Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

IW: Writing about Fantasy (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 2010-05

Course: ENGL 2010-05
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ENGL
CRN: 12073

Course Description

The second of the GE writing courses emphasizes the development of an effective academic style in argumentative essays that makes use of traditional rhetorical patterns, culminating in a major research paper. Subtopics will vary. Students with ACT English scores below 29 must take ENGL 1010 or ENGL 1010E before enrolling in 2010. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1010 or ENGL 1010E or ACT English Subscore - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D- Prerequisite Test (Min. Score): ACT English Subscore (29) General Education Category: Written Communication

Required Texts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of these two courses, you will develop skills in:

1. Sources and Evidence: Locate, evaluate, and integrate credible and relevant sources to achieve various writing purposes.

2. Genre Awareness: Demonstrate critical and conceptual awareness of genre in reading and writing—including organization, content, presentation, formatting, and stylistic choices.

3. Context and Purpose: Analyze rhetorical situations and adapt to the audience, purpose, modalities, and the circumstances surrounding a range of reading and writing tasks.

4. Language Awareness and Usage: Recognize and make intentional, critical, and contextually-informed language choices across a range of rhetorical contexts/situations.

5. Recursive Writing Processes: Develop flexible, iterative, and reflective processes for invention, drafting, workshopping, and revision.

Course Requirements

Major Writing Assignments

There are 4 Major Writing Assignments: Defining Fantasy, Research Proposal, Progress Report and Final Paper. The bulk of your grade in ENGL 2010 will come from these interconnected assignments which culminate in that substantial, 10+ page research paper, which is your final.

Discussions/Class Participation

Discussions are completion-based assignments that allow us to explore course ideas and readings in depth. There will also be quick write assignments at the start of each class.

Workshops/In-class Assignments

Workshops are low-stakes activities designed to help you practice skills and explore ideas--they also let your professors check in on how your research is developing. They are designed to help with your Major Writing Assignments, so feel free to reuse and recycle the writing you do for them!  

 Grade Scheme

The following grading standards will be used in this class:


 | ENGL 2010 Course Assessments | Points | Percentages | Discussions/Class Participation | 250 | 10%
| Workshops/In-class Assignments | 500 | 20%
| Citation Handout | 100 | 4%
| Major Assignment 1: Defining Fantasy | 150 | 6%
| Major Assignment 2: Proposal | 300 | 12%
| Major Assignment 3: Progress Report | 200 | 8%
| Major Assignment 4: Research Paper/Final Presentation | 900 | 36%
| Total | 2500 | 100%

Course letter grades are calculated based on the percentages described in the table below. NOTE: Automatic grade calculations made by Canvas may not always align with those of your instructor. In this case, your instructor's calculations take precedence. Click on How to Check Your Grades, to see how you are doing in the course.

 | Excellent (A, A-) |   | Average (C+, C, C-)
| A | 100% | to 93% |   | C | < 77% | to 73%
| A- | < 93% | to 90% |   | C- | < 73% | to 70%
| Above average (B+, B, B-) |   | Below average (D+, D. D-)
| B+ | < 90% |  to 87% |   | D+ | < 70% |  to 67%
| B | < 87% |  to 83% |   | D | < 67% |  to 63%
| B- | < 83% |  to 80% |   | D- | < 63% |  to 60%
| Average (C+, C, C-) |   | Fail (F)
| C+ | < 80% | to 77 % |   | F | < 60 % |  to 0 %
Note: These is not a pass/fail class. You will receive a letter grade based on the table above for ENGL 2010.


AI Usage and Academic Misconduct

Generative AI Policies

Three Principles: Generative AI (artificial intelligence that can produce content) is now widely available to produce text, images, and other media. I encourage the use of such AI resources to inform you about the field, to understand the contributions that AI can make, and to help[ your learning. However, keep the following three principles in mind: (1) an AI cannot pass this course; (2) AI contributions must be attributed and true; (3) the use of AI resources must be open and documented.

To pass this course: AI generated submissions cannot achieve a passing grade. This is necessary to ensure that you are competent to surpass generative AI in the future – whether in academia, research, the workplace, or other domains of society.

Openness: I encourage you to use AI tools to explore the field, play with knowledge, and help you study. But you need to be open about this, and document your use.

