Education Learning Outcomes)

Upon completion of the general education component of an associate’s degree, students will demonstrate

competence in:

● Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and

synthesis of information

● Communication Skills (COM) - effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas

through written, oral and visual communication

● Teamwork (TW) - ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to

support a shared purpose or goal

● Social Responsibility (SR) - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the

ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities

● Personal Responsibility (PR) - ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making 

Student Technology Support 

Students who do not have the necessary technology to complete their ACC courses can request to borrow devices from Student Technology Services. Available devices include iPads, webcams, headsets, calculators, etc. Students must be registered for a credit course, Adult Education, or Continuing Education course to be eligible. For more information, including how to request a device, visit http://www.austincc.edu/sts. 

Student Technology Services offers phone, live-chat, and email-based technical support for students and can provide support on topics such as password resets, accessing or using Blackboard, access to technology, etc. To view hours of operation and ways to request support, visit http://www.austincc.edu/sts. 

Use Of Student Work 

Written artifacts from this course may be used for research and publicity purposes after the course has ended. Papers and anything used will have student names removed to maintain student confidentiality. If you do not want your written work used for these purposes, please send an email to your instructor that states you would like to opt-out. Opting out will have no effect on your grade. 

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY 

Successful completion of the course includes each of the following components:

Papers:

Each paper will be marked A+ through F.   

A range: The paper fulfills the objectives of the assignment and is relatively free of

grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.  Accepted papers show mastery of all writing skills from previous papers in the course.

B range: The paper fulfills the objectives of the assignment but contains minor errors.

C range: The paper needs substantial improvement in style, organization, or development.

D/F range: The paper does not fulfill some or all objectives of the assignment.

Students will receive feedback on all original submissions of papers in the form of a rubric and/or TurnItIn comments. If students wish to have further feedback on an essay, they may attend office hours for immediate and personalized feedback.

Grading System.

*Expectations for all papers described in-class handouts.

Grade breakdown

Unit Tests: 15%

Short paper 1 -10%

Short paper 2 - 20%

Long paper: - 30%

Classwork: 15%

Final exam: 10%

Grading Scale

A = 100 – 90%

B = 89.9 – 80%

C = 79.9 – 70%

D = 69.9 – 60% *do not earn high school credit

F = 59.9% and below or failure to complete all assignments and papers.

ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

Papers: The majority of your grade is based on essays. Unlike Comp I and II, there are no revisions on papers in this class. You are expected to build on the reading and writing skills from those prerequisite sources. If you require remediation (MLA, grammar, organization) it is your responsibility to ask for tutorials and/or use ACC resources prior to paper due dates. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade per calendar day late. 

Classwork: In-class projects are required to teach strategies for interacting with texts. These projects will include either the presentation or the creation of a product for assessment. Expectations regarding the allowance or disallowance of collaboration will be spelled out on each assignment sheet.  In-class project assignments cannot be handed in late for credit and cannot be revised. Grades are final. Daily assignments and quizzes hold you accountable for assigned reading, in-class activities, and homework. These assignments and quizzes cannot be handed in late for credit and cannot be made up for a higher grade. 

Tests: Tests will require that you demonstrate your understanding of course materials in class, and in writing. You will receive a review sheet to prepare for exams in advance. If you miss a test due to absence, you are expected to discuss scheduling a make-up exam on the day you return to class. Note that testing accommodations must be approved by ACC.

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance:

Regular and timely class participation in discussions and completion of work is expected of all students.  If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class. If you miss class you are responsible for collecting any assignments and notes missed. If you miss class on a paper due date then you will be expected to make arrangements with me to have papers in on time or it will incur late penalties. Any work you miss while absent is due the day you return to class. You will not be given “extra time” to complete work if you are absent. The instructor reserves the right to drop a student after four absences.

Missed or Late Work

In-class projects and daily assignments (items that fall under the category of Classwork) cannot be submitted after the due date for credit without prior approval from the instructor. Assignments due on a day you are absent must be made up the day you return. Assignments, including tests and quizzes, missed on a day you are absent must be made up by the next class period. Papers are due on the deadline listed even if you are absent, unless you have prior approval from the professor. 

Attendance/Class Participation

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected of all students. If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.

Withdrawal Policy 

Individual professors will enforce their withdrawal policies based on progress and attendance. However, it is important to know that The Texas State Legislature passed a bill stating that students who first enroll in public colleges and universities beginning in fall 2007 and thereafter may not withdraw from more than six classes during their undergraduate college career. See the ACC Student Handbook for further information. 

