Dr. Laurel Bollinger Office Hours - Science Fiction Research ...

Dr. Laurel Bollinger Office Hours:
Morton Hall 206B 9:30-10:00; 2:30-3:30 MTWR
Office Tel. 824-2380 Other times by appointment
Home Office Tel. 721-5921 E-mail: Laurel.Bollinger@uah.edu
EH 418: Representative Texts By Women Writers
EH 540: SS: Feminist Science Fiction
Summer 2008 3.0 Credit Hours Class Meetings MTWR 10:15-12:15 MH 318
Catalogue Description: EH 418: Focus on women’s contribution to the literary tradition.
EH 540 Topics announced in advance.
Prerequisites: EH 418: Successful completion of Sophomore literature, equivalent transfer
credit, or permission of instructor. EH 540: Graduate standing
Course Objectives: To examine feminist science fiction in terms of its historical development
and thematic concerns. To explore the literary criticism surrounding
feminist science fiction and to develop skills in reading and producing
critical analyses of literature.
Required Texts:
(DE) Larbalestier, Daughters of Earth (Wesleyan University Press, ISBN : 0819566764)
(FP) Little, Feminist Philosophy & Science Fiction (Prometheus Books, ISBN : 9781591024149)
Piercy, He, She & It (Fawcett, ISBN : 9780449220603)
Slonczewski, Door into Ