"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

"
"That's depends a good deal on where you want to get to."...
(Alice in Wonderland, Chapter VI, P 64; Carroll, 1960)

INSTRUCTOR:
Name: REMUS BEJAN,
Title: PhD in English and American
Literature
Office location: Room 119
Office phone: 51100/122
Office hours: Friday. 10-12

AUTOBIOGRAPHY STUDIES
Course code: ENG 105
Duration: 14 hour lectures / 0 hour seminars
Credit hours: 3
Location of classroom: Room 118
Class meetings: see the academic schedule

1. Prerequisites
This is an introductory course and students with Cambrige First Certificate /TEOFEL level
thinking (or higher), reading, writing & communication skills should be well prepared to
succeed in this course. No previous coursework in autobiography is required, although such
background is, of course, valuable. It is an elective course and permission of the instructor
is required.

2. Text, Readings, Materials

2.1. Essential (obligatory) readings:

2.1.1. Sidonie Smith and Julia Watson, Reading Autobiography. A Guide for
Interpreting Life Narratives. Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota
Press,2001

2.1.2. Books (available at the University/County Library or in the course pack):

1) Confessions of Saint Augustine
2) Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
3) The Autobiography of Malcolm X
4) Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes

2.1.2. Xerox Packet (available for purchase at Copy Center, 1st floor, Campus):
*Readings marked with a star are in the xerox packet
Packet must be ordered several days prior to pick up.

3. Course Description
3.1. General content of the course and instructional methods.
 Autobiographical Studies

This course aims to be an introduction to the study of self-narrative, from fiction to

biography; the components of autobiographical acts, such core concepts as memory,
experience, identity, agency and the body; the textual and critic history of the field. This one-
semester elective course can lay a solid foundation for understanding and appreciating the rich
diversity and creative achievements of the genre. Students will also be given the chance to
investigate further topics and questions of personal interest.

3. 2. Course Outline (Please have all the readings done by the dates mentioned in the course
and seminar calendars)

SECTION 1. AUTOBIOGRAPHY: DEFINTIONS AND DISTINCTIONS

Readings: Defining Kinds of Autobiographical Writing

1) *Anderson, Linda. “Introduction”. Autobiography. London: Routledge, 2001. 1-17.
2) Derrida Jacques (1980) ‘The Law of Genre’, Gluyph, 7, 202-29
3) Fowler Alistair. Kinds of Literature. An Introduction to the Theory of Genres and
Modes. (London: Claredon Press, 1982).
4) Gusdorf, Georges. "Conditions and Limits of Autobiography." Autobiography:
Essays Theoretical and Critical. Olney James (ed). (Princeton: Princeton University
Press, 1980), pp. 28-48.
5) Hirsch, E.D. « The Concept of Genre ». Validity in Interpretation. New haven and
London: Yale University Press, 1967. 68-126.
6) May, Georges. L’autobiographie. (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1984).
7) *Gilmore, Leigh. “The Mark of Autobiography: Postmodernism, Autobiography and
Genre”. Autobiography and Postmodernism. Kathleen Ashley, Liegh Gilmore and
Gerlad peters (eds). Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1994. 3-20.
8) *Olney, James. “A theory of Autobiography”. Metaphors of the Self. The Meaning
of Autobiography. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1972.3-50.

Readings:( Auto)biogaphy, Fiction and History

1) Backscheider, Paula R. Reflections on Biography. Oxford University Press, 1999.
2) Lejeune, Pilippe. Le pacte autobiographique. (Paris: Editions du Seuil, 1975).
3) Marino, Adrian. « Biografia ». Dictionar de idei literare. (Bucuresti: Editura
Eminescu 1973).

