Being Human and Bringing our Best Selves
There’s a lot going on in the world and in our individual lives. We recognize that we are all people in relation with people. Each of us brings to class a complex of histories, needs, abilities, and concerns that will not be wholly visible to the group if even to our private selves. Yet even as we agree to give the benefit of the doubt, we are also committed to bringing our most open, respectful, and honest self to each class. For some of us, our best scholarly selves and our most open, respectful, and honest selves may not always seem compatible. Bringing our best selves takes work before and in class. For example in class, bringing our best selves means doing our best to pay attention to the lecture/discussion/or presentation material. Doing so may require an adjustment of your physical position, making sure your headsets are adequately charged, and/or taking notes to help you stay focus and process what’s being said. Paying attention in class will also mean that before class you’ve completed all assigned reading thoroughly and can participate in the discussion and follow the lecture. It might mean trying to get a better night sleep if possible or eating a snack before class so you’re not hungry.
Help! What if I’m Struggling to be my Best Self?!
Of course, sometimes, despite our best efforts, we find that for any number of reasons, we really struggle to bring our best self. Below is a list of possible (but not all) situations in which it might be hard to be your best self along with how you should proceed:
- If at any point time you and/or other members of your group have difficulties respectfully and effectively negotiating group dynamics, you should reach out to me immediately so that I can do my best to help you navigate the issue and have a productive and successful group experience.
- If ever you are unable to clearly and/or respectfully address some aspect of the class discussion (e.g. a particular comment or some part of a particular text) that you find difficult intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, or otherwise, please reach out to me via email or office hours.
- If you find yourself falling behind for any reason, please contact me sooner rather than later.
- If you find yourself bored, confused, or overwhelmed at any point in the semester, please contact me.
- If you are a student with a documented disability seeking reasonable accommodations in this course, please contact Kathy Duggan, (617) 552-8093, at the Connors Family Learning Center regarding learning disabilities, or Paulette Durrett, (617) 552-3470, in the Disability Services Office regarding all other types of disabilities.
Academic Integrity
Please familiarize yourself with the BC policy on academic integrity, available via the following link: www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/stserv/academic/univcat/undergrad_catalog/policies_procedures.html#integrity
According to the University Statement on Academic Integrity, “Plagiarism is the deliberate act of taking the words, ideas, data, illustrations, or statements of another person or source, and presenting them as one’s own. Each student is responsible for learning and using proper methods of paraphrasing and footnoting, quotation, and other forms of citation, to ensure that the original author, speaker, illustrator, or source of the material used is clearly acknowledged.”
Using a term-paper “service” counts as plagiarism, as does “borrowing” from a friend’s paper or online source without attribution. If you plagiarize, you will automatically fail the course, and the consequences may be worse than that. When in doubt, cite! And if at any time you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, or how to cite a source, please ask me and/or consult the Academic Development Center in O’Neill (2nd floor). Please also review the university statement at www.bc.edu/integrity.
Working with a Connors Learning Center tutor does not count as plagiarism and is recommended–as long as you acknowledge each session, along with the tutor’s name, on your paper. It is best to book sessions a week in advance of when you think you will need them (2-0611).
Again, please familiarize yourself with the BC policy on academic integrity, available via the following link: www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/stserv/academic/univcat/undergrad_catalog/policies_procedures.html#integrity
Submitting Assignments
All written assignments other than blog posts, should be emailed to me as a Word Document. Please do not send me a pdf or a google doc invitation. If you do so, please know that I will have to mark the assignment as not yet turned in. All assignments other than blog posts should be formatted with 1 inch margins and double spaced with 12 point, Time’s New Romans font. Respect your work, your readers, and the work you reference in your paper. All quoted materials should be properly formatted, and all quotes, direct reference, and paraphrasing of work other than your own must be thoroughly and accurately cited according to MLA guidelines. Leave time to read your papers out loud (preferably to a friend). When you read your work out loud you are likely to catch awkward phrasing and unclear sentences. Remember, proofreading involves more than just running spellcheck (but assignments that appear to not have even used spellcheck will be docked points). Leave adequate time to revise and edit your assignments, which is to say plan ahead. Unless otherwise noted, assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due.
Note: Complications with your hardware, software, internet access, or other technical issues are not inherently valid excuses for late work, as there are a variety of work-arounds provided you have not waited to the last minute.
Technology in Class
I allow the use of laptops and tablets and smart phones in class. Because of the likely mix between in person and distance participation, this semester I actively encourage you to bring their laptops and/or tablets to class. If you have a laptop or a tablet, you should use these devices instead of your smart phone. There is absolutely no need for your phone to be out if you’re using one of these preferred devices. Using your smartphone to take notes, follow along with the readings, and or access the course site should only be done if you do not have access to a laptop or tablet.
Regardless of what kind of technology you use in class, you should understand that I allow the use of such devices in class only because I expect that having such devices will amplify the intensity and quality of your class participation. If the presence of technology doesn’t support class participation and/or it impedes students’ thoughtful participation, I will reconsider this policy. I reserve the right to alter this policy at any point for the whole class or particular members of the class.
Technology in the Classroom
What do I mean by “amplify the intensity and quality of your class participation”? Examples: If in a class discussion someone makes a reference to a movie but can’t quite recall the director, I expect everyone with smart phone and/or laptop to be able to offer up the answer. OR If I ask for an example of contemporary black music that references slavery or Jim Crow, I expect students not only to offer whatever fuzzily comes to mind, but to offer name of the song, artist, composers, album release date, lyrics, and maybe even be ready to play a video or sound clip. OR When you reference a classmate’s blog post, I expect your reference to be accurate and specific.
Office Hours
While office hours this semester will be done virtually, they still promise to be an incredible resource for your success in this class (and others). Take advantage of office hours to try out ideas, seek research advice, and thrash out paper topics. My regular office hours are listed on the syllabus and on the course site. Additionally at key points in the semester, I will offer additional office hours for both of my courses. During these times, I will email a list of available time slots. While you may rank your preference, I ask that you indicate ANY & ALL times when you can meet. Doing so enables me to accommodate as many people’s schedule as possible.
Readings Assignments
Active Reading: Please complete all of the readings by the date on which they are due; these are demanding, so make sure you are actively reading. Active Reading Tips: Mark them up with questions, comments, and ideas. Identify the central argument, intended audience, organizing structure, and if you can the primary method of analysis. Track recurring themes, questions, references. Look up definitions to words you do not know. Google references (i.e. names, places, events, etc.) with which you are unfamiliar. Circle key passages you wish to discuss in class.
Required Texts
- Diamond, Lydia. Harriet Jacobs
- Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl
- Shange, Ntozake. Sassafras Cypress & Indigo
Recommended Texts:
- Bernstein, Robin. Racial Innocence: Performing American Childhood from Slavery to Civil Rights
- Brooks, Daphne. Bodies in Dissent: Spectacular Performance of Race and Freedom, 1850-1910.
- Brown, Jayna. Babylon Girls : Black Women Performers and the Shaping of the Modern
Additional Readings
- All other readings will be posted on the syllabus page on the class site.
- If you have problems with a link, let me know ASAP.
- Note: Most linked readings are accessible via google, so if a link’s not working, be proactive. Using the citation information on the syllabus, try googling the readings. This method will inevitably be more efficient than waiting for my email response.