English 462 The Senior Seminar
The Culture of War

New Classroom!! Meet in Lib. 134, starting November 2

Course Requirements
Research Proposal 10%
Literary Response Paper 5%
Oral, Research and Group Reports/Abstract 10%
Progress 5%
Seminar Paper (about 20 pages) 70%

Course Goals
Part II of the Senior Seminar will be focused largely on the Seminar paper.  By the second week of the semester, you should have some idea of what this final product will be. For this final writing effort (I hope) of you career here at Eastern, you will be gradually building toward the grand argument, the culmination of your scholarly thinking as an English major at Eastern.

In addition will devote some time to your English major Exit Portfolio, which is usually the very last thing you submit before you graduate. In this portfolio you should be able to demonstrate the following:

• Explore a complex idea and argue a thesis at length and in depth
• Read analytically and engage intelligently with primary sources
• Read analytically and engage intelligently with secondary sources
• Test ideas in light of the views of other scholars, critics, and writers
• Have control of the conventions of criticism (literary or rhetorical)
• Control the conventions of standard edited English
• Control of MLA style and documentation format (including use of
  bias-free language)

And you will need to add a "Reflective Essay," which we will discuss.

Avoid plagiarism (stealing the exact words or ideas of another) like the plague. In this class acts of plagiarism incur a zero and could also result in course failure.

Disclaimer:  I reserve the right to change the syllabus and assigned readings (with plenty of advanced warning)

Calendar

Week 1
August 31: Gregg Easterbrook, "The End of War?" Literary Response Paper Due

 Week 2
September 7: Individual conferences

Week 3
September 14: Oral Reports. Research Proposal due

Week 4
September 21: No class.  Deliver 5 pages of your draft to me (e-mail or otherwise) and to the members of your critique group.

Week 5
September 28: No class.  Group Reports

Week 6
October 5: In-class Research Report

Week 7
October 12: No class.  Individual conferences, bring research notes.

Week 8
October 19: No class.  Deliver 15 pages of your draft to me (e-mail or otherwise) and to the members of your critique group.

Week 9
October 26: No class.  Group Reports

Week 10

November 2: Portfolio Workshop. Reflective Essay Assignment due

Week 11
November 9: Meet in class: discuss abstracts, prepare for seminar presentation night

Week 12
November 16: Completed draft due along with a 200-word abstract of your paper. Submit to me (e-mail or otherwise) and to the members of your critique group

Week 14

Thanksgiving week

Week 13
November 30: Individual conferences, bring research notes

Week 15
December 7:  "English Night," Seminar Readings, Betty Tipton Room, 8 pm

Final Exam Week
Final Seminar Paper due. Meet in class: final oral presentation Wednesday, December 14th, 7 pm

Some Useful Links

A Bibliography on War and Culture

Illustration: Francisco Goya, The Disasters of War "With or Without Reason"