Readings: Autobiogaphical Truth

1) *Bejan, Remus. “The Truth Speaks out of Me”. Confession as Literature. Iasi:
Junimea, 1998.50-59.
2) *Bejan, Remus. “Simply Myself”. Confession as Literature. Iasi: Junimea, 1998.39-
47.
3) Couser, G. Thomas. Altered Egos: Authority in American Autobiography. New York
Oxford OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1989
4) *Gilmore, Leigh. “Policing Truth: Confession, Gender, and Autobiographical
Authority”. Autobiography and Postmodernism. Kathleen Ashley, Liegh Gilmore
and Gerlad peters (eds). Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1994. 54-78.

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 Autobiographical Studies

5) Rosenberg, J.R. The Circular Pilgrimage. An Anatomy of Confessional

Autobiography. (New York: Peter Lang, 1994).
6) Spender, Stephen. “Confessions and Autobiography.” Autobiography. Essays
Theoretical and Critical. Olney James (ed). (Princeton: Princeton University Press,
1980), pp. 115-122;
7) Tambling, Jeremy. Confession: Sexuality, Sin, the Subject. (Manchester: Manchester
University Press, 1990).
8) Trilling, Lionel. Sincerity and Authenticity. (London: Oxford University Press,
1974).

SECTIONS #2 AUTOBIOGAPHICAL SUBJECTS

Readings: (Autobiographical) Memory

1) *Katherine Nelson .”Narrative and Self, Myth and Memory: Emergence of the Cultural
Self “.Autobiographical Memory and the Construction of a Narrative Self.
Developmental and Cultural Perspectives. Robyn Fivush and Catherine A. Haden
(eds) . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. 3-28.
2) *Robyn Fivush and Catherine A. Haden . “Introduction: Autobiographical Memory,
Narrative and Self “. Autobiographical Memory and the Construction of a Narrative
Self. Developmental and Cultural Perspectives. Robyn Fivush and Catherine A. Haden
(eds) . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. vii-xiv.
3) „91 Revere Street: The Aesthetics of Memory”. British and American Studies. Vol. XII.
Hortensia Parlog, editor. ISSN 1224-3086. Timisoara: Editura Universităţii de Vest,
2006. pp. 17-26.
4) Bejan, Remus. „Nabokov's Speak, Memory: The Ceaseless Return”. BAS (British and
American Studies). Vol XII. Hortensia Parlog, ed. Timisoara: Editura Universitatii de
Vest. 2008. ISBN 1584-3734. pp. 275- 283.

Readings: Experience and the Autobiographical Subject

1) * Braid, Donald. “Personal Narrative and Experiential Meaning”. Journal of American
Folklore 109(431):5-30. 1996.
2) Jung, C.G. Aïon. Études sur la phénomenologie du soi. Traduit de l’allemand par J. J.
Perrot et M. M. Lorizier-Sahler. (Paris: Albin Michel, 1983).
3) Lacan, Jacques. ”Le stade du mirroir comme fondateur de la fonction de Je”. Ecrits 1.
(Paris: Editions du Seuil, 1966), pp. 89-97.
4) Lacan, Jacques. “Du sujet enfin en question”. Ecrits 1. (Paris: Editions du Seuil,
1966), pp. 101-109.
5) Lacan, Jacques. “Fonction et champ de la parole et du langage en psychanalyse”.Ecrits
1. (Paris.” Editions du Seuil, 1966), pp. 111-208.
6) *De Man, Paul (1979) ‘Autobiography as De-facement’, Modern Language Notes,
94:919-30.
7) Olney, James. "The Onthology of Autobiography". Autobiography: Essays Theoretical
and Critical. Olney James (ed). (Princeton: Princeton University Press 1980), pp. 236-
267;

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 Autobiographical Studies

8) Olney, James. "Autobiography and the Cultural Moment." Autobiography. Essays

Theoretical and Critical. Olney James (ed). (Princeton: Princeton UniversityPress,
1980), pp. 3-27;
9) Renza, A. Louis. "The Veto of the Imagination". Autobiography. Esyays Theoretical
and Critical. Olney James (ed). (Princeton: Princeton University Press 1980), pp. 268-
295.

