Textbooks:  We use a custom textbook in this class, The Mercury Reader.  You can only purchase it in the UCC bookstore -- you cannot get it anywhere else. There are links on WebCT to the grammar textbook, as well.  The books you will need to purchase for this class are

Choose one of Diana

these two books by Hacker

Neuleib, Janice, et. al, General Editors. The Mercury Reader. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2007.

Recommended Texts:

The American Heritage College Dictionary. 4^th edition. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. 4^th edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008.

or

Hacker, Diana. A Writer's Reference. 6th edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007.

Structure of the Course: I structure my online classes just like my classroom classes -- the course will not be easier because it's online.  In fact, it's probably harder because you have to be self-motivated and very well-organized to be sure you don't miss deadlines.  I do not accept late assignments, so you must pay attention to due dates and times.  Papers are typically due on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays at 8pm.  The WebCT clock is fast, though, so papers should be turned in by 8:45 to be sure the time on WebCT is before 9:00pm.  If you are not likely to be able to get a paper done on a Sunday, do it on Saturday -- I will not accept it late.

Grades:  The rubric for the UCC English department (distinguishing As from Bs from Cs etc) is posted here -- please take a look at it.

About Dr. Chewning:  Dr. Susannah M. Chewning completed her Ph.D. in English Literature in 1996 at Drew University.  She began teaching in 1989 and has taught at Drew, Rutgers, Montclair State, William Paterson, Seton Hall, Kean University, and Middlesex County College, as well as two colleges in North Carolina.  Dr. Chewning is a medievalist by training published one collection of critical essays, Intersections of Sexuality and the Divine in Medieval Culture: The Word Made Flesh with Ashgate Publishing and will soon publish another collection, The Milieu and Context of the Wohunge Group with the University of Wales Press. Dr. Chewning began teaching at Union County College in 2002 and teaches Composition, Women and Literature, British Literature, and First-Year Seminar classes, as well as serving as the Coordinator for the First Year Seminar since 2007.

What's next? Not everyone is cut out for an online class.  You should go to the UCC website for more information and take the quiz at this link to see if distance learning is something you can do successfully.  If you decide you want to give it a try and take this class online, please email me once you've registered and go to the course syllabus to see specific assignments and due dates. Look also at the special note to online students on the syllabus. Good luck!