ENGL 370

Special Topics: Major Literary Genres–Contemporary Travel Writing

Course Description

This course will guide us as we give voice to our experience of begin immersed in Spoleto, Italy and its environs. We will experience the mundane and and the metaphysical, and we will be challenged and tested, as we explore the art, landscape, architecture, culture, food, history of this place, filtering it all through our unique sense of voice and vision.

Our primary focus in this course will be be on contemporary travel writing, including both literary and professional genres. We will both read and produce in these genres, using our experiences and knowledge as the basis for our writing. Aside from our shared readings, so much of the content of this course will be what you experience—and what you make of your experience—abroad. The multiple writing exercises that we complete during our stay will culminate in a shared final project—the città nostra travel blog—to which you will upload two of your most polished and revised pieces that you compose in response to specific prompts.

Required Texts:

All texts will be available electronically, either via OAKS or through our course website. Core texts from which most readings will be drawn include The Travel Writer’s Way by Colin Thubron (2019); Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark (2008); and a range of essays from the Best Women’s Travel Writing series as well as online sources. All readings will be available under the “Readings” tab, which is password protected.

Other Required Essentials:

A writing journal that you can easily carry around with you everywhere, pens, and a laptop computer or tablet.

GENERAL EDUCATION HUMANITIES LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course fulfills part of the general education Humanities requirement. All courses that meet this requirement include the following learning outcomes:

1. Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted or valued in various expressions of human culture.

2. Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments.

Grades and Evaluation

Your grade will reflect the seriousness with which you complete the required assignments. I grade as much in relation to effort and progress as I do in relation to the quality of the final, revised work you will produce.

Assignments and Final Grade Distribution (100 pts. possible)

Participation–20%: This includes active presence and participation in class discussion and workshops, on the blog, and on our various excursions and activities. We will also frequently have in-class writing or “reflective engagement” exercises that are part of your participation grade. Your participation also includes active journaling. Expect to write every day. The purpose of this journal is multifaceted: it is intended to help you harness the skills of attention; to keep you looking at the world and reflecting; to jot down things you learn on our tours and expeditions; and to generate a seedbed for starts to longer works. You are expected to bring this journal to every class, and you are expected to carry it around with you everywhere you travel—use it to write down what you see, learn, experience, and feel. We will frequently share our journaling in class

Major Prompts–60%: This includes your response to the four major prompts you will compose during our 3-week stay. They will be graded as a set and not individually. As these are considered working drafts, all work that responds fully to the noted criteria and is submitted on time will receive full credit.

Final Project–20%: At the end of the course, students will contribute at least one polished and revised piece that they wrote for each class to our collaborative Città Nostra travel blog. You will also be required to add third piece that can be from either course. This portion of the grade will be graded jointly and will apply to both of your courses.

Policies & Resources

Please note that the standard policies and resources for all campus syllabi are listed here. Not all are applicable during our time abroad, but we will be happy to connect you with any needed resources while abroad.

Grading Policy: I will add up all the points you’ve earned in the course and give grades based on the following table:

• A-Range: 970-1000 = A+, 930-969 = A, 900-929 = A-
• B-Range: 870-899 = B+, 830-869 = B, 800-829 = B-
• C-Range: 770-799 = C+, 730-769 = C, 700-729 = C-
• D-Range: 670-699 = D+, 630-669 = D, 600-629 = D-
• <600 = F

On Inclusive Class Discussions:

1) Respect others’ rights to hold opinions and beliefs that differ from your own.

2) When you disagree, challenge or criticize the idea, not the person.

3) Listen carefully to what others are saying even when you disagree with what is being said. Comments that you make (asking for clarification, sharing critiques, expanding on a point, etc.) should reflect that you have paid attention to the speaker’s comments.

4) Be courteous. Do not interrupt or engage in private conversations while others are speaking. Be aware of messages you may be communicating with your body language.

5) Support your statements. Use evidence and provide a rationale for your points.