Readings: Identity
1) Anderson, Linda. “Subjectivity, Representation and Narrative”. Autobiography.
London: Routledge, 2001. 60-91.
2) Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life. (London: Penguin
Books Ltd., 1990).
3) Williams, C. J. F. Being, Identity, and Truth. Oxford : Clarendon Press,1992 .
4) Gary M. Kenyon and William L. Randall . Restorying our Lives: Personal Growth
Through Autobiographical Reflection. Westport, Connecticut London: Paraeger, 1997.
5) *Robyn Fivush and Janine P. Buckner. Creating Gender and Identity Through
Autobiographical Narratives. Autobiographical Memory and the Construction of a
Narrative Self. Developmental and Cultural Perspectives. Robyn Fivush and Catherine
A. Haden (eds) . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. 149-168.
6) Bejan, Remus. „The Power of Place: The Politics of Identity in Maya Angelou's I
Knnow Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Culture, Subculture, Counterculture. International
Conference Galati 02-03 November 2007. Romanian Society for English and American
Studies. Editura Europlus. 2008. ISBN: 978-973-7845-95-5. pp. 44-51.

Readings: Embodiment
1) *Smith, Sidonie. “Identity’s Body”. Autobiography and Postmodernism. Kathleen
Ashley, Liegh Gilmore and Gerlad peters (eds). Amherst: University of Massachusetts
Press, 1994. 266-292.
2) Williams, Simon J., and Gillian Bendelow. The Lived Body: Sociological themes,
embodied issues. London and New York: Routledge, 1998.

Readings: Agency

1) Althusser, Louis. Essays on Ideology. London: Verso, 1984.

2) *Eakin, Paul John. “Self-invention”. Fictions in Autobiography: Studies in the
Art of Self-Invention. Princeton: Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 1985.
3) Foucault, Michel. “Technologies of the Self”. Technologies of the Self. A
Seminar with Michel Foucault. Luther H. Martin and Patrick H. Hutton.
Amherst: University of Masschussetts Press, 1988. 16-49.
4) Lyotard, Jean-Farncois. The Post-Modren Condition.A Report on KNowledge.
Translated by Geoff Beenngton and Brian Massumi. Minneapolis: University
of Minessota Press, 1984.
5) Quigley, Jean. “Accounting for Oneslef: The Discourse of Agency”. The
Gramar of Autobiography: A Developmental Account. Mahwah, New jersey:
lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2000.
6) Bejan, Remus. "Nigrescence: Mapping the Journey in I Know Why the Caged
Bird Sings". Romanian Journal of English Studies. Vol IV. Luminita Frentiu,

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 Autobiographical Studies

editor. Timisoara: Editura Universitatii de Vest, 2007. ISBN 1584-3734.

pp. 200-207.

SECTION 3. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ACTS

Readings:Coaxers/occasions for self-narratives

1) *Bejan, Remus. “I am to Myself and my Trouble Sings”. Confession as Literature. Iasi:
Junimea, 1998. 29-31.
2) *Bejan, Remus. “’Wy Then Does It Matter, Whether Men Should Hear What I Have to
Confess?”. Confession as Literature. Iasi: Junimea, 1998.31-34.
3) *Bejan, Remus. “Knowing Who You Are”. Confession as Literature. Iasi: Junimea,
1998.31-39.

Readings: The Autobiographical “I”

1) *Bejan, Remus. “The Dismembrement of Orpheus”. Confession as Literature. Iasi:
Junimea, 1998.59-65.
2) *Bejan, Remus. “I Confess, Therefore I Am”. Confession as Literature. Iasi: Junimea,
1998.66-76.
3) Benstock, Shari. The Private Self Theory and Practice of Women's Autobiographical
Writings. Chapel Hill & London:The University of North Carolina Press, 1998.
4) Eakin, Paul John. Touching the World: Reference in Autobiography. Princeton, New
Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1992
5) *Foucault, Michel. “What is An Author?” Modern Criticism and Theory. A Reader.
David Lodge, ed. (London & New York: Logman, 1988), pp. 197-210.

