Summer 2008

Dear Lit 271 N-1 Student,

Welcome to Literature 271, Global Literature, on the Web! By enrolling in this class, you have made a commitment to higher education that requires self-motivation and discipline beyond that which is demanded by traditional classroom instruction. Your success in this class is largely dependent on honoring this commitment. Lit 271 requires that you log on regularly at least twice during the week. You will be required to post homework assignments and essays on a designated schedule; additionally, you will be assigned to participate in bulletin board discussions that must be finished each week. This is not an independent study course. Global Literature is the equivalent of our on-site English Literature courses, with the added demands of online education.

To determine your readiness for this online course please take the interactive “quiz” on the following website! http://uva-weblearn.net/distance-quiz.asp

This course will focus on the works of many authors from the global community: China, Japan, India, Africa, and South America, as well as authors from America and England and other European countries as a comparative reference. These writers should expand the students’ world view and build on previous literature courses. Online discussion will be a key element of this course!

The section in which you have enrolled will have an online orientation. Before you begin the course, please go to the Web CT Page via the campus website (www.stchas.edu) and go through the training links : “Getting Started with WebCT ” and “WebCT Student Guide”. You can access the links to the orientation on the course home page when WebCT/Blackboard opens for the summer semester. There will be a an audio and text version of the online orientation. You can access the course roughly five working days before classes begin on campus

The required text is The Bedford Anthology of World Literature: The Twentieth Century, 1900-present, and None to Accompany Me by Nadine Gordimer. Students should also have access to an up to date MLA handbook, as correct MLA form will be expected in all of your essays in this course.

For information on purchasing your textbooks by telephone, call the bookstore at 636-922-8448. You may pay by VISA, MasterCard, or Discover. Special arrangements can be made to purchase books with a mailed check. There is an additional $5.00 charge to cover shipping.

The class will follow a schedule similar to an on-site course. Please log on at least 4-5 times a week (this is a form of attendance) and keep up with class assignments. You will post assignments and interact with other students through the Internet site. The course outline of dates is on the posted syllabus and calendar. We expect that both your writing skills and your computer literacy will improve during the course of the semester; however, you must have some basic computer skills in order to work successfully in this class.

Help Desk Hours of Operation
Monday-Thursday – 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday – 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Saturday – 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at 636-922-8574 or by e-mail at the following address: gfeng-checkett@stchas.edu. I look forward to meeting you during the first week of June!

Sincerely,
Ms. Gayle Feng-Checkett
Professor of English/ESL.