6) Share responsibility for including all voices in the discussion. If you have much to say, try to hold back a bit; if you are hesitant to speak, look for opportunities to contribute to the discussion.

7) If you are offended by something or think someone else might be, speak up and do not leave it for someone else to have to respond to it.

8) Recognize that we are all still learning. Be willing to change your perspective and make space for others to do the same.

What other rules are important to you? Please feel free to share additional concerns you have with me via email, in my office hours, or in our next class when we will supplement these rules as we create a sort of class contract.

Dual Submission Policy:

The same paper may not be submitted for a grade in more than one class unless permission to do so is explicitly noted in the assignment or permission has been given by the instructor.

Plagiarism and the Honor Code:

Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when identified, are investigated.  Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved.

Incidents where the instructor determines the student’s actions are related more to a misunderstanding will handled by the instructor.  A written intervention designed to help prevent the student from repeating the error will be given to the student.  The intervention, submitted by form and signed both by the instructor and the student, will be forwarded to the Dean of Students and placed in the student’s file.

Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or others having knowledge of the incident to the Dean of Students.  A student found responsible by the Honor Board for academic dishonesty will receive a XF in the course, indicating failure of the course due to academic dishonesty.  This grade will appear on the student’s transcript for two years after which the student may petition for the X to be expunged.  The student may also be placed on disciplinary probation, suspended (temporary removal) or expelled (permanent removal) from the College by the Honor Board.

Students should be aware that unauthorized collaboration–working together without permission– is a form of cheating.  Unless the instructor specifies that students can work together on an assignment, quiz and/or test, no collaboration during the completion of the assignment is permitted.   Other forms of cheating include possessing or using an unauthorized study aid (which could include accessing information via a cell phone or computer), copying from others’ exams, fabricating data, and giving unauthorized assistance.

Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from the instructor.

Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook.

Disability/Access:

The Center for Disability Services will do anything they can to help accommodate any disability that might affect your ability to succeed in this course.  Please visit their website or talk to me if you have any questions about this resource. Any student eligible for and needing accommodations because of a disability is requested to speak with the professor during the first two weeks of class or as soon as the student has been approved for services so that reasonable accommodations can be arranged.

OAKS

Final grades will be posted in an OAKS gradebook, but the gradebook might not be regularly updated while abroad. Please speak with your instructor if you have any questions or concerns about your grade.

Inclement Weather, Pandemic or Substantial Interruption of Instruction

If in-person classes are suspended, faculty will announce to their students a detailed plan for a change in modality to ensure the continuity of learning. All students must have access to a computer equipped with a web camera, microphone, and Internet access. Resources are available to provide students with these essential tools.

Mental & Physical Wellbeing:

At the college, we take every students’ mental and physical wellbeing seriously. If you find yourself experiencing physical illnesses, please reach out to student health services (843.953.5520). And if you find yourself experiencing any mental health challenges (for example, anxiety, depression, stressful life events, sleep deprivation, and/or loneliness/homesickness) please consider contacting either the Counseling Center (professional counselors at http://counseling.cofc.edu or 843.953.5640 3^rd Robert Scott Small Building) or the Students 4 Support (certified volunteers through texting “4support” to 839863, visit http://counseling.cofc.edu/cct/index.php, or meet with them in person 3^rd Floor Stern Center).  These services are there for you to help you cope with difficulties you may be experiencing and to maintain optimal physical and mental health.

Food & Housing Resources:

Many CofC students report experiencing food and housing insecurity. If you are facing challenges in securing food (such as not being able to afford groceries or get sufficient food to eat every day) and housing (such as lacking a safe and stable place to live), please contact the Dean of Students for support (http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/about/salt.php). Also, you can go to http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/student-food-housing-insecurity/index.php to learn about food and housing assistance that is available to you. In addition, there are several resources on and off campus to help. You can visit the Cougar Pantry in the Stern Center (2nd floor), a student-run food pantry that provides dry-goods and hygiene products at no charge to any student in need. Please also consider reaching out to Professor ABC if you are comfortable in doing so.