Readings: Relationality and the Other of the Autobiogtraphical “I”’s

1) Eakin, Paul, John. “Relational Selves, Relational Lives: Autobiography and the Myth of
Autonomy”. How our Lives Become Stories. Cornell University Press, 1999. 43-98.
2) Laing, R.D. Self and Others. (London: Penguin Books Ltd., 1990);
3) Nietzsche, Friedrich. Genealogia moralei. Tr. Darie Lazarescu. (Bucuresti: Mediarex,
1996).
4) Nietzsche, Friedrich. Will to Power, tr. Walter Kaufmann. (London: Vintage Books,
1968).
5) Ricoeur, Paul. Oneself as Another. Translated by Kathleen Blatney. (London and
Chicago:The University of Chicago Press, 1992).
6) Bejan, Remus. “Nabokov: Transcending the Diasporatic Subject”. Expatriation.
Conference Proceedings, Edited by Adina Cougureanu, Ludmila Martanobschi,
Nicoleta Stanca. Ovidius University Press (3422 cuvinte). 2008. ISBN 978-973-614-
474-5. pp.31 – 37;

Readings: The Addressee/ The Audience

1) *Bejan, Remus. “The Summing-up Must Be His”. Confession as Literature. Iasi:
Junimea, 1998.47-50.
2) Eco, Umberto. The Role of the Reader: Explorations in the Semiotics of Texts.
Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 1979.

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 Autobiographical Studies

3) Iser, Wolfgang. The Implied Reader: Patterns of Communication in Prose Fiction from
Bunyan to Beckett. Baltimore and London: The John Hopkins University Press, 1974.
4) Iser, Wolfgang. The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response. Baltimore and
London: The John Hopkins University Press, 1978.

Readings : Structurirng Modes of Self-Inquiry

1) *Bejan, Remus. “Guilty Scribbling”. Confession as Literature. Iasi: Junimea, 1998. 77-
85.
2) Hatch, Amos and Richard Wisniewski (eds). Life History and Narrative. London,
Washington, D.C. : The Falmer Press, 1995.
3) * Adams, Timothy Dow. “Introduction. Design and Lie in Modern American
Autobiography”. Telling Lies in Modern American Autobiography . Chapel Hill and
London: The University of North Carolina Press , 1990. 1-16.
1) Starobinski, Jean. "The Literary Style of Autobiography." Literary, Style. A Symposium.
Thomas Parkinson, ed. (London & New York: Oxford University Press, 1971). pp. 285-
293. See also “Stilul autobiografiei”. Relatia critica. Tr. Alexandru George. (Bucuresti:
Editura Univers, 1974), pp.86-99;

3. 3. Course/ seminar Calendar.

SEMESTER 1

SECTION 1. AUTOBIOGRAPHY: DEFINTIONS AND DISTINCTIONS

1) Defining Kinds of Autobiographical Writing.

2) Autobiogaphy in Relation to Biography, the Novel and History
3) Autobiogaphical Truth

SECTIONS 2. AUTOBIOGAPHICAL SUBJECTS

4) Memory
5) Experience and the Autobiographical Subject
6) Identity
7) Embodiment
8) Agency

SECTION 3. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ACTS

9) Coaxers/occasions for self-narrative
10) The Autobiographical “I”
11) Relationality and the Other of the Autbiogtraphical “I”’s
12) The Addressee/ The Audience
13) Structuring Modes of Self-Inquiry
14) Evaluations

3. 3 .3. Paper Assignments

3. .3 .3. 1. Paper 1 Assignment

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 Autobiographical Studies

I. Objectives
o Apply the ideas set forward in the course to a particular text.
o Research some additional autobiographical texts.

II. Materials

 In order to write this paper, you will need to refer to two or

more text(s) from different time periods.

