Department of English

 

Expanded Course Descriptions

 

WINTER 2006

Course No.

CRN# Credits

Course Description

 

Time

Days

Instructor

 

116  A1 or T

4.0

Introduction to Mass Communications

 

8:15-9:25

MWF

Chris Goold

 

       

This is an introductory survey of mass communication and its many forms and effects in our lives.  During the term we will examine, analyze, think critically about, enjoy, and discuss the various mass media we participate in every day: sound recordings, films, TV, books, newspapers, magazines, radio, advertising, and the Internet.  We will also look at different aspects of mass communication history and issues, and we will work together to develop media literacy skills that will help us all become more knowledgeable media participants.  Be prepared for lots of in-class writing, quizzes and activities, group work, written projects and critical thinking about the media we are immersed in every day.

 

116  A1 or T

4.0

Introduction to Mass Communications

 

8:00-10:00

TR

Kurt Lancaster

In this course, we will define and examine a survey of classic works of mass communications, learning its history and conducting close readings from its earliest forms of oral storytelling to websites. Types of mass media we’ll look at include oral storytelling: theater and medieval troubadours; the printed word: books, broadsides, and news papers; audio: radio, audio dramas, talk radio, news, music; television: live tv, news, sitcoms, dramas, novels for television; film: silent, audio, color, computer, documentaries, dramas, blockbusters; computer: games; websites: interactive narratives, convergence media.

 

SW 131

4.0

Literature of the Southwest

 

1:25-2:20

MWF

M.J. Moseley

The Southwest has always been a richly textured land when it comes to ethnic backgrounds, and the writers we will study infuse their stories with those backgrounds.  The literature reflects diverse styles and content and represents the three main cultural bases that define Southwestern cultural identity: the “Hispano,” the “Native American,” and the “Anglo.”  We will read selections from authors such as Rudolfo Anaya, Edward Abbey, Denise Chavez, Simon Ortiz, Luci Tapahonso, Barbara Kingsolver and John Nichols.  Students should expect to write two papers, take quizzes, give oral presentations, and take a mid-term and a final exam.  One field trip may be required.

 

176 E

4.0

Native American Literature:

Imagining Indians

 

8:00-10:00

TR

M.J. Moseley

This course will introduce the student to a unique literature within its rich cultural and historical contexts.  The recent written literature has its roots in hundreds of years of oral stories, ceremonies and songs.  During the term, we will study a wide variety of stories, poems and essays by authors from numerous tribes.  These voices include male and female, young and old, and they span the past one hundred seventy years of literary history.

 

174

  4.0

African-American Literature

 

10:10-12:10

TR

Nancy Cardona

This course examines the development and tradition of African American literature beginning with oral traditions of the slave spiritual. Over the course of the term, we will explore how differing understandings of what constitutes African American literature  influence the various literary movements in the African American canon. Readings will include short stories, poetry, plays, and essays. Work includes weekly reflections on the readings, two examinations, an analysis of an outside work (4-6 pp), and participation in a group presentation. 

 

 

 

180

4.0

Literature of the Environment

 

6:00-8:00

TR

Richard Sax

This course will focus on classic and contemporary nature writing.  Students will interrogate representations of the environment in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and film, and in the process examine the roles of interconnectedness and sustainability as they manifest themselves in the texts. Students should expect lots (and lots) of reading, multiple reading quizzes, a group presentation, two exams, and a site journal.  Students will write several out-of-class essays, give a class presentation, engage in group inquiry and full-class discussions, and complete midterm and final essay examinations.

 

175W

4.0

Intro to Women’s Literature

 

10:55-12:05

MWF

Delilah Orr

This course will introduce students to the study of literature by and about women.  We will be reading selections written by women living primarily in England and the United States, from the Middle Ages through the 20th Century; our discussions and writing will  focus on the many ways women express their voices as thinkers, poets, adventurers, essayists, lovers, mothers, novelists, workers, friends and individuals trying to define their lives.  Be prepared for lots of reading, discussion, in-class quizzes and activities, and writing, both formal and informal.

 

215

4.0

News Media Writing

 

1:55-3:05

MWF

Jennie Dear

 

This course will introduce you to the skills of news reporting and writing.  Through writing a series of news stories during the semester, you will have the opportunity to learn news writing style, interviewing skills, and news judgment.

 

230  R

 4.0

Survey of British Literature

 

12:20-2:20

TR

Celest Woo

This course will survey British literature from its beginnings through the twentieth century.  We will attempt to glean a sense of some of the people and passions that have animated the major movements and works in the history of the literature.  Some other themes that will come up repeatedly include the Individual and Society, Nature, Love, Gender Roles, Hardship, and Injustice.  We will immerse ourselves in the poetry, language, rhythms, and humor that people have employed to express their deepest convictions, so we can better learn to enjoy and appreciate the nuances of the English language.  We will also work on academic writing skills so that you will leave this course more aware of your rhetorical and critical abilities, and how to use them in the service of academic writing.

