ENGL 3606
Songs of Dylan and Cohen
January - April 2018
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General course information

Required Reading

Course Expectations or Outputs

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. identify and explain conflicting definitions of “popular.”
  2. analyze the ways in which popular culture texts and practices reinforce or challenge the circuit of production and consumption that characterizes mass culture.
  3. apply different theoretical approaches to the analysis of popular culture texts and practices in both class discussion and writing.
  4. construct and sustain analytical arguments in clear, coherent prose and proper essay format.
  5. enrich analytical arguments about primary texts through the judicious use of secondary sources.

Course Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate:

  1. a detailed knowledge of approaches to the study of popular culture.
  2. an ability to offer theoretically and historically informed interpretation of texts.
  3. an ability to compare the merits of different critical and theoretical approaches.
  4. an ability to gather, review, and assess secondary sources appropriate to the topic.
  5. an ability to communicate logical, analytical arguments in clear, correct, and persuasive prose.

Lectures, attendance, and preparation

You are expected to attend all lectures and discussions. It is understood that occasionally you might have to miss a class. Note that the content of the lectures is meant to stimulate your own thinking: the lecturer’s thoughts about a text do not represent the only way to think about that text. You should develop your own opinions and theories and learn how to express and defend them. You should prepare for class by reading the assigned material (before the class) and by spending some time thinking about the material.

Participation

You are expected to participate in class in an informed manner. At the very least, you are expected to come to class regularly, having read all assigned reading. You are expected to participate in class discussions. Keep in mind that participating in class is usually a highly rewarding experience, greatly enhancing your ability to understand the course material and helping ensure your success in the course. Everyone is expected to be courteous and professional at all times in class.

Essay submission and lateness

Essays must be submitted in paper. They must also be submitted on Blackboard, through SafeAssign. Essays must meet the minimal length requirements, explicitly stated for each assignment. If an essay does not meet the minimal length requirement, including after the essay’s margins, fonts, spacing, etc. have been standardized, the essay will be returned ungraded or with a failing grade. Essays will not be graded until they have been submitted through SafeAssign. Note: essays usually take two to three weeks to grade.

Assignments are due in class, on the date indicated by the assignment. A 2% penalty will be applied to the graded assignment for every day the assignment is late. This will include weekend days and public holidays. Extensions may be granted for exceptional circumstances, especially for serious medical reasons: in such cases, you should talk to the instructor as soon as possible and be prepared to submit medical documentation about the problem (that should include a statement about the beginning and duration of the issue). All students are welcome to a seven-day extension on the term essay. No assignment will be accepted after the start of the final exam.

Plagiarism

The Department of English Studies and Nipissing University maintain a strict policy on all forms of academic dishonesty. Each assignment must be original work produced by the student only for this course. All referencing and documentation must be complete and accurate for both direct and indirect quotations. The Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines for essay preparation are the standard in English Studies. Ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism will not be accepted as an excuse: if you are uncertain about any of this information, see your instructor immediately. All essays and tests are subject to an additional oral and/or written test at the instructor’s discretion. All suspected plagiarism will be reported to the chair of the department, the dean of the faculty, and the registrar of the university.



Marc R. Plamondon, Ph.D. Department of English Studies Nipissing University