Syllabus

Storytelling in New Media

Introductory Topics in Literary Study: EN 220-A

Spring 2016, M/W 1-2:15, Cushing-Martin 142

Digital Media Production. LC 339-A W 2:30-5:00, Duffy 210

Wendy Chapman Peek

Office: Cushing-Martin 123

508-565-1706

wpeek@stonehill.edu

Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:00-1:00, Thursdays 3-4 & other times by appt.

Course objective: This course offers an investigation of the art of storytelling in media forms developed or popularized within the last hundred years: film, television, and comics. Our interest will be primarily formal; that is, we will focus on the forms artists choose in telling their stories, including the move toward formal innovation in narrative.  We will also look at lyric expression in poetry and film, what are often referred to in film as non-narrative or avant-garde forms, so as to understand the differences between the two modes of expression.

My primary aim is to give you exposure to a wide array of artistic options, so that you can clearly evaluate the utility of each when you create your own artistic production.

This class is 3 credits, which means that you are expected to put in 6-9 hours per week outside of class for preparation. Your daily responsibilities include coming to class on time every day with the materials assigned for discussion, with notes from your readings, and with the assignment completed.

NOTE: The class-determined penalty for not bringing assigned reading to class will be that the violator must …

Assignments: I will calculate your final grade based on the work you do on three papers (20% each), 10 short assignments (5% apiece, the 2 lowest grades will be dropped) and participation. If you participate effectively in every class, you’ll earn an A for participation; irregular but effective participation = B; very limited participation = C. Short assignments will be graded with a √ +, √ , or √ -.  These checks roughly equal a 90, 80, 70.

You must turn in all of the assignments to pass the class; this is a necessary though not sufficient requirement for passing the class.

Attendance Policy: Come to every class unless you’re very ill.  Missing class will inevitably have a negative affect on the grades you receive on your regular assignments.

If you miss more than two classes, your final grade in the course will lower by 1/3 for each absence (e. g. from a C- to a D).  If you encounter circumstances that make it difficult to abide by this policy, come and talk with me.

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Policies on Papers, Quizzes, and Other Miscellaneous Items:

1)    Watch your Stonehill email account for regular updates from me.

2)    Format on papers: Format your papers with 1” margins on all sides, double-spaced, with fonts no larger than 12 points (scaled roughly to Times New York size).  Cover sheets are a waste of paper.

3)    The grade on late papers will drop 10 points per calendar day that the paper is late. A paper is considered late if it is turned in after the end of class on the day it is due.

4)    I will not accept assignments submitted via e-mail unless you have made arrangements with me ahead of time, or unless you’re sick the day the paper is due. If illness prevents you from turning an assignment in on time, email me as soon as possible, and we’ll make appropriate arrangements.  If you have an computer draft of an assignment, you may email that to me on the due date.

5)    I give out numerical rather than alphabetic grades.  The scale is:

a.     97 = A+

b.     93 = A

c.      90 = A-

d.     87 = B+

e.      83 = B

f.       80 = B-

g.     77 = C+

h.     73 = C

i.       70 = C-

j.       67 = D+

k.      63 = D

l.       59 and below = F

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6)    Grading System:

a.     F = You fail to turn in the assignment, the assignment lacks thematic or narrative focus, you make little or no reference to the source work. Your points may be incomprehensible. Simply completing the work does not guarantee a passing grade.

b.     D = A “D” signifies serious problems with the development of your point and/or with expression (diction, wordiness, poor grammar, mechanical errors, lack of necessary specifics).  There is some reference to the source work, but it is poor.

c.      C = A “C” indicates that there are problems with the development of your point, although the writing may be clear.  Or the ideas may be strong, but expression is hindered by mechanical problems.

d.     B = A clear discussion of both your source work and your own creative efforts, with fully developed and convincing references to the source work.  Appropriate and helpful examples/quotations.  Careful attention to details of expression, whether verbal or visual.  Sensitivity to the subtleties of the text.  You demonstrate that you are a careful reader as well as a competent writer.  Free of mechanical errors.

e.      A = Everything required for a “B,” plus significant, original thought.  The analysis in an “A” paper is sophisticated, complex, subtle.

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Students with Disabilities

Stonehill College is committed to providing a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment for students with disabilities. The Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) provides a point of coordination, resources and support for students with disabilities and the campus community. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, please let me know so that we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact OAR to begin this conversation or to establish reasonable accommodations for this or other courses. OAR is located within the Academic Services & Advising Suite in Duffy 104. For additional information please call (508) 565-1306 or email accessibility-resources@stonehill.edu.

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Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Stonehill College embraces the diversity of students, faculty, and staff, honors the inherent dignity of each individual, and welcomes their unique cultural and religious experiences, beliefs, and perspectives. We all benefit from a diverse living and learning environment, and the sharing of differences in ideas, experiences, and beliefs help us shape our own perspectives. Course content and campus discussions will heighten your awareness to these differences.

The Office of Intercultural Affairs (Duffy 149) serves as an accessible resource to anyone seeking support or with questions about diversity and inclusion at Stonehill. If you are a witness to or experience acts of bias at Stonehill or would like to learn more about how we address bias incidents, please email diversity@stonehill.edu.

-->Academic Integrity:

(From the The Hill Book): Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to the following actions:

a) presenting another's work as if it were one's own;

b) failing to acknowledge or document a source even if the action is unintended (i. e. plagiarism)

[N. B. This can take various forms: 1) using the writer's exact words; 2) paraphrasing the argument; 3) even following the general outline or drift of the argument];

c) giving or receiving, or attempting to give or receive, unauthorized assistance or information in an assignment or examination;

d) fabricating data;

e) submitting the same assignment in two or more courses without prior permission of the respective instructors; or

f) having another person write a paper or sit for an examination.

English Department Policy on Academic Integrity

In support of Stonehill College’s Academic Integrity Policy, the English Department requires that faculty notify the Director of Academic Services about every student who has plagiarized or violated the Academic Honor Code in any manner.  All members of the College community have the responsibility to be familiar with and to follow the College’s policy on academic integrity.  Since the actions that constitute violation of the policy are covered in many places, in The Hill Book and in presentations at orientation, pleading ignorance will not work. If you have questions about what constitutes a violation of the code or how to incorporate outside sources in your work, please consult with your professor before you turn in your assignments.

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Resources for Academic Support

The Center for Writing and Academic Achievement (CWAA) provides academic support services in a welcoming, professional environment that emphasizes collaborative learning and peer tutoring, supplemented with professional-level support. The CWAA offers a variety of academic support services, including peer tutoring in writing, math, and foreign languages.

The CWAA is located in MacPháidín Library, Room 314. Drop-in hours are offered Sunday – Thursday. Students can visit the CWAA website to view schedules, make appointments, or request a tutor.

 

I reserve the right to alter the syllabus if necessary to better achieve our educational goals.

Texts: All assigned materials are on reserve in the MacPhaidin library if your copy of the reading isn’t available (except for Aristotle’s Poetics).

In Stonehill Bookstore:

Aristotle.  The Poetics.  Trans. James Hutton.  New York: Norton, 1982.

Bechdel, Alison.  Fun Home.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

Pekar, Harvey, ed. The Best American Comics 2006.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

Spiegelman, Art. Maus I and Maus II. New York: Pantheon, 1986.                 

Thompson, Kristin.  Storytelling in Film and Television. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2003.