Instructor Contact

John Paolo Sapienza (he/him/his)

• Office Hours: Weekly CityZoom hour is 1:10-2:00 on Tuesdays, or by appointment on CityZoom. I am also available MW 1:10-2:00 pm on Ocean Campus.
• Office Location: Batmale Hall 726 
• I will respond to all course emails within 48 hours, Monday-Saturday, 8am-8pm, although often more quickly (exclusive of school holidays). Once the course begins, I prefer to get messages through the Canvas "Inbox". 
• CCSF Phone: (415) 239-3394

Communication Plan

• I will respond to all course emails within 48 hours, Monday-Saturday, 8am-8pm, although often more quickly (exclusive of school holidays). Once the course begins, I prefer to get messages through the Canvas "Inbox". If you have not received a response within 48 hours, something got lost, so please contact me again.
• Your Discussion posts and other written assignments will be reviewed, and I will comment on them within 48 hours of the due date unless you are informed otherwise. For Essay assignments, I will take up to one week to evaluate them. Please note that you will receive private comments on all Discussion posts, essays and exams. Any short quizzes will also contain feedback for self-assessment. 
• I will actively participate in the weekly Discussions but will not always respond to each student in the Discussion. However, each of you will receive private comments on your Discussion posts.
• Office Hours: I am available Thursday 1-2, or by appointment.

Building Community/Equity Statement

The beating heart of this class is the discussion forum. Each week you and your classmates will analyze and discuss the issues that come up in the material for the week. Each time this class is offered, I am excited emotionally and stimulated intellectually by the thoughtfulness and creativity of your posts. Furthermore, your responses to each other help inform my understanding of the topics and how you are receiving the ideas and information presented. We learn from each other, from our varied experiences, from our different world views. As always, I look forward with great anticipation to participating in discussions with you!

To paraphrase the City College of San Francisco Office of Student Equity, I am committed to promoting inclusivity, equity, and diversity in this class. I believe that all students, of varying backgrounds, races, abilities, nationalities, identities, sexual orientations, beliefs, religions, socio-economic statuses, have the right to access higher education and receive the resources and support they need to achieve their educational and professional goals. I welcome, encourage, and hope to bring all of us to engage in diverse perspectives via respectful dialogue. My commitment is to be critically race-conscious, anti-racist, and culturally responsive in all I do, although I recognize I often fall short in my aspirations. I will always work to improve. Education is for all who enter the doors of this college, you and me together. Welcome!

Instructor Announcements 

I will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements'' page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. I suggest you set your notifications so that you receive an email or smartphone notification whenever I send an Announcement.

Q&A Discussion

Whenever you have a question about the class--anything at all--go to the Q&A link located on the Home page. This Discussion is for you to ask for assistance from your classmates and me. Not only is it likely you will get an answer most quickly this way, but it is also likely that if you have the question, so will other classmates. Your Discussion post, and whatever replies it attracts, then become useful public information.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Instructor's Added Description

Prerequisites/corequisites/advisories

Completion of English 1A with a C or better or placement in English 1B/1C.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Identify the major genres, themes, and textual concerns of literature in English from 1660-1850.
2. Analyze individual texts in relation to the significant historical, cultural, and social issues of literature in English from 1660-1850.
3. Analyze the content and formal structures of representative literature in English from 1660-1850.
4. Integrate textual evidence and literary criticism when writing essays on key works of literature in English from 1660-1850.

Class Meetings

This is a fully online course with no scheduled class meetings.

Course Web Site

You will use the Canvas Learning Management system for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades.  I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, you should reach out to Canvas help.

Textbooks  

There are no "official" textbooks for this course. But we will be doing a lot of reading!

Where to start?

