Participation and Punctuality:
It is vital that you attend class in order to not fall behind. Strong participation gives you the best chance to succeed in your work. If you miss class for either an excused or unexcused absence, it is your responsibility to contact a classmate or me and find out what you missed and how you might make up the work. Furthermore, I ask that you be on time—arriving late is disruptive to the rest of the class and will result in the loss of participation points. Lateness will also cause you to miss quizzes, which are short and administered at the beginning of class. Participation grades will be given based on a) regular attendance, b) active listening, and c) thoughtful contribution to discussion.
Active and Thoughtful Participation:
While there will be some lecture, this class is primarily discussion based. Participation is key. You will be expected to come prepared to discuss the day’s assigned text (by bringing in questions, observations, passages that confused you, and so on). This means you should be contributing substantially to discussion in each class period. If you cannot participate verbally in class, please let me know during the first week, and we will arrange alternative ways to participate. You are also required to bring the assigned text to class on the day it is to be discussed. If you cannot purchase/print the texts, please let me know.
Discussion is meant to be analytical and critical, but not based in value judgments. In other words, the point is not whether you like the texts or not (although I certainly hope you do find merit in all of them). Rather, the aim of this course is to read texts closely and thoughtfully, and to think about them critically and analytically. Active listening entails listening carefully to what others are saying, and responding to them by engaging closely with their ideas.
Technology:
While I would prefer that you print out hard copies of shorter texts to bring to class, you may use a laptop, tablet, or e-reader for longer PDFs posted on the course website. Cell phones are not permitted for reading texts (literary or personal) or any other purposes.
I often send out communications via ELMS/Canvas; please be in the routine of checking for announcements daily. Also, feel free to contact me with any questions via ELMS or email, but be sure to allow me at least 24 hours for a response. If the question does not lend itself to a typed response, I may encourage an in-person meeting.
Office Hours:
I cannot stress this enough: take advantage of office hours. I request that you come prepared with specific issues you want to discuss, although I am open to more general conversations and concerns as well.
Academic Integrity and Honor Pledge:
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. This includes turning in work that is not your own (word for word plagiarism, “patch-writing,” using an other’s ideas without citation, etc.), submitting or reusing work that was written previously in another class, or violating the University of Maryland’s code of Academic Integrity. It is your responsibility to understand this code, which can be found at <<www.shc.umd.edu>> via the Office of Student Conduct. If you are unsure about what plagiarism entails, please contact me.
Student Learning:
Your success in the class is important to me. If there are circumstances that may affect your performance in this class, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can work together to develop strategies for adapting assignments to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course.
Accessibility:
While I recognize that university education is inherently ableist and inaccessible to many students, I want to make this class as accessible as possible. I will do my best to work with students who requires accommodations for disabilities, regardless of whether you have official documentation or not. Please talk to me during the first week of classes if you require accommodations. You are your best advocate, so please approach me about all your specific needs as soon as possible.
Students with a documented disability should inform the instructors within the add-drop period if academic accommodations are needed. Please keep in mind that the office of ADS does not disclose specific information to instructors; rather, the office works with us to ensure that you are having the best learning experiences. To obtain an Accommodation Letter prepared by Accessibility and Disability Services (ADS), a division of the University Counseling Center, please call 301-314-7682, e-mail [email protected], or visit the Shoemaker Building for more information.
Class community:
In this class, we will have many discussions about identity, power, privilege, and oppression. I take a strong position against any kind of demeaning and stereotypical language in the classroom. I want us to be able to discuss the transphobia, homophobia, racism, imperialism, classism, and sexism without using oppressive language against the members of our class community. Our discussions will raise many questions about race, class, imperialism, religion, and politics, and it is possible that students will feel uncomfortable at times. This discomfort that stems from challenging our assumptions can be extremely empowering and generative, and I encourage you all to explore this discomfort as part of your learning process. I also recognize that we all come to this class community with different identities, experiences, and histories; therefore, the material that we read will impact us differently. If a class discussion or text is triggering for you, or impeding your learning and growth, please let me know.
Trigger Warnings on Class Content:
Please note that we will read and view media that includes discussions and depictions of xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, racism, state violence, and other kinds of trauma. I will do my best to give trigger warnings before class discussions when I anticipate discussions of graphic racial violence and sexual abuse. If you need specific trigger warnings based on your experiences, please let me know during the first week. If the material becomes emotionally difficult, please feel free to step out of the classroom. However, please keep in mind that discomfort is not the same as a trigger: while discomfort can stem from learning about our own privilege or encountering material that challenges our core beliefs, a trigger is rooted in traumatic experiences that often stem from holding marginalized identities. It is your job to make sure that you are not using my policy of triggers as a way to avoid growth, learning, and self-critique.
