Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Imaginative Lit: Detective Fic (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 2130-01

Course: ENGL 2130-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: English
CRN: 31556

Course Description

An introduction to imaginative literature as cultural production, providing a detailed overview of a featured genre (science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc.). Students will discuss a variety of texts to recognize generic characteristics and understand embedded cultural value and social meaning. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Humanities

Required Texts

·       Detective Stories: Everyman’s Pocket Classics ISBN: 978-0-307-27271-3
·       The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle ISBN 9781950435104
·       The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie ISBN 978-1-64833-754-3
·       The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon ISBN 978-1-4000-3271-6
·       Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson ISBN 978-0-06-327903-2
·       Additional texts and films will be provided by the instructor

Learning Outcomes

GE Syllabus Statement: This course satisfies the GE Humanities requirements because it requires students to explore multiple and analyze multiple texts, compare these texts to each other, and apply the concepts to big questions relate to aesthetics, values, meaning, and ethics. 

Examine: Examine how humanities artifacts (such as oral narratives, literature,
philosophy, media, and artworks) express the human condition;
Explain: Explain how humanities artifacts take on meaning within networks or
systems (such as languages, cultures, values, and worldviews) that account for the
complexities and uncertainties of the human condition;
Analyze: Analyze humanities artifacts according to humanities methodologies,
such as a close analysis, questioning, reasoning, interpretation, and critical
thinking;
Compare and Contrast: Compare and contrast diverse humanistic perspectives
across cultures, communities, and/or time periods to explain how people make
meaning of their lives; and
Apply: Using humanities perspectives, reflect on big questions related to
aesthetics, values, meaning, and ethics and how those apply to their own lives.

Course Requirements

Participation Notebooks (100x2/200 points)
Students will complete in class participation activities and keep class notes in a composition notebook. These will be submitted for grading at midterm and before final exams. See Canvas for more specific guidelines and the rubric. 

Midterm: (200 points)
Students will complete a midterm exam during class covering the short stories and novels covered in the first half of class. Questions will be multiple choice and short answer.  

Book Reflections: (50x2/100)
Students will write short reflective pieces about the two short novels. These will connect both the content of the course and the students’ experiences with the text. More detailed instructions will be provided in class. 
 
Comparative Essay: (200 points)
Students will compare the film Knives Out with the book Everyone in my Family has Killled 
Someone based on the archetypes and tropes of the detective genre and how they have evolved. More detailed instructions will be provided in class.
 
Final Project: (300 points)
Students will submit proposals, drafts, and final projects that address a detective novel from an approved list. More detailed instructions will be provided in class.

Course Outline

Participation Notebooks (100x2/200 points)
Students will complete in class participation activities and keep class notes in a composition notebook. These will be submitted for grading at midterm and before final exams. See Canvas for more specific guidelines and the rubric. 

Midterm: (200 points)
Students will complete a midterm exam during class covering the short stories and novels covered in the first half of class. Questions will be multiple choice and short answer.  

Book Reflections: (50x2/100)
Students will write short reflective pieces about the two short novels. These will connect both the content of the course and the students’ experiences with the text. More detailed instructions will be provided in class. 
 
Comparative Essay: (200 points)
Students will compare the film Knives Out with the book Everyone in my Family has Killled 
Someone based on the archetypes and tropes of the detective genre and how they have evolved. More detailed instructions will be provided in class.
 
Final Project: (300 points)
Students will submit proposals, drafts, and final projects that address a detective novel from an approved list. More detailed instructions will be provided in class.

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

·        No late participation grades will be accepted. If you will not be able to submit a major assignment on time, you may request a 48-hour extension if the request is placed at least 24 hours before the due date and time. You will need to provide a reason for requesting the extension. 

·        Work is due at the beginning of class for hard copies and the Canvas due date/time for Canvas assignments. Make sure that you submit your work to Canvas by the scheduled time.  Even if you are not present in class, your work should be. 

·        It is the student’s responsibility to make sure all Canvas assignment submissions go through. You may set the program to send you a notification.  Computer error is not a legitimate excuse for late work, so submit earlier and double-check submissions.

·        No late work or extra credit will be accepted during finals week. 

Attendance Policy

SUU defines excused absences as university-sanctioned travel per policy 6.3 with formal documentation given to the instructor before the travel takes place. Note, however, that all other absences—including illness, family emergency, etc.—are not covered by the official SUU absence policy. Therefore, you should communicate with me about your absences as much as possible. 
 
Generally, your grade will benefit from frequent and engaged attendance. You have up to two weeks of discretionary absences (MWF = 6 absences, TR = 4 absences). These absences are discretionary, but please use them responsibly and be mindful that absence from class is not an excuse for missed work. Please be aware of any required class readings and deadlines during your absence.
 
Accommodation Notifications:
If you are missing class because of an excused absence or disability accommodation, you should email the professor before class if possible, but no later than midnight on the day you miss class to clarify the status of the absence. If you do not notify the professor  within 48 hours that an accommodation is being used, the absence will be counted against the discretionary absences allotted for the class.
 
Excessive Absences Penalty: 
If you miss more than the two weeks of class due (MWF 6 days, TR 4 days) to unexcused absences, a letter grade will be deducted from your final grade. For each additional week of class that is missed (MWF 3 additional days/TR 2 additional days), an additional letter grade will be deducted.  

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

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.