Jenny Tashjian Netto

Students successfully completing ENGL 172 will
1.  Demonstrate the ability to identify and define literary techniques relevant to the study of Chicano literature;
2.  Demonstrate the ability to describe genres, periods, and themes relevant to the study of Chicano literature; and
3.  Demonstrate the ability to analyze and explain the literary, historical, and cultural significance of important works of Chicano literature.

The most influential factor contributing to student success in a literature class is the commitment of the student to complete the required reading. By enrolling in this course, you have signed on to read two novels, two plays, and a selection of short readings.  In addition, you will be required to read the opinions and arguments of your classmates.  The bad news is: to get a good grade in this class, you've got to do a lot of reading.  The good news is: if you do the reading (and do it on time), you will find that the course assignments will augment your understanding of these texts without causing you much pain.

As if all the reading weren't bad enough, you've got the whole distance-learning thing to tackle as well.  Taking a class on-line requires a unique kind of academic discipline that not every student is capable of. To succeed in this course, you will have to budget carefully your time and resources.  You will be forced to rely on your reading and organization skills as you comprehend, plan, and execute the assignments required to assist you with the mastery of course objectives.  Half the battle in taking an on-line course is figuring out what to do and when to do it.   Carefully reading this syllabus will take you a long way toward this end.  Please read and consider the following. Then, you must decide if you are able to commit to completing this course.

There are four required texts for this course.  Several more are available from the student bookstore, so check carefully when you're purchasing.  All of these texts are also available from amazon.com (although you'd need extra quick shipping).  However you acquire these texts, you must have:

Infinite Divisions: An Anthology of Chicana Literature (Rebolledo and Rivero)
Revolt of the Cockroach People (Oscar Zeta Acosta)
Zoot Suit and Other Plays (Luis Valdez)
Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in East L.A. (Luis Rodriguez)

You are also required to have access to this course via the web.  Please check the suggested system requirements for webCT and ensure that you have continual (three to five times a week) access to an appropriate system.

First and Foremost, the Pirate Bookstore sells a handbook called Learning On-line at MJC   for all students.  I strongly suggest you purchase and read this small guide to on-line learning.  I absolutely endorse all the advice you will find in the handbook.  Reading the handbook will also address many of your general questions and concerns (and it will make you a better student!).

Your instructor will be available to you.  You have three options for initiating contact with me in the course of the semester. 

1. You may post general questions to the "main" section of the discussion boards.
2. You may e-mail me through webCT with personal concerns.
3. You may visit me on campus during my scheduled office hours.

I will reach you via webCT e-mail, the discussion boards, the instructor comment forms attached to your test grades, and the announcements area of each week's assignment.  Contacted through the course, I will respond to your inquiries within 48 hours on the week days.

You may visit me in posted office hours.

For additional help with webCT, you can also use the webCT "Help" feature or call the ON-LINE HELP DESK at MJC 575-6412 (phone number and hours are on the webCT info pages on gomjc.org).

You are responsible for timely contact.  Unfortunately, when you take an on-line course, you will not have the kind of access to your instructor that you would in a class that meets three times a week. You are, therefore, responsible for taking care of your own technical and personal problems/concerns in a timely manner. If you e-mail me, for example, the night before an assignment is due, you probably won't get a response before the assignment is late. If you have computer difficulties, please work them out with your own service provider and MJC on-line help desk before your assignments are due. 

Attendance is crucial. "Any student who fails to attend class regularly or during the first session may be dropped; however, it is the responsibility of the student to complete the course or to officially withdraw from a class" (MJC Catalog 18).  Students are expected to log onto and participate in this class at least twice a week.  You will find that, to be successful, you will visit the course from three to five times a week.  If you do not log in twice in each of the first three weeks of the semester, I reserve the right to drop you and give your spot to a wait-listed student.  Otherwise, you are responsible for dropping this course officially should you wish to no longer participate.  Failure to drop this course in the case of non-attendance may result in a failing grade and/or fees due.

Participation is essential. Students are expected to participate in all exercises and activities. At the same time, students whose participation becomes unruly, disrespectful, or disruptive will be issued a warning and then dropped.    Only adult and academic exchanges will be permitted in class.    Our course materials are extremely sensitive for many students.   And although we will all strive to treat our texts as objectively and academically as possible, we must be aware of the heightened personal investment of our classmates in particular treatments and interpretations.   Disrespectful exchanges will not be tolerated.  

Deadlines are absolute. All tests and assignments are due on the date designated by the course outline. No late assignments will be accepted and no make-ups will be given. There will be no exceptions.  

Sometimes the course will not be available.   There WILL be instances when webCT is not available.   The server requires maintenance and sometimes is taken down without notice.   If you are unable to access the course, please do not worry.   Even if I don't know when the server is going to go down, I always know when it has gone down.   If the course is unavailable, please be patient.   Continue to check it every 24 hours until it comes up and you are able to complete your work.   If the server goes down over an exam period, I will, of course, reschedule it.   You will NOT be held responsible if the course is unavailable.

Plagiarism is illegal. A word about plagiarism: don't do it. Students are regularly caught and punished for it. If caught, students will fail this course and their cases will be reported for appropriate discipline. Cheating is also grounds for punishment.   Students are often surprised at the ability of an on-line instructor to detect cheating; but, cheaters should be aware that webCT provides the instructor with a number of technical tools solely for this purpose.

Your grade in this course will be determined by your performance on the following assignments:    

Reading:   Each week you will read from your books.   You should annotate your readings or make notes to help you study for your tests.

Tests (60%):    Four essay exams will be given.   They may be found on the course home page under "Tests."    These will be worth 20 points each and must be completed prior to four designated due dates.   Students are expected to take all four tests; but, the lowest test score   (including a zero for missing or not properly saving a test) will be dropped from the students' grades.   Because the lowest test score is dropped, no make-up tests will be given: no exceptions.    

Discussion Postings  (40%):    Students will be required to post thoughtful readings and respond to the readings of others in our course discussion boards.   These may be found by going from the course home page to "Discussions" to the appropriate week.   Students will prepare and post two original discussions of 300 words minimum.   In addition, students will be required to respond intelligently and respectfully to the post of two other students.   These secondary posts have no word requirement but should comment on or logically expand on the post to which they are responding.  

Following is a schedule of the reading we will do this semester.   Our course is divided into four units.   As you read the material assigned to a particular unit, you will post and respond to the discussion board as instructed.   At the end of each unit, you will take the unit test by the date designated below.   You may work as far ahead as you are able.   Factors (external to yourself) that may affect your progress are: my grading of tests, the timeliness of your classmates' postings, and server availability.

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