Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Intro to Lit & Culture (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 2200-01

Course: ENGL 2200-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ENGL
CRN: 32259

Course Description


Course Description
An introduction to literature as cultural production, providing basic training in literary analysis as well as encounters with the texts of other cultures. 
Why do we read literature?  What can literature teach us about culture, history, and our own lives? How can we better understand and appreciate literature?  These are just a few of the  critical questions you are encouraged to ponder and explore as you complete this course.
English 2200:  Introduction to Literature & Culture invites you to read and analyze fiction, non-fiction, film and poetry.  Furthermore, you will be studying the various key elements of the genres of fiction, memoir, and poetry, including but not limited to plot, theme, character, conflict, setting, point of view, irony, language/word choice, figurative language, symbolism, tone as well as the elements of non-fiction, including but not limited to the components of narrative, descriptive, expository and argumentative essays.
Additionally, you will hone and polish the ability to actively and critically read and view assigned texts before formally and/or informally inquiring into, analyzing and responding to these various works.  You will not only analyze texts using key elements of each genre, but also connect these works to your own lives as well as to the cultural and historical milieu from which these works have emerged.
This analysis of the readings and films in this course should consist of your own thoughts as this course will focus on preparing you to assume more active or participatory role in the literary and film community by making you more familiar with the conventions, terminology and expectations of the study of literature and film as well as learning how to clearly and effectively communicate ideas and intuitions/feelings about the literature and film you’ve read/viewed for the course in order to formulate your own arguments about the aesthetic, political, social and personal value of literature and film.
General Education Course: Humanities Knowledge Area


Required Texts


REQUIRED Texts
Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West, 0735212201/////978-0735212206
Clementine Wamariya’s The Girl Who Smiled Beads, 978-0451495334
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, 978-0451228147
Art Spiegelman’s Maus

  • I-978-0394747231
  • II–978-0679729778
  • Both- 978-0679748403


Albert Camus’ The Stranger, 978-8373626514
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, 978-0307387899
Jacqueline Harpman's I Who Have Never Known Men, 978-1945492600
Other readings found on the internet


Learning Outcomes


Essential Learning Outcomes
Communication
Critical Thinking


Course Requirements


Major Assignments
Attendance AND participation- 550 (50 points per weeks 3-14 possible) 
Group work- context, discussion, and write up of information- 200 
Context journal and connection paper - 150 
Final project -100


AI Policy 
You are responsible for the accuracy, fairness, originality, and quality of every word for every assignment you submit. Any fictional source or inaccurate citation submitted will be heavily penalized with the amount at the discretion of the professor. 
Student Resources
The University has compiled a wonderful list of resources for students. Here is the link:


Course Outline


Tentative Class Schedule
Aug 27- Intro to class
 
Week 2
September 1- No Class- Labor Day
3- Sign up for Group Projects// Stephen Greenblatt’s essay https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/10/shakespeares-cure-for-xenophobia


5- Group Planning day 
 
Week 3
8- Exit West (pgs 1-118)
10- Exit West (120-231)
12- Group Planning day
 
Week 4
15- Exit West-Politics and Prose video
17- Exit West-final discussion 
19- Group Planning day
 
Week 5
22- The Girl Who Smiles Beads- Group Presentation of context
24- The Girl Who Smiles Beads
26- The Girl Who Smiles Beads- Group led discussion
 
Week 6
29- A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich-Group Presentation of context
October 1- A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
3- A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich- Group led discussion
 
Week 7
6- Maus-Group Presentation of context
8- Maus
10- Maus-Group led discussion
 
Week 8
13- No Class- Fall Break
15- Poetry
17- Poetry
 
Week 9
20- The Stranger-Group Presentation of context
22- The Stranger-
24- The Stranger-Group led discussion
 
Week 10
27- “No Exit- read the text 
29- “No Exit”- discussion
31- “The Metamorphosis” (Listen in class) 
 
Week 11
November 3-https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/webtexts/hour/
- And work in class on Journals// Discuss final 
5-https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/11/28/the-hollow-children
7- https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/05/21/a-village-after-dark
 
Week 12
10- The Road-Group Presentation of context
12- The Road
14- The Road-Group led discussion
 
Week 13
 17- I Who Have Never Known Men
19-  I Who Have Never Known Men
20- Work on Final Presentations
 
Week 14
No Classes- Thanksgiving Break
 
Week 15
December 1- Work on Final Presentations
3- Class Presentations
5- Class Presentations
 
Week 16- Finals Week TBA


Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work


Late Work and Re-submissions
Late participation/discussion assignments will be penalized 10% per day and assignments will close one week after the due date.
Major papers may be turned in late with prior approval only in emergency cases. You are responsible for turning in assignments on time on the day they are due.
Re-submissions for any assignment are only accepted with instructor approval and only in extreme circumstances. Any assignment re-submitted will be graded at the end of the semester.


Attendance Policy


Attendance and Participation Policy
This is a face to face class. Students are expected to attend class having completed the readings scheduled and ready to participate in the discussion. A majority of the points for this class come from attendance and participation. University excused absences must be discussed with the Professor in advance.  


ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.