General writing: In principle you may submit material that contains AI-generated content, or is based on or derived from it, as long as this use is properly documented. This includes, for example, drafting an outline, preparing individual sections, combining elements and removing redundant parts, and compiling and annotating references. Your documentation must make the process transparent – the submission itself must meet standards of attribution and validation. 

Referencing and validating: You are taking full responsibility for AI-generated materials as if you had produced them yourself: ideas must be attributed and facts must be true.

AI and Factual Accuracy: AI is prone to writing factually incorrect statements, inventing fake quotes from real sources, and inventing entirely fake sources. It is your responsibility to double-check that any AI-assisted work you submit is free from these errors. Work containing obvious factual errors or fictitious quotes or sources will be marked as incomplete. If the problematic work is a major essay, you will be allowed to rewrite and resubmit it within the deadlines stipulated on the syllabus the first time this happens. If the problematic work is in any other type of assignment, you will not be allowed to rewrite or resubmit it. Submitting more than one assignment with these types of errors will result in you failing the class.



Course Outline

Week 1- Jan. 7-9

Discussion: Academic Writing- Thursday, Jan. 8th

Workshop: I Understood the Assignment-Thursday, Jan. 8th

Writing Activity: What are your Assumptions of Fantasy?- Friday, Jan. 9th

Quickwrites 1- Friday, Jan. 9th

Discussion: What is Fantasy – Friday, Jan. 9th

 

Week 2 – Jan. 12-16

Workshop: Finding Your Passion- Monday, Jan. 12th

Discussion: Fantasy Tropes and Writing Styles – Tuesday, Jan. 13th

Workshop: Writing Studio 1 – Friday, Jan. 16th

Quickwrites 2 – Friday, Jan. 16th

Workshop: Basic Searches – Friday, Jan. 16th

In-Class Activity: Amazing Maurice Ch. 1-3 Writing Activity – Friday, Jan. 16th

 

Week 3 – Jan. 19-21

Discussion: How to Read Like a Writer – Monday, Jan. 19th

Discussion: Grounding Fantasy – Tuesday, Jan. 20th

Workshop: Follow the Trail – Thursday, Jan. 22nd

In-Class Activity: Works Cited Pages are Tools – Friday, Jan. 23rd

Workshop: Writing Studio 2 – Friday, Jan. 23rd

Quickwrites 3 – Friday, Jan. 23rd

In-Class Activity: Amazing Maurice Ch. 4-8 Writing Activity – Friday, Jan. 23rd

 

Week 4 – Jan. 26-30

Discussion: Research Proposals – Monday, Jan. 27th

Discussion: Welshness and its Relationship to Fantasy – Tuesday, Jan. 27th

Workshop: Peer Review 1- Wednesday, Jan 28th

Workshop: Scholarship is a Conversation- Thursday, Jan. 29th

Quickwrites 4 – Friday, Jan. 30th

In-Class Activity: Amazing Maurice Ch. 9-12 Writing Activity – Friday, Jan. 30th

 

Week 5 – Feb. 2-6

Workshop: Keeping track of the ideas from the scholarly conversation – Monday, Feb 2nd

Discussion: Evaluating Sources – Tuesday, Feb. 3rd

In-Class Activity: Evaluating a Source- Wednesday, Feb. 4th

Quickwrites 5 – Friday, Feb. 6th

Workshop: Introducing AI Ethics and Plagiarism – Friday, Feb 6th

Workshop: Writing Studio 3 – Friday, Feb. 6th

Major Assignment 1: Defining Fantasy Through Terry Pratchett's Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents – Friday, Feb. 6th

 

Week 6 – Feb. 9-13

Workshop: Writing Studio 4 – Friday, Feb. 13th

Workshop: One-on-One Meeting – Friday, Fed. 13th

 

Week 7 – Feb. 16-20

Discussion: Annoying Ways People Use Sources- Tuesday, Feb. 17th

Workshop: Incorporating Sources into Writing – Wednesday, Feb. 18th

Discussion: Fantasy and Adaptation – Thursday, Feb. 19th

Workshop: Writing Studio 5 – Friday, Feb. 20th

Quickwrites 6 – Friday, Feb. 20th

 

