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The Fine Print

As I see it, our main goal is to learn something about the Victorian novel and to enjoy ourselves as we do so. Please do not hesitate to speak with me immediately if you encounter difficulties with any aspect of this class. I work closely with the staff of Disability Resources & Services to help my students when they need it. Therefore, if you have a disability that requires particular attention, please inform me of it at by the third week of class so that I can make arrangements to accommodate your needs. Please also contact the Disability Resources office (215-204-1280; 100 Ritter Annex) which coordinates accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Additionally, please take note of the following common-sense policies for our course:

Attendance and Participation: Attendance in all classes is required. Please come to class on time prepared to discuss the day's reading. If for some reason you are unable to attend our meeting, please inform me in advance by phone or email. This is simply being courteous and does not count as documenting an absence. Please be prepared to document all absences; undocumented absences will count against your grade as follows: 3 or more undocumented absences will lower your final course grade one full notch (from A to B, etc.), while 5 will fail you.

Grading: You will be writing 2 papers for this course and taking an in-class closed book cumulative final exam. The exam will test your reading of the material and your ability to synthesize it. The papers will evaluate your ability to analyze the readings and to write about them with originality and insight. Our lectures and discussions model the kind of analysis that you will be doing in your writing. Therefore, please come to class prepared to contribute actively to our conversations. Your final grade will be computed as follows:

Papers (2): 30% each for a total of 60%
Final exam: 25%
Class participation: 15%

Papers: Please use the MLA format for all papers, and be sure to type them in a legible (i.e., 10- or 12-point) font including a descriptive title, date, professor's name, and staple. All papers must be submitted in paper copy at the beginning of class on the date due. Electronic papers will not be accepted.

Late Papers and make ups: A late paper (i.e., one not turned in at the beginning of class on the due date) will be marked down a third of a grade (e.g., from A to A- and so on) for each calendar day it is late. Papers that are turned in more than 2 calendar days after the assignment was due will not be accepted, so do please plan ahead and try to avoid this penalty. There will be no make-up exams for this course.

Note on Academic Honesty: I will expect every member of this class to adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity. You must fully and unambiguously cite all work that is not your own in written and oral assignments and give credit to those whose ideas or language you are using. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism, whose penalty will include failing the course and academic dismissal. Similarly, turning in work you have completed for a different course in this one will also result in a failing grade and academic dismissal. The severity of the infraction allows for no leniency whatsoever. I urge you, therefore, to avoid it at all costs. Please see me or consult my handout on citing sources (also available on my website) if you are ever uncertain about appropriate forms of citation.

To Internet or not?: The internet is a good resource for information (such as when did the Indian Mutiny occur? Or, how much might Jane Eyre's inheritance of £20,000 be worth today?). However, the analysis and interpretation of Jane's inheritance on her sense of self worth; or, why Conan Doyle had to include the Indian Mutiny in his London novella are complex questions with no easy "answer," so turning to the Internet for one will usually yield banal or even factually inaccurate material that will not help you, your learning, or your grade. Use the library to develop your analytic skills instead, and make sure you cite all sources carefully and fully.

No portion of the class may be recorded or transmitted using audio or moving image recording devices without express written consent from the professor in advance.