(My class community and trigger warnings policies have been adapted from Alexis Lothian's syllabi)
It is vital that you attend class in order to not fall behind. Strong participation gives you the best chance to succeed in your work. If you miss class for either an excused or unexcused absence, it is your responsibility to contact a classmate or me and find out what you missed and how you might make up the work. Furthermore, I ask that you be on time—arriving late is disruptive to the rest of the class and will result in the loss of participation points. Lateness will also cause you to miss quizzes, which are short and administered at the beginning of class. Participation grades will be given based on a) regular attendance, b) active listening, and c) thoughtful contribution to discussion.
Active and Thoughtful Participation:
While there will be some lecture, this class is primarily discussion based. Participation is key. You will be expected to come prepared to discuss the day’s assigned text (by bringing in questions, observations, passages that confused you, and so on). This means you should be contributing substantially to discussion in each class period. If you cannot participate verbally in class, please let me know during the first week, and we will arrange alternative ways to participate. You are also required to bring the assigned text to class on the day it is to be discussed. If you cannot purchase/print the texts, please let me know.
Discussion is meant to be analytical and critical, but not based in value judgments. In other words, the point is not whether you like the texts or not (although I certainly hope you do find merit in all of them). Rather, the aim of this course is to read texts closely and thoughtfully, and to think about them critically and analytically. Active listening entails listening carefully to what others are saying, and responding to them by engaging closely with their ideas.
Technology:
While I would prefer that you print out hard copies of shorter texts to bring to class, you may use a laptop, tablet, or e-reader for longer PDFs posted on the course website. Cell phones are not permitted for reading texts (literary or personal) or any other purposes.
I often send out communications via ELMS/Canvas; please be in the routine of checking for announcements daily. Also, feel free to contact me with any questions via ELMS or email, but be sure to allow me at least 24 hours for a response. If the question does not lend itself to a typed response, I may encourage an in-person meeting.
Office Hours:
I cannot stress this enough: take advantage of office hours. I request that you come prepared with specific issues you want to discuss, although I am open to more general conversations and concerns as well.
Academic Integrity and Honor Pledge:
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. This includes turning in work that is not your own (word for word plagiarism, “patch-writing,” using an other’s ideas without citation, etc.), submitting or reusing work that was written previously in another class, or violating the University of Maryland’s code of Academic Integrity. It is your responsibility to understand this code, which can be found at <<www.shc.umd.edu>> via the Office of Student Conduct. If you are unsure about what plagiarism entails, please contact me.
Student Learning:
Your success in the class is important to me. If there are circumstances that may affect your performance in this class, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can work together to develop strategies for adapting assignments to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course.
Accessibility:
While I recognize that university education is inherently ableist and inaccessible to many students, I want to make this class as accessible as possible. I will do my best to work with students who requires accommodations for disabilities, regardless of whether you have official documentation or not. Please talk to me during the first week of classes if you require accommodations. You are your best advocate, so please approach me about all your specific needs as soon as possible.
Students with a documented disability should inform the instructors within the add-drop period if academic accommodations are needed. Please keep in mind that the office of ADS does not disclose specific information to instructors; rather, the office works with us to ensure that you are having the best learning experiences. To obtain an Accommodation Letter prepared by Accessibility and Disability Services (ADS), a division of the University Counseling Center, please call 301-314-7682, e-mail [email protected], or visit the Shoemaker Building for more information.
Class community:
In this class, we will have many discussions about identity, power, privilege, and oppression. I take a strong position against any kind of demeaning and stereotypical language in the classroom. I want us to be able to discuss the transphobia, homophobia, racism, imperialism, classism, and sexism without using oppressive language against the members of our class community. Our discussions will raise many questions about race, class, imperialism, religion, and politics, and it is possible that students will feel uncomfortable at times. This discomfort that stems from challenging our assumptions can be extremely empowering and generative, and I encourage you all to explore this discomfort as part of your learning process. I also recognize that we all come to this class community with different identities, experiences, and histories; therefore, the material that we read will impact us differently. If a class discussion or text is triggering for you, or impeding your learning and growth, please let me know.
Trigger Warnings on Class Content:
Please note that we will read and view media that includes discussions and depictions of xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, racism, state violence, and other kinds of trauma. I will do my best to give trigger warnings before class discussions when I anticipate discussions of graphic racial violence and sexual abuse. If you need specific trigger warnings based on your experiences, please let me know during the first week. If the material becomes emotionally difficult, please feel free to step out of the classroom. However, please keep in mind that discomfort is not the same as a trigger: while discomfort can stem from learning about our own privilege or encountering material that challenges our core beliefs, a trigger is rooted in traumatic experiences that often stem from holding marginalized identities. It is your job to make sure that you are not using my policy of triggers as a way to avoid growth, learning, and self-critique.
(My class community and trigger warnings policies have been adapted from Alexis Lothian's syllabi)