Inclusion:

The College of Charleston recognizes that as a community, many of its members use first names other than their legal names to identify themselves. The campus has a Preferred First Name process. A preferred first name is a name that one would commonly use that is different from the legal first name. Other than cases where legal name is required, this is the name that will be used whenever possible in the course of College of Charleston business and education. 
Information about a name change request can be found at here. 

I will gladly honor your request to address you by the name and gender pronouns of your choice.  Please advise me of this early in the semester via your college-issued email account or during office hours so that I may make the appropriate notation on my class list. Please see also:

• Preferred Name and Pronoun Information
• On Campus Gender Inclusive facilities
• Related Campus Resources

Mental Health Resources

At the college, we take every students’ mental and physical wellbeing seriously. If you find yourself experiencing physical illnesses, please reach out to student health services (843.953.5520). And if you find yourself experiencing any mental health challenges (for example, anxiety, depression, stressful life events, sleep deprivation, and/or loneliness/homesickness) please consider contacting either the Counseling Center (professional counselors athttp://counseling.cofc.edu or 843.953.5640 3^rd Robert Scott Small Building) or the Students 4 Support (certified volunteers through texting “4support” to 839863, visit http://counseling.cofc.edu/cct/index.php, or meet with them in person, 3^rd Floor Stern Center). These services are there for you to help you cope with difficulties you may be experiencing and to maintain optimal physical and mental health.

Food Insecurity

Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged to contact the Dean of Students office for support (http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/about/salt.php). Information about food and housing assistance is available here: http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/student-food-housing-insecurity/index.php. Various resources are available on and off campus to help. You can visit the Cougar Pantry in the Stern Center (2nd floor), a student-run food pantry that provides dry-goods and hygiene products at no charge to any student in need. Overall, please notify your professor if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable them to provide any resources that they may possess

Statement on “Religious Accommodation for Students“

The College of Charleston community is enriched by students of many faiths that have various religious observances, practices, and beliefs.  We value student rights and freedoms, including the right of each student to adhere to individual systems of religion.  The College prohibits discrimination against any student because of such student’s religious belief or any absence thereof.

The College acknowledges that religious practices differ from tradition to tradition and that the demands of religious observances in some traditions may cause conflicts with student schedules.  In affirming this diversity, like many other colleges and universities, the College supports the concept of “reasonable accommodation for religious observance” in regard to class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and other academic work requirements, unless the accommodation would create an undue hardship on the College.  Faculty are required, as part of their responsibility to students and the College, to ascribe to this policy and to ensure its fair and full implementation.

The accommodation request imposes responsibilities and obligations on both the individual requesting the accommodation and the College.  Faculty members are expected to reasonably accommodate individual religious practices.  Examples of reasonable accommodations for student absences might include:  rescheduling of an exam or giving a make-up exam for the student in question; altering the time of a student’s presentation; allowing extra-credit assignments to substitute for missed class work or arranging for an increased flexibility in assignment dates.  Regardless of any accommodation that may be granted, students are responsible for satisfying all academic objectives, requirements and prerequisites as defined by the instructor and by the College.

Please review, if needed, the calendar of 2022-23 religious holidays.

The College has a number of resources to support your life and work in this course and beyond. I am happy to refer you to these sources if you feel you need support of some kind. Please note that these resources are not for students who are struggling, but for students who wan to find and develop tools for sustainable success at the CofC and beyond.

One important resource for this course in particular is the Center for Student Learning. They have a number of resources to help you achieve academic success.  Perhaps most important for our purposes is the Writing Lab, which is located on the first floor of Addlestone Library.  Trained writing consultants can help with writing for all courses; they offer one-to-one consultations that address everything from brainstorming and developing ideas to crafting strong sentences and documenting sources.  For more information, please call 843.953.5635 or visit http://csl.cofc.edu/labs/writing-lab/.

Should you have questions about undergraduate research grants, counseling, or other services available, please let me know and I will do my best to direct you to the proper resource.