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the rolls should they decide to withdraw from the class.  The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary. Student permission is not required for the instructor to initiate the drop, and as per FERPA laws, the instructor may not communicate with parents regarding a drop. The instructor reserves the right to drop students in cases where the student has missed significant deadlines or has engaged in academic dishonesty. 

Students are responsible for understanding the impact that withdrawal from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and international student status.

Awarding Of “Incomplete” As A Final Grade 

An incomplete (grade of "I") will only be given due to extenuating circumstances.  What constitutes “extenuating circumstances” is left to the instructor’s discretion.  If a grade of I is given, the remaining coursework must be completed by a date set by the student and professor.  This date may not be later than two weeks prior to the end of the Spring 2024 semester. A grade of I also requires completion and submission of the Incomplete Grade form, to be signed by the faculty member (and student if possible) and submitted to the department chair.

Academic Misconduct And Plagiarism 

Austin Community College values academic integrity in the educational process. Acts of academic

dishonesty/misconduct undermine the learning process, present a disadvantage to students who earn credit

honestly and subvert the academic mission of the institution. The potential consequences of fraudulent

credentials raise additional concerns for individuals and communities beyond campus who rely on institutions

of higher learning to certify students' academic achievements and expect to benefit from the claimed

knowledge and skills of their graduates. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated

college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations.

Actions constituting academic dishonesty include but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication,

collusion, falsifying documents, or the inappropriate use of the college’s information technology resources.

Further information is available at

https://www.austincc.edu/about-acc/academic-integrity-and-disciplinary-process 

Plagiarism can be defined as using the words and ideas of another writer without acknowledging the debt.

Plagiarism takes many forms, including the omission of parenthetical citations, the failure to place quotation

marks around direct or modified content taken from another source, and another person or entity writing the essay for the student. It is of utmost importance for students to understand that in academic and professional life, plagiarism of any kind is unacceptable. Therefore, acts of plagiarism, major or minor, may have

serious repercussions, which could include a failing grade, expulsion from the class, and/or disciplinary action

on the part of the College. Specific policies can be found in individual faculty syllabi; College policies can be

found in the ACC Student Handbook.

Plagiarism also includes collusion, a problem that happens when someone other than the student contributes

a substantial portion of the essay for the student. Please note that having a friend or paid tutor contribute to a

paper in the form of adding content or extensive revising or editing will be considered collusion, a form of

Plagiarism.

While the firm expectation for all courses is that student work will reflect authentic (student-generated) effort

and original critical thinking, individual professors will enforce their own policies on the use and

documentation of generative AI technology. Where generative AI technology is allowed, its use must be

Documented. Instructional AI tools (such as spelling and grammar checking tools, Grammarly, Quillbot, and Packback) are generally considered acceptable aids to writing. However, individual instructors may provide specific guidelines or place certain restrictions on the use of these tools. Use of AI-generated text constitutes academic dishonesty and may result in disciplinary action, dismissal from the course, or a failing grade in the class. 

Week of . . .

Week of Jan 5 - the first day of class - Course requirement and materials. Reading literature in the 20th and 21st centuries. Reading As I Lay Dying 

Week of Jan 8  - Dislocation and turmoil - poets and writers reflecting American angst. 

Week of Jan 15 - Dislocation and turmoil - poets and writers reflecting American angst. (short paper 1)

Week of Jan 22 - Modernist Poets; 

Week of Jan 29 - Modernist Poets; (unit exam)

Week of Feb. 5 As I Lay Dying  and Literary Theories

Week of Feb 12 -  As I Lay Dying  and Literary Theories

Week of Feb 19 - As I Lay Dying  and Literary Theories

Week of Feb 26 As I Lay Dying  and Literary Theories (essay #2 due)

Week of March 4 - Short stories and poets in the 21st Century

March 11-15 SPRING BREAK

Week of March 18 - Short stories and poets in the 21st Century

Week of March 25 - Short stories and poets in the 21st Century

Week of April 1 - Short stories and poets in the 21st Century

Week of April 8 - Short Stories and Poets in the 21st Century (Essay #3 due)

Week of April 15 - Music as Literature

Week of April 22 - Poet anthology for going to college and beyond    

Week of April 29 Poet anthology presentations (project grade)

Week of May 6 - Final exam week

American Literature 2328 takes a survey look at works of literature that have made a mark on the American experience. The course considers works from a large and diverse group of poets and authors.

Please see the syllabus listed above for this student learning outcomes and learning objectives.