Dr. Francine L. Allen
Literature Courses
 

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Spring 2008 Courses

World Literature
English 2110.26

World Literature
English 2110.28

20th-Century American Literature
English 4560.02

 

Fall 2007 Courses

World Literature
English 2210.04,10

Regional American Literature
English 3350.01

Fall 2006/Spring 2007 Courses

African-American Literature

African Literature

Literature of African Diaspora

World Literature

 

 

Kennesaw State University
Spring Semester 2007
English 4401, Section 01, CRN: 11557
Topics in African Literature
English Building, Room 253
T/TH 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m..
Syllabus on Web: http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~fallen4/

Professor: Dr. Francine L. Allen

Office Location: English Building (EB) Room 270

Office Hours:

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. T TH, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. T TH, and by Appointment

Any good educational experience is enhanced when a professor is able to give a student individual attention. Thus, students should make full use of the professor's office hours. When a student needs assistance but office hours are not convenient, students should inform the professor so that she can make special arrangements to meet with the student.

E-mail and Office Phone Number:

e-mail: fallen4@kennesaw.edu

The professor answers e-mails Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Even though students may contact the professor via e-mail concerning assignments, all detailed questions and concerns are best addressed to the professor in person. Students should not send an e-mail attachment to the professor unless they have spoken with her and she has agreed to accept it. Students are still expected to come to class fully prepared even if they do not receive an immediate e-mail response from the professor.

phone number: 678-797-2361


Course Description and Goals

Topics in African Literature is a study of a selected topic in the areas of orature, literature, performance texts, film and/or other media produced in Africa.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

identify authors and major themes in African literature

understand African literature in its historical context

analyze literature by examining basic literary conventions of plot, character, setting, point of view, and theme

apply literary theory to the interpretation of literature

conduct literary research

write an organized, coherent, and properly documented literary research essay

Required Texts

Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Emeryville: Seal, 2004.

Mofolo, Thomas. Chaka. Johnnesburg: Heinemann, 1983

Thiong'o, Ngugi Wa. A Grain of Wheat. Johnnesburg: Heinemann, 1994.

Vera, Yvonne. Butterfly Burning. New York: Farrar, 1998.


Class Assignments: Examinations and Essay

Throughout this semester, students will be required to take four in-class examinations. Each examine will test students on their knowledge of factual information such as the names of literary characters, the publication date of literary texts, and the background information concerning particular authors. Additionally, students will be tested on their understanding of the themes and issues surrounding literary texts. As such, the exams will have two sections: one section consisting of multiple choice and short-answer questions and another section containing questions that ask students to develop a short, informal essay. The fourth exam, which will also be the final exam, will differ slightly from the first three tests in that it will be cumulative. However, as with the first three tests, the fourth exam will contain one section that consists of multiple choice and short-answer questions. Section two of the fourth exam will require students to write a longer, more formal essay than was required of them for the previous exams. Further details about this fourth examine will be given at the appropriate time.

Four Examinations

Examination #1-20%
Examination #2-20%
Examination #3-20%
Examination #4 (a cumulative final exam)-40%


Extra Credit: Because this course requires students to take four examinations, students have plenty of opportunities to improve their grades should they make a few low scores. Therefore, no extra credit assignments will be given in this course.


Please see the course grading scale

Late-Work Policies, Class Attendance, and Other Course Issues:

Accommodations for Students with Special Needs: A student should contact the instructor immediately if he has or thinks he may have a disability or medical condition which may affect his performance, attendance, or grades in this class and for which he wishes to discuss accommodations of class-related activities or schedules. Accommodations are arranged on an individualized, as-needed basis after the needs and circumstances have been evaluated. Further information regarding Disabled Support Services at the University may be found by visiting this website: SDC-Student Development Center

Absences: Students who are unable to make it to class should have the names and contact information of fellow classmates so that they can call them and find out what was missed. Students should not rely solely upon the professor for finding out what that may have missed during their absence from class.