 

240

4.0

Survey of American Literature

 

8:15-9:25

MWF

Larry Hartsfield

Bradstreet. . . Franklin. . . Poe. . . Thoreau. . . Hawthorne. . . Mark Twain. . . Dickinson. . . Hemingway. . . the kitchen sink.  This course overviews American writing from the Puritans to today.  I will emphasize major writers, but we will also look at important minor figures.  You will have quizzes and tests.  I expect attendance and good preparation.

 

250

1-6

Practicum-Newspaper

 

4:35-5:35

M

Jennie Dear

This class gives an introduction to working on the Independent—writing, shooting photos, designing and laying out the paper, selling ads, and editing.  Because practicum is intended to give credit for working on the newspaper, this class meets only once a week for one hour, and students meet with their individual newspaper departments for an additional hour.  This course is required before 350.  You can earn 2-3 credits per term.  Up to 6 credits may count toward graduation. Prerequisite: Instructor permission required to register.

Engl 250 has additional hours to be arranged.

 

251

1-6

Practicum—Radio

 

3:35-4:40

W

Michele Malach

With this repeatable course, you can earn from 1-4 credits for learning as you work at the student radio station, KDUR.  You will keep a log of the hours you work (30 hours per semester per credit required), correlate the log with self-evaluation, and submit projects at scheduled times.  ENGL 251 requires weekly class attendance and serial work in broadcasting, production, and news.  The course gives you an overview of radio and emphasizes hands-on work.  Credit counts toward the English major. Override needed: Instructor permission required to register.

                                 NOTE:  ENGL 251 has an extra fee of $50.00.

 

258

  1-4

Practicum–Service Learning

 

TBA

 

Brad Benz

This class may be taken for 1-4 credits.  Students must complete 30 hours of service in the community per credit.  Although the majority of work in this class will be done in the community, students will also be expected to keep a journal, read a variety of assigned materials, meet with the instructor once per week to discuss what they are reading and experiencing in their placements, and do a creative project at the end of the semester based on their experiences.  Service may be done at a variety of community, non-profit organizations including the Los Amigos Tutoring Program (TR 3:30 – 5:00), the Phoenix Program, Manna Soup Kitchen, and many others. Override needed: Instructor permission required to register.

                                 NOTE:  ENGL 258 has additional hours to be arranged.

265

4.0

Semantics

 

8:15-9:25

MWF

Colin Harris

265

4.0

Semantics

 

2:30-4:30

TR

Chris Goold

Semantics explores the subtle and complex power of words in our lives – how we use (and misuse) the symbolic system of language; how language, thought and behavior are linked; how we shape (and are shaped by) the world around us through language.  We’ll look closely at how language operates in such systems as politics and media; gender, race and cultural relations; artistic expression and humor.  Be prepared for lots of in-class writing & activities, group work, written projects, & critical thinking about the use of language in our lives.

 

268 W

4.0

Reading Texts/ Writing Texts

 

10:10-12:10

TR

Shawn Fullmer

 

268 W

4.0

Reading Texts/ Writing Texts

 

1:55-3:05

MWF

Celest Woo

This course will introduce theoretical schools of thought as they pertain to literature, media studies, and film; provide a history of the discipline and an understanding of the connections among our department’s varied fields of inquiry (rhetoric, literature, communications/media studies, English education, writing); solidify students’ research skills; and all in all, equip students with the discursive tools and terminology needed to succeed in upper-division English courses.  The course requires both formal and informal writing.

 

270

4.0

History of the Film

Screening

 

1:55-3:05

6:00-9:00 pm

MWF

W

Colin Harris

This course will provide students with an historical survey of international, feature-length film from both the silent and sound eras.  Beginning with the origins of film in the late nineteenth century, we will look at a variety of movies and movie-making contexts, from the classical Hollywood cinema to European art film movements such as the French New Wave.  Students will be expected to attend scheduled film screenings each week (see above times).

 

273 A1

10213 2.0

Intro Literary Types: Creative Writg – Poetry

Class meets: Jan. 10-Feb. 25

 

4:40-6:40

TR

Steve Meyers

This is an introductory creative writing class that will explore poetry writing.  Course content will include an introduction to poetry writing technique and discussion of contemporary poetry.  Class time will be divided among discussion, writing exercises and group critique.  NOTE: To enroll in BOTH sections  of Engl 273, sign up on WebOPUS for one section, then go to Records to sign into the other section.

 

273 A1

2.0

Intro Literary Types: Creative Wrtg–Short-Fiction

Class meets: Feb. 28-Apr. 29.