III. Assignment

Write a 1500 words paper answering ONE of the questions below. BE SURE TO
INCLUDE YOUR TA'S NAME AND YOUR SECTION TIME ON THE PAPER'S
COVER SHEET.

i. Choose any of the obligatory autobiographical texts and analyze

processes or methods of knowledge production .

ii. Choose any of the obligatory autobiographical texts and analyze

how it constructs personal identity.

IV. Writing Tips

 Remember that papers must have a thesis statement clearly outlined in

the first paragraph. Evidence and analysis follow. Do not simply describe your
sources, but offer an argument that you then document by referring to your
evidence. We don't want a retelling of the Pocahontas story, even if the retelling
highlights something very interesting; just include the interesting bits as
evidence for your thesis.
 Topic sentences are your friends, not simply an evil, bitter thing teacher
types get hung up on. Topic sentences belong at the beginning of each
paragraph. Often, on a second reading, you can discover them at the bottom of
the paragraph and move them to the top. They should function as a bone
structure or building frame to your argument. Ideally one could read your
excellent topic sentences and know exactly what you're arguing.
 Title your paper and write a conclusion. A title helps your reader know
what you plan to say. Many student papers slide off at the end. You don't need
to rock the known universe; simply restate your argument and tell us the
significance of what you've just laid out.

V. Due Date
 November 18th, 2015

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 Autobiographical Studies

Each paper must be read first by the TA. Students must turn in to dr. Remus Bejan
both the version of the paper commented on by the TA and the revision. There can be
no late papers. Students not able to meet the deadlines for reasons other than time
mismanagement must speak to dr. Remus Bejan.

You can hand your papers to your Teaching Assistant. Or assignments can be delivered
to the Department of English, Room 129. The Room will be open from 8 a.m. until 5
p.m.

3.3.3.2. Paper 2 Assignment

I. Objectives:
o Synthesize information from class readings.
o Consider the interaction between individuals and the places they
inhabit.

II. Materials.
You can still locate your own sources at the County Library, on the WWW or
anywhere else. Also available are a new paper packet at the Copy Center and a series
of paintings of Pocahontas (see list below for titles and where to find them).

III. Assignment

Answer one of the following questions in 1500 words page paper. Each option
contains a series of questions within it. You do not have to answer every question, but
you should think about them all and choose a path through the assignment that helps
you present an argument. Do not write more than eight pages. Remember to state your
thesis and pay attention to topic sentences, paragraphing, and transitions between
paragraphs. Write a conclusion that sums up your argument and explains why its
important.

iii. Choose any of the obligatory autobiographical texts and analyze

Relationality .

iv. Choose any of the obligatory autobiographical texts and analyze

Experience

V. Due Date
 December 16th, 2015

a.m. until 5 p.m.

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 Autobiographical Studies

3.3.3.3. Paper 2 Assignment

I. Objectives:
o Synthesize information from class readings.
o Consider the role of memory as a source of life narratives.
o Consider the role of time/temporality in shaping autobiographical
accounts

II. Materials.
You can still locate your own sources at the County Library, on the WWW or
anywhere else. Also available are a new paper packet at the Copy

III. Assignment

Answer one of the following questions in 1500 words page paper. Each option
contains a series of questions within it. You do not have to answer every question, but
you should think about them all and choose a path through the assignment that helps
you present an argument . Do not write more than five pages. Remember to state your
thesis and pay attention to topic sentences, paragraphing, and transitions between
paragraphs. Write a conclusion that sums up your argument and explains why its
important.

v. Choose any of the obligatory autobiographical texts and analyze

Memory .
vi. Choose any of the obligatory autobiographical texts and analyze
Time/ Temporality

V. Due Date
 January 13th, 2016

3. 4. Final Examination

The final examination will take place during the OUC examination period in January-
February, following the end of the course. The exact date will be provided when the
examination is scheduled.

3.4.1. Final Exam -- Study Sheet

Fall 2005
Instructions & Tips

1). The final exam will be in two parts.

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 Autobiographical Studies

Long essays (80%). You will write TWO essays in response to the questions listed on
the attached pages. There will be some choice on the exam but you should prepare all
the essay questions handed out in advance.

