Department of English & Journalism • Western Illinois University
Bradley Dilger, Associate Professor of English
Email: cb-dilger@wiu.edu
Mailbox: Simpkins 122, M–F 8:00am–4:30pm
Office: Simpkins 217, 309.298.2212 (hours tentatively M 3-5, T 3-5, Th 11-1, & by appt)
Home: 309.836.1454 (before 9:00pm; please leave a message)
Course web: http://faculty.wiu.edu/CB-Dilger/f08/500/
Weblog: http://wrecking.org/500/
Macomb: Monday, Simpkins Hall 308, 5:30-8:00pm
Quad Cities: Sorensen 257, 6:00-8:30pm
English studies is a very broad and diverse discipline. Scholars in English make their professional homes in a wide variety of educational institutions, from elementary schools to research universities and everything in between. Creative and professional writers and editors often consider themselves part of the English establishment. “English” includes studying all kinds of philosophy, history, films, technologies, popular cultures, novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and other creative works, for instructional, practical, educational, or artistic purposes, using approaches from the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences, and theoretical frameworks as diverse as traditional classical rhetorics and contemporary postcolonial theory. In short, “English” is a lot bigger than its seven letters imply—much bigger. This size and scope will be our focus this semester.
In our new curriculum, English 500 is the sole course required of all graduate students. It is designed to help you become a better English studies scholar and practitioner, more familiar with the shape of contemporary English studies, and well-equipped to participate in professional discourse. Course content focuses on five areas:
We will approach these objectives by reading books and essays in English studies, discussing their content face-to-face and on a weblog, creating and updating professional documents, and completing a semester project which approaches, in detail, one of the issues raised by one or more of our course texts.
See the assignment sheets for more details and division of assignments into milestones.
Because my wife and I are expecting our second child around October 27, and I will be on parental leave at least three weeks, this calendar will change. Please visit the web-based calendar for the most up-to-date schedule.
* denotes day Dilger likely not in class; substitutes to be announced
| week | Macomb | QC | Readings & assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08/25 | 08/27 | Introductions, McComiskey essay, plans of study draft |
| 2 | 09/01 | 09/03 | Tyson |
| 3 | 09/08 | 09/10 | Tyson; Graff |
| 4 | 09/15 | 09/17 | Graff |
| 5 | 09/22 | 09/24 | Dobrin |
| 6 | 09/29 | 10/01 | Fitzpatrick |
| 7 | 10/06 | 10/08 | DeLillo |
| 8 | 10/13 | 10/15 | Johnson; project prospectus due |
| 9 | 10/20 | 10/22 | Tyson |
| 10 | 10/27* | 10/29* | Barthes |
| 11 | 11/03* | 11/05* | Jacobs |
| 12 | 11/10* | 11/12* | Review week (texts tbd) |
| 13 | 11/17 | 11/19 | No reading. Draft of semester projects due; presentations in class. |
| TH | 11/24 | 11/26 | No class; Thanksgiving break |
| 14 | 12/01 | 12/03 | Hayles |
| 15 | 12/08 | 12/10 | Review week (texts tbd) |
| EX | 12/15 | 12/17 | No class. No final examination. All final work due 12/17/2008. |
Most of these go without saying for graduate students, but in the interest of being on the same page:
Accommodations for special learning needs are gladly given. Contact me ASAP.
Attendance and active participation are required. Under-prepared students may be asked to leave class. Reading and bringing course texts is part of preparation.
Ethical and professional conduct is required: academic honesty, collegiality in class, and professionalism when dealing with the community as part of course activities.
Feedback from you regarding the course is welcome at any time. Contact me, put a note in my mailbox, or speak to Dr. Joan Livingston-Webber, chair of English & Journalism.
Grading uses a 1,000 point system based on powers of ten: A=100–90, B=89–80, etc. Keep all graded assignments. Keep track of your grades.
Late work is not accepted unless you have prior permission from me.
Milestones and drafts are graded with check-plus (100%), check (85%), check-minus (70%), or U (0%). If you receive a U grade, you must resubmit your work for regrading, and you will earn no higher than a check-minus.
Your privacy is important to me. I don’t want to know your WIU or Social Security numbers.
In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Support Services and provide it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Support Services at 309-298-2512 for additional services.
It is the responsibility of the student to comply with the prerequisites/corequisites for a course that he/she plans to take. Instructors who place the appropriate information on the syllabus and emphasize it during the first three class periods may exclude a student from the class who does not meet the prerequisites/corequisites by sending a note to the student with a copy to the registrar within the first two weeks of the term.
Bradley Dilger,
Associate Professor of English,
Western Illinois U
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