 

4:40-6:40

TR

Steve Meyers

This is an introductory creative writing class that will explore fiction writing.  Course content will include an introduction to fiction writing technique and discussion of the contemporary short story.  Class time will be divided among discussion, writing exercises and group critique. NOTE: To enroll in BOTH sections  of Engl 273, sign up on WebOPUS for one section, then go to Records to sign into the other section.

 

WS 301

4.0

Feminist Studies: Theory & Method

 

12:20-2:20

TR

Michele Malach

This course provides a history of feminist and gender theories and an introduction to the concepts, methods and discourses of feminist and gender inquiry.

 

304

4.0

Video Production

 

12:20-2:20

TR

Kurt Lancaster

In this digital filmmaking course, you will shoot two shorts: a fiction and a non-fiction. Film exercises will help you to discover sincerity in a shot, how pictures tell stories, how actions (not words) shape the story, how style expresses individuality, and how blocking, composition, and continuity will give you the tools that will enable you to seamlessly weave all these elements into a cohesive story during editing. Override needed: Instructor permission required to register.  See Dawn in 230 Noble to be cleared for registration.

                                 NOTE:  ENGL 304 has an extra fee of $100.00

 

315

4.0

Media Writing: Creative Nonfiction

 

10:55-12:05

MWF

Chris

Goold

Prepare yourself for an exciting, stimulating, intensive plunge into creative nonfiction! In this class, we'll be reading, analyzing and writing a variety of essays in this genre, such as the memoir, personal essay, personal critical essay and literary journalism. We'll also read writers who discuss the form of creative nonfiction and their own writing processes, and you'll get the chance to explore the possibilities of the genre and your own writing processes as well. Be prepared for lots of reading, analyzing, in-class writing, drafting, workshopping, rewriting and polishing of your own nonfiction essays.
At the end of class, we'll compile a class anthology of your best work.

                 

317

4.0

Law and Ethics

 

1:55-3:05

MWF

Faron Scott

The decisions media creators make about what to include in their messages often concern what they can (or can’t) include and what they should (or shouldn’t) include.  The first part of the course concerns what the media can legally do, and the second part concerns what they should do .  We will start with journalism and cover other media as time allows. 

 

320

4.0

The Novel

 

10:55-12:05

MWF

Larry

Hartsfield

This course is a one-semester historical survey of the development of the novel as a literary genre.  Students should be prepared for lots (and lots) of reading.  Among the authors we will cover are Henry Fielding, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Herman Melville, Fyodor Dostoevsky and William Faulkner.

 

345

4.0

Topics:  American Literature

 

10:10-12:10

TR

Larry Hartsfield

During the mid-nineteenth century the first creative explosion in American literature occurred-an era sometimes referred to as the American Renaissance.  This is the period that created many of the literary and cultural issues that still dominate our culture today.  We’ll be covering these issues as well as examining the beginnings of some of the characteristics that have made American literature what it is.  The writers we will cover include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Louisa May Alcott, Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman.  This course is repeatable for credit provided the subject is different on each occasion.

 

350

1-6

Practicum—Newspaper

 

4:35-5:35

M

Jennie Dear

After taking English 250, a student is eligible to take English 350 to receive credit for work on The Independent.  You can earn 2-4 credits per term.  You will meet once a week with your department at the Independent to discuss assignments, etc.  Up to 12 credits total may count toward graduation. Override needed: Instructor permission required to register.

Engl 350 has additional hours to be arranged.

351

  1-6

Practicum—Radio

 

4:40-5:35

W

Michele Malach

With this repeatable course, you can earn from 1-6 credits for learning as you work at the student radio station, KDUR.  You will keep a log of the hours you work (30 hours per semester per credit is required), correlate the log with self-evaluation, and submit projects at scheduled times.  ENGL 351 works by contract agreed upon by you, the instructor, and the manager of the radio station.  The contract lays out academic goals, means of fulfilling and evaluating them, periodic deadlines and conference times.  The course provides plenty of opportunities to prepare yourself for internships and careers.  Credit counts toward the English major. Override needed: Instructor permission required to register.

 

 

 

366

  4

Teaching Writing

 

2:30-4:30

TR

Shawn Fullmer

 

In this course we will learn about teaching writing in grades K-12, with an emphasis on the secondary level.  We will begin with a review of the history of writing instruction, pedagogical theories, and NCTE resources and standards.  Students will then develop and teach thematic writing units.  Students will design daily lesson plans, lead activities and workshops, and respond to written assignments. 

 

 

 

380

4.0

Native American Topics

 

9:05-10:15

MWF

Delilah Orr

 

 

Note: Engl 380 is the same as SW 380 CRN       

Credit will not be given for more than one of these courses except as noted above.

 

TS2R

390   

4.0

 

Culture Clash

 

12:35-1:45

MW

Gordon Cheesewright

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TS2N

408   

4.0

Eco Texts