Identifications (20%) The exam will ask you to identify, contextualize, and analyze
some concepts and terms used in the readings, the films and the lectures. There will be
a choice of what terms you will write about. If you prepare the essay questions
attached, you will be ready to complete the identifications as well.

2). As you prepare the answers to the essay questions, remember the following.

o The objective of the exam is to synthesize the material you've learned

in the class, bringing together themes and comparing subjects as well as
methodologies.
o Try to refer to more than half of the readings and to some of the topics
covered in lecture and discussions. A good exam will cover a lot of
material and analyze it well. Feel free to go beyond the minimum
number of books each question asks you to include.
o A good answer to an essay question has a thesis (which is simply stated
in the first sentence or paragraph). Write your thesis statements ahead
of time.

3). Feel free to work on preparing the essay questions together. Your classmates are
your best resource for review. On the other hand, the teaching assistants and I will be
available to help with any questions that come up. See the attached list of office hours
during reading period and email addresses.

4). No books or notes will be allowed in the exam room.

5). The final exam will be held on January/February 21-8 at 9 a.m. in 101 Auditorium.

6). If you have any special needs with respect to taking the exam, please leave a note
for dr. Remus Bejan in his box at the English Department office, Room 129 explaining
your situation and giving a phone number or email address where we can reach you.

V. Final Exam – January/February 2015

Instructions and Tips

1. You will write four identifications and two essays.

2. As you write the essays, try to remember the following.

o The objective of the exam is to synthesize the material you've learned

in the class, bringing together themes and comparing subjects as well as
methodologies.

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 Autobiographical Studies

o Try to refer to more than half of the readings and to some of the topics
covered in lecture and discussions. A good exam will cover a lot of
material and analyze it well.
o A good answer to an essay question has a thesis (which is simply stated
in the first sentence or paragraph).

3. Be careful about time -- we have included suggested times next to the questions.
Budget well.

4. OPTIONAL, BUT RECOMMENDED: Include an outline of your essay on the first

page of your answer. This will help you get organized, help the teaching assistants
understand what you are trying to accomplish, and serve as back-up should you run
out of time to complete an answer.

A: Identifications: 50% (60 minutes – 150 words /each)

Choose SIX of the terms below and identify each one in 3 to 4 sentences. Where
applicable, include an example and the name and author of the text in which the
person, place or idea is included. Definitions are important to a good identification and
you need to say why this term is important to the study of American Studies.
Life-writing
Agency
Subject
Self
Embodiment
Truth (in autobiography)
Temporality
Autobiography

B) Essay: 50% (60 minutes, 900 words)

Choose one of the following questions and answer it:

1. Choose a place you know well and talk about how it works to construct an imagined
community and a set of identities. Briefly describe the place and the people who use it,
but most of the essay should be an analysis of "the power of place." You should
consider how people shape the place as well as how the place shapes peoples' ideas
and actions. Use at least three of the books or films you've read for the course to
explain or to compare to your place. Some useful texts might include Anderson's
Imagined Communities ; Dolores Hayden, The Power of Place; Himes, If He Hollers
Let Him Go; Gibson, Virtual Light; and/or "Sayonara."

2. Why do people have a stake in how history is represented? What role does historical
memory play in the construction of nation, identities, and the meaning of place?
Choose at least three of the readings from the class and one museum exhibit,

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 Autobiographical Studies

preservation project, painting, or photograph to discuss these questions. You might

think about the Pocahontas myth; Terkel's and Berube's oral histories; the controversy
over the Enola Gay exhibit; the "America's Smithsonian" exhibit.

3. Discuss Chester Himes' use of identity, place, and nation in his novel, If He Hollers,
Let Him Go. Compare how Himes uses nation, place, and identity with how other
books you've read or films you've seen in class use the same ideas. Examine at least
two other books or films in addition to Himes' novel.