To begin, you might want to think about what form of text you’ll be reading: digital or paper copies. Since all of our texts are long past copyright protection, they can all be found free online in digital form; I tend to use the Project Gutenberg Website. If you want a paper copy, Dover Books editions are often the cheapest, but used versions of any edition are often very inexpensive. I will often use Dover editions and if you have them, it will sometimes make finding passages easier (since we’ll have the same page numbers). Many of the poems, short stories and essays we will be reading are available in many different collections and anthologies. Again, all are easily found online at no cost. If you are an English Major, you may want to invest in the monumental Norton Anthology of Literature (3 volumes), which includes many canonical texts as well as historical, cultural and critical supplements that are very informative and helpful. I will be providing some of this material in my Reflections, but if you want more depth, the Norton Anthology is a standard in the discipline.

Some of you may also like to take advantage of audio book versions of our reading. This is a perfectly fine alternative, and since most of our texts are classic titles, they are readily available in audio formats. 

Here is a list of the longer texts we will be reading. The texts are listed chronologically, including their Dover Print Edition ISBN:

• Aphra Behn, Oroonoko 9780486814834
• Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe 9780486404271
• Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey 9780486414126
• Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 9780486284996
• Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights 9780486292564

Field Trips

None.

Canvas

You will use the Canvas Learning Management system for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades. I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, you should reach out to Canvas help.

Zoom Video Conferencing

If you wish to meet with me and you are unable to come to campus, we can meet in my Zoom room (use the CityZoom link in the Canvas navigation sidebar).

Required Software

• • Adobe Reader (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
  • Update your browser (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Important Dates

[Find the following dates in the Instructional Calendar or in the online Schedule of Classes by hovering over the deadlines link next to your class listing.]

• • Day Class Begins: Jan 30

  • Day Class Ends: May 24

  • Last Day to Add without instructor's approval: Feb 16

  • Last Day to Drop with refund: Feb 8

  • Last Day to Drop without a 'W' symbol: Feb 16

  • Last Day to Opt for Pass/No Pass: Apr 27

  • Last Day to Drop with a W or apply for leave of absence: Apr 27

  • Final Exam Date: TBA

Dropping the Class

• First of all, I do not want you to drop the class. Please contact me immediately if you have any headwinds that are blowing so hard, they are threatening to knock you off course. 
• I will work with you to come up with a plan that will enable you to stay in the course and succeed. However, if you find yourself still needing to drop the course, be aware that the date when you drop the class can variously affect your transcript and finances. 
• If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid getting no refund (after 10% of course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Typically, I only drop students myself at the beginning of the semester, if they are a no-show or miss several assignments in a row, in order to make room for other students who want to add. 
• In order not to be dropped as a No-Show, you will need to complete the Check-in Discussion by the end of the seventh calendar day after the class begins. 
• In order not to be dropped after your initial activity in the course, you must also participate in the first Oroonoko Discussion by the end of the fourteenth calendar day after the class begins.

Pass‐No Pass (P/NP)

The P/NP option is offered for English 46B. The opt-in deadline this semester is April 27. You must decide before the deadline and add the option online with WEB4 or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get P.

You must file for the P/NP option by date listed above. Once you decide to go for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure.

Attendance

In an online class, attendance may appear at first to be a nebulous concept. However, by tracking your progress through the modules and seeing whether you are participating in the weekly Discussions, your activity level is quite clearly marked. I strongly advise that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact me to avoid being dropped from the class. With good communication, we can avoid any confusion and many undesirable events. When in doubt, contact me and let me know what is going on so I can tell you exactly what accommodations are available, if needed.

Late Policy

• All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the due date. 
• Late Discussion posts and other written assignments are penalized slightly (as indicated by the rubric for the assignment). When completed in a timely manner, such assignments are more valuable to your learning and performance in the class, and the learning of your classmates.
• Late Essay assignments are penalized by 10%, if submitted within one week of the due date; however, you are allowed one late essay pass during the semester, no questions asked. To avoid penalty, this one allowed late essay must be turned in within one week of the due date (or perhaps longer if circumstances warrant).

Methods of Evaluation

Each week you will read from the literature of our period and complete graded assignments. There will be two Discussions each week; the first will ask for short and informal posts, while the second will ask for longer and more analytical posts. Typically, you will participate in the first Discussion either before or as you begin the week's reading. You will participate in the second Discussion after completing the reading assignments as well as my Reflections in the weekly module. There will be two formal essays and two exams (one at midterm and one at the end of the semester).