Week 8 – Feb. 23-27

Discussion: The Academic Research Paper – Monday, Feb. 23rd

Discussion: Subgenres of Fantasy – Tuesday, Feb. 24th

Workshop: Peer Review 2 – Wednesday, Feb. 25th

Quickwrites 7 – Friday, Feb. 27th

In-Class Activity: Investigating Each Other's Sources – Friday, Feb. 27th

Workshop: Writing Studio 6 – Friday, Feb. 27th

Week 9 – March 2-6

Discussion: Grammar & Punctuation – Monday, March 2nd

Workshop: Grammar Cheat Sheet – Wednesday, March 4th

Discussion: Style – Thursday, March 5th

Quickwrites 8 – Friday, March 6th

Workshop: Citation Handout Responsibilities Checklist – Friday, March 6th

Major Assignment 2: Research Proposal and DRAFT Synthesis Matrix – Friday, March 6th

 

Week 10 – March 16-20

Discussion: The Background Section – Monday, March 16th

Workshop: Research Status Update- Monday, March 16th

Workshop: Resource Found Poems – Wednesday, March 18th

Quickwrites 9 – Friday, March 20th

In-class Workshop: Shuffling Around Your Points – Friday, March 20th

 

Week 11 – March 23-27

Discussion: Rhetorical "Moves" – Monday, March 23rd

Workshop: Building the Body – Wednesday, March 25th

Workshop: What's in a Progress Report? – Wednesday, March 25th

Quickwrites 10 – Friday, March 27th

In-Class Activity: Reverse Outlining – Friday, March 27th

 

Week 12 – March 30-April 3

Workshop: Introductions – Monday, March 30th

Workshop: Conclusions – Wednesday, April 1st

Citation Handout (Group) DUE – Thursday, April 2nd

Workshop: Writing Studio 9 – Friday, April 3rd


 Quickwrites 11 – Friday, April 3rd

Major Assignment 3: Progress Report and Final Synthesis Matrix – Friday, April 3rd

 

Week 13- April 6-10

Discussion: Revision – Monday, April 6th

Workshop: Peer Review 3 – Wednesday, April 8th

Workshop: Writing Studio 10 – Friday, April 10th

Quickwrites 12 – Friday, April 10th

Final Presentation- Starts Wednesday, April 8th

 

Week 14 – April 13-17

Discussion: Reflecting on Your Work – Monday, April 13th

Workshop: How has Your Opinion on Fantasy Changed? – Friday, April 17th

Quickwrites 13 – Friday, April 17th

Major Assignment 4: Major Research Project – Monday, April 20th (Finals Week)

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

Requirements: To pass this course you must complete all the major assignments, fulfill all weekly assignments, and submit all assignments. 

Late Policy: There is no secret shortcut to good writing: it just takes time. This course and its due dates are paced to help you manage your time through a significant amount of writing while being as humane as possible. If you find yourself falling substantially behind the due dates in Canvas you should make an appointment to talk to me so we can strategize.

This is a long way of saying: I don't penalize late work until it is a week late. There are 3 exceptions for this: 1) any group work including group workshops and peer reviews because your work affects the grade of your group members and 2) the final paper because it is due during finals week. 3) There are some in-class reading verification assignments that must be done on the day assigned. After a week, I take about 10% off per day late including the weekends.

However, if you fall more than three weeks behind, you have to meet with me via phone or Zoom before continuing. This is (1) so I can check in and offer help, and (2) so we can develop a clear plan to get you caught up OR a clear plan to get you withdrawn and in the best situation possible to try again.

Also, Canvas automatically drops the three lowest scores from the Discussions and Workshops assignment groups--think of them as free absences for when life inevitably happens or you just can't even!

Attendance Policy

As this is an in-person class, attendance is very important and is part of your discussions/class participation grade. Please inform me when you are going to be absent so that you can make up any in-class assignments that we did that day.

Attendance is not graded in this class. However, there are assignments known as Quickwrites that are only available to those who either attend class or email me a reason for your absence within 24 hours of your absence. You are responsible for any material that we discuss together, and I do not advise that you make a regular habit of missing this class. Getting to know classmates and exchanging notes can be a significant help if you have to miss class, but I will let you know that students who miss more than about 10 class periods usually do not pass the class because of the effect that these absences have on the work they turn in.

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.