4. Have American race relations improved since Pocahontas "saved" John Smith's life?
Gunnar Myrdal, in An American Dilemma , said that the United States had not lived
up to its national creed which promised liberty, equality and justice for all. Do you
agree? Referring to at least one reading or film from each unit, think about what roles
nation, place, and identity have played in American racial ideology. In Unit 1, you
might think about Disney's "Pocahontas" or the articles by Feest and Merrell; in Unit
2, Women in a Global Factory or The Power of Place ; from Unit 3, "Sayonara", If He
Hollers, Let Him Go , and the readings on "The Language of Difference" and "Living
Difference."

4. Course Policies
The February examination will cover autobiography topics studied during the semester
(courses). The purpose of the examination is to enable students to demonstrate their width and
depth of reading, the ability to develop an argument and support it with illustrations. It is not
the purpose of the exam to encourage the student merely to write out class essays for a second
time, or simply to transcribe notes taken in lectures that have vague connection with the
question set. Sitting the February examination is a compulsory part of the course, and no
student can sit it without having completed their written work by the deadlines set by the
tutor, or who have a poor attendance record (less than 75%) in their courses and seminars,
without reasonable explanation. These may be regarded as not having fulfilled the
requirements of the course and so not allowed to sit the examination.

4.1. Passing Autobiography. A successful pass in the course will be judged by performance
in the written work, preparation, and participation in the seminars, and by formal
examination. At the end of the semester all students will be assigned an overall mark,
which will be an aggregate of the February examination (70%), paper assignments (3x1o
%=30%). All forms of assessment, as well as the deadlines are compulsory. Getting
passing grades in the essay tests, as well as for seminar work is a pre-requisite for
admission to the February examination. Students should complete all the specified work
of the American Studies class that falls due during the semester, and must be handed to
the tutor by the assigned date. Students failing the February examination, make take the
September 2006 ‘re-sit’.

4.2. Attendance, lateness. Attendance at all lectures and seminars is compulsory. In the event
you arrive late, check in with the Teaching Assistant.

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 Autobiographical Studies

4.3. Class participation. Class participation in this course: Class attendance is required.

4.4. Missed exams or assignments

4.5. Assignment Submission: It is important that you start working on assignments early and
that you submit assignments on time (by 12 noon on the due date for each assignment).
Assignments may be submitted electronically to the email address ??????? or in person at the
English Department, Room 129.

4.6. Late Assignments: Assignments handed in after 12 noon on the due date will be marked
down 5%, and an additional 5% for each additional day thereafter (not including Saturday and
Sunday). Late assignments should be e-mailed to the course email address but must also be
submitted as a paper copy. Work submitted more than seven days (not including Sat. and
Sun.) after the due date will not be accepted. Extensions may be granted when students
present the Course Instructor with a compelling reason for their inability to meet the deadline
with satisfactory documentation (e.g., a doctor’s note indicting the reason for the late
submission). A technical or computer glitch will not be accepted as a valid reason for an
extension.

4.7. Academic dishonesty. Honesty and fairness are considered fundamental to the
University's mission, and, as a result, all those who violate those principles are dealt with as if
they were damaging the integrity of the University itself. When students are suspected of
cheating or a similar academic offence, they are typically surprised at how formally and
seriously the matter is dealt with - and how severe the consequences can be if it is determined
that cheating did occur. Ovidius University of Constanta treats cases of cheating and
plagiarism very seriously.

Examples of offences for which you will be penalized include (but are not limited to):
 Using any unauthorized aids on an exam or test (e.g., "cheat sheets", etc.)
 Representing someone else's work or words as your own - plagiarism
 Falsifying documents or grades
 Purchasing an essay
 Submitting someone else's work as your own
 Submitting the same essay or report in more than one course (without
permission)
 Looking at someone else's answers during an exam or test
 Impersonating another person at an exam or test or having someone else
impersonate you
 Making up sources or facts for an essay or report.