Grading Policy

Visit “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade regularly throughout the semester and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook. 

  How do I view my grades, teacher comments, and an assignment rubric as a student?

Grades will be assigned as follows: 

A=90-100%

B=80-89%

C=70-79%

D=60-69%

F/FW=0-59%

Note: An “F” grade at the end of the semester indicates that a student attended, participated and completed the course but failed to master the course curriculum.

An “FW” grade indicates the student stopped attending a course after the “last day to withdraw” deadline and subsequently did not submit any work or participate in any exams. Please check with your counselor and financial aid advisor for possible implications of the FW grade on residency and financial aid status.

If you need classroom or testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. My office hours are by appointment either on the Ocean Campus (9-4 p.m., Monday through Friday) or by Zoom video-conferencing. During Distance Learning, all conferences will be via Zoom.

Students seeking disability-related accommodations are encouraged to also register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library (415) 452-5481. Please see the DSPS website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for more information and alternate locations.

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

CCSF welcomes diversity in the classroom. Collaborative learning is built upon the opportunity for diverse individual contributions. This includes accommodating students with a variety of approaches to learning. Please do not hesitate to reach out for help if you need it. Moreover, individuals with established disabilities have a legal right to reasonable accommodations. 

Students with disabilities who need academic accommodations should request them from the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) located in the Rosenberg Library, Room 323 on the Ocean Campus. Telephone: 415-452-5481 (V) 415-452-5451 (TDD). DSPS is the campus office responsible for verifying the disability-related need for academic accommodations, assessing that need, and for planning accommodations in cooperation with students and instructors as needed and consistent with course requirements. 

Contact  

Phone: (415) 452-5481 

Email: DSPSAcom@ccsf.edu 

They will respond within 24 hrs M-F.  Friday, weekend, and holiday communication is generally responded to by the next business day.

Students who register in CCSF classes are required to abide by the CCSF Student Code of Conduct. Violation of the code is basis for referral to the Student Conduct Coordinator or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Office of Student Affairs.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work.

This semester, I'm also emphasizing that using text written by a generation system as one’s own is not permitted (e.g., entering a prompt into an artificial intelligence tool such as ChatGPT and using the output in a paper). 

See these links on Plagiarism:

Encourage Academic Integrity and Prevent Plagiarism

Citing Information Sources

Student Expectations 

You will succeed in this course if you meet the following expectations:

• Complete all assignments. Please let me know as soon as you can if you are having trouble finishing assignments on time. 
• Complete Discussion posts and replies within the given time frame. Our discussions are much more vibrant when we all participate!
• Complete all essays, projects and exams on time (although you should remember that you are allowed one late essay per semester without penalty, up to one week late).
• Think critically about the weekly topics. What is surprising? What is new to you? How does it contrast or compare with what you already know? Are your expectations being reinforced, or challenged? Did any new ideas or realizations occur to you?
• Do your own work. Do your best work. 

Instructor Expectations 

Here is what you can expect of me:

• I will respond to your email or message within 24-48 hours, Monday through Saturday, unless I inform you otherwise.
• I will treat you and your ideas with respect.
• I will encourage you to do your best work.
• I will nudge you to follow your own interests and tailor your assignments to focus on those interests as much as possible. 
• I will grade your homework assignments and Discussion posts and replies most often within 48 hours. (If you have posted late work, it may take longer.) Comments and grades for essays and exams will be done within a week.
• You will see your grades in the Canvas Gradebook. 

• And finally: Welcome to the class! We aim to accomplish a lot this semester and it is not just learning about the skills of reading, writing, and researching. It even goes beyond critical thinking and analysis. Our reading, writing, and discussion will lead to reflection and introspection. So I expect we will grow as individuals and community members, as well, myself included. Of course, much depends on how much one puts into the endeavor. I hope all of you will throw yourself into the course as wholeheartedly as I do; if so, we will all prosper together.