Academic Integrity: Every KSU student should refer to the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct as published in the graduate and undergraduate catalogs. Section II of the Student Code of Conduct addresses the University's policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating. According to Code of Conduct, "the high quality of education at Kennesaw State University is reflected in the credits and degrees its students earn. The protection of these high standards is crucial since the validity and equity of the University's grades and degrees depend upon it. Any student found to have violated any KSU academic honesty regulation after a hearing before a University court panel or before the Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Services (or his/her designee) shall be suspended for at least one semester, unless the student persuades the deciding body that the circumstances of his or her behavior substantially mitigate the gravity of the violation. These regulations are designed to assist students in (1) developing appropriate attitudes about, and (2) understanding and following the university's standards relating to academic honesty. The regulations protect students by helping them avoid committing infractions that may compromise the completion of their KSU degrees or damage their reputations." More information on the Student Code of Conduct may be found by visiting this website: KSU Code of Conduct.

Class Attendance: Class attendance is required. Students are expected to be in class on time and to be ready to work when they arrive. Leaving class early, unless discussed with the professor beforehand and given approval, is considered unprofessional conduct and counts as an absence. The instructor will begin taking roll five minutes after the official start of class. Students entering after the roll has been taken will be counted tardy. Those students who are tardy to class will be asked to sign their name to a sign-up sheet before the class is over so that there is a record of their having been present in class. Students who are tardy to class will not be dropped from the course and will not have their tardiness counted as an absence. However, constant tardiness inevitably has a negative impact on a student's grade and shows disrespect for the professor and the students who have arrived on time.

Class Conduct: Both students and professor are expected to be respectful of the ideas of others during class discussions. Students are also asked to not sleep or use cell phones during class.

Examinations and Essay: All assignments must be taken or submitted during class period on the dates outlined in the syllabus. If a student is unable to make it to class on the day an examination is given or an essay is due, he or she is responsible for contacting the professor via e-mail on that day-between 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.-and the professor will respond promptly, assessing whether or not the work may be made up and giving the student directions for submitting the work at a later date if the professor determines that circumstances justify the submittal of late work. If the student does not follow these procedures, he or she will be unable to take the exam or submit the work at a later date.

Emergencies: Emergencies will be dealt with on an individual basis. If an emergency does happen and a student is unable to come to class and submit his or her work, the student should contact the instructor immediately-on the day of the emergency. A decision will be made at that point regarding what the student should do. A student should always have two or three individuals who can contact the professor in case an emergency leaves him or her unable to contact the instructor immediately.


Important Dates

Friday, January 5: Classes Begin

Monday, January 15: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, No Classes

Saturday, March 3-Friday, March 9: Spring Break, No Classes

Friday, March 2: The last day to withdraw without academic penalty

Tuesday/Thursday Course Schedule

The following is a provisional schedule for the semester. Changes may be necessary as the course proceeds. Students should check their Kennesaw e-mail daily to stay informed about any changes to the schedule and about matters related to the class, including any cancellations of class by the professor.

January


Tuesday, January 9-Thursday, February 1

Introduction to Course

Read and discuss Chaka by Thomas Mofolo

February

Tuesday, February 6: EXAMINATION 1 on Chaka

Thursday, February 8-Thursday, February 27

Read and discuss A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

(Return of Examination 1 on Thursday, February 27)


March

Tuesday, March 1: EXAMINATION 2 on A Grain of Wheat

(Saturday, March 3-Friday, March 9: SPRING BREAK, NO CLASSES)

Tuesday, March 13-Thursday, March 29

Read and discuss Butterfly Burning by Yvonne Vera

(Return of Examination 2 on Thursday, March 29)

April

Tuesday, April 3: EXAMINATION 3 on Butterfly Burning

Thursday, April 5-Tuesday, April 24

Read and discuss Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

Discuss instructions for fourth examination on Tuesday, April 10

(Return of Examination 3 on Tuesday, April 24)


Thursday, April 26, last day of class: EXAMINATION 4 on Nervous
Conditions, Butterfly Burning, A Grain of Wheat,
and Chaka

(The grade that students earn on Examination 4 will be e-mailed to them at
their Kennesaw State e-mail address by Tuesday, May 8.)


 
 
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