As a student it is your responsibility to ensure the integrity of your work and to understand
what constitutes an academic offence. If you have any concerns that you may be crossing the
line, always ask your instructor. Your instructor can explain, for example, the nuances of
plagiarism and how to use secondary sources appropriately; he or she will also tell you what
kinds of aids - calculators, dictionaries, etc. - are permitted in a test or exam. Ignorance of the
rules does not excuse cheating or plagiarism.

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Grading. The essay and project work must be handed to the course organizer by the assigned
date. It is essential that work be completed on time to allow for marking and return within
three weeks. Late work will be penalized with 20 (out of 100) marks per week, and no written
comments or discussion can be expected. Seriously late written work (one week) will be zero-
marked and not re-set. Work will be discussed individually with each student (after
submission). Class performance is measured by the quality of the written work. A satisfactory
class performance, which includes completion of all written work, leads to students having
“duly performed” the work of the course. This permits students to sit the February exam, or
re-sit it in September. Students may be refused a “DP” if students have failed to complete and
hand in written work or missed seminars without proper explanation.

4. 8. Lab safety/health. Ethical use of University computers is expected at Ovidius

University of Constanta. It is expected that the equipment and/or resources accessed in the
computer labs are to be used for academic research, assignments, and course activities only.
5. General Information

5.1. Course Announcements: Announcements, updates to readings, assignment topics,

requirements, and evaluation, etc. will be posted to the English Department board (Room
129). Students are responsible for checking it regularly.

5.2. Office Hours: Students are welcome to ask questions or resolve course-related problems
by contacting the Course Instructor or Teaching Assistant by dropping in during scheduled
office hours or by making an appointment. The Course Instructor will not re-teach material
covered in the lectures.

5.3. E-mail Communication: The Course Instructor may be contacted via the course email
address (remusbejan@yahoo.com) to get clarification on course issues, to submit
assignments, or to ask brief questions. The Course Instructor and Teaching Assistant will
endeavor to provide responses to emails within 24 to 48 hours. Urgent issues must be
communicated in person or by phone (with a follow up email message).
5.4. Available Support Services. A number of instructional support services are available to
you..

 The English Department Library, Room 133, Room 119

 The County Library, Strada Mircea cel Bătrân
 The Central Students’ Library, Bulevardul Mamaia 124 (a section of CSL is open
Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6. APPENDIX B: Student Evaluations

I. Evaluation Forms

Department of English

Teaching Evaluation Form

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A. Overall Course

Introduction to American Studies

Fall 2112

Dr. Remus Bejan

The Department of English is committed to maintaining a high level of teaching. Your

responses to this questionnaire will enable both the program and your instructor to
evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching in this course. Since the results of this survey
will also be used in reappointment and promotion decisions for your instructor, we
urge you to consider each question carefully.

Thanks for your time.

I. Student Background

1) What is your major/minor?

2) 3. Prior to your enrollment in this course, how much did you know
about the English Department (Circle one)

Very Little 1 2 3 4 5 A Lot

3) What do you think about the English Department now?

4) How well did you do in this course? (Circle one)

Poorly 1 2 3 4 5 Very Well

5) What grade do you expect to receive? (Circle one)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

II. Class Meetings

6) What did you think of the regular lectures? Were they clear, well
organized, and interdisciplinary? Did you want to hear about subjects
(themes, issues, time periods) that weren't covered? What was covered
in lectures that was particularly useful?
7) Did the sections and lectures seem well coordinated and
complementary?

III: Readings and Assignments

8) What was your favorite reading in each section and why?

Unit 1:

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Unit 2:

Unit 3:

9) What readings do you think should be dropped and why?

10) Overall, do you think the readings were well-chosen and instructive?
11) Were the assignments interesting and useful? Did you find the
expectations clearly stated? Was the grading fair?

V. Course Structure/Instructor
12) Assess this instructor's overall strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.
13) Assess the organization of the course.
14) Did you find the course intellectually challenging?
15) What surprised you about the course?

B. Report on results of evaluation

October 9, 2015 Dr. Remus Bejan

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