Course Tools

Course Goals The University Writing Program has specific goals for all George Washington University Students. These goals and expectations can be viewed at the University Writing Program's homepage (where you can always find more information about specific courses and instructors) or by following this link.

Attendance Policy Since this class will be run as a a seminar, your presence and participation are crucial. Therefore, more than three unexcused absences *will* adversely affect your grade. More than six constitues failure. Please take this seriously. If you think you will not be attending on a regular basis drop the class now rather than having to either withdraw or fail later.

Academic Integrity and My Policy Knowingly claiming the work of another as your own is plagarism. It is also flaming insult to anyone who makes his or her living by writing. It is also against the law. Please do not do it. If caught, you *will* fail the class and be referred for disiplinary action. Please take the time to review the Code of Academic Integrity.

Required Texts

The Castle of Otranto - Horace Walpole

Dracula - Bram Stoker

The Monk - Matthew Lewis

The Mysteries of Udolpho - Ann Radcliffe

The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories - H.P. Lovecraft

A Pocket Style Manual - Diana Hacker

Writing Requirements

Writing Prompts - these will typically be done in class at the beginning of the period and are intended to facilliate both your own thinking on a topic (usually the reading assigned for that day) and class discussion. From time to time you will be asked to generate these prompts outside of class. (10%)
Short Papers - Three short papers (4-5 pages each). These papers will build on each other. The assignments will ask you to consider issues of voice, audience, and form and method of analysis and argument (30%)
Research Paper - The research paper consists of three parts. The topic will be your choice, made in consultation with me, and will involve investigation of some aspect of the gothic tradition. You will be working closely with our research librarian throughtout the process. The three parts are as follows:
A proposal - A two page paper in which you will discuss your chosen topic, the method and plan of your research, and the compelling issues you see surrounding that topic. It will also include some preliminary conclusions about your topic, and a preliminary bibliography. This last is to ensure that you know what resources are available to you, and if your topic is viable. (5%)
An annotated bibliography - Where you will list all of the sources you consult for your paper (you must have a minimum of ten sources - more are recommended). In addition to the basic bibliographic information you will also provide a one paragraph summary of each source that includes an indication of how the source fits into your paper, and list two to three keywords that briefly describe the main ideas of the source and/or the ideas you will be making use of in your paper.(10%)
The final draft of the paper - This will be a 10-12 page, impeccably doucumented, proofread, paginated culmination of your research.(25%)
Final Editing Project - This final project will involve each memeber of the class carefully editing/critiquing the work of approximately three other memebers of the class. We will then meet in small groups to discuss the papers. These small group discussions will also serve as editorial meetings where the class will decide which papers will be chosen for publication in the class e-zine (name and format to be decided later by the class itself). (20%)

Grading Let's make no mistakes about this. The assessment of writing is a highly subjective endevour. However, there are certain criteria that are most commonly valued in the United States at this particular moment in time. Therefore, the things I will be looking for in all of your writing are:

Depth and quality of topic/thesis

Development of that thesis

Support

Conclusions (as opposed to restatements of the original thesis)

Mechanics

Documentation* (For the purposes of this class we will use MLA style.)

Proofreading

Formatting Whether we like it or not, appearances count.

12 point font (font choice is up to you as long as it is readable)

black ink

one-sided printouts

double-spaced

properly headed (name and date) and paginated (last name and page number in upper right hand corner of every page except the first).*

ONLY hard copies will be accepted. I will not accept electronic submissions unless the circumstances are extraordinary, life-threatening, or wildly humourous.

*Please take note - if papers lack either documentation or proper heading and pagination I will immediately return them unread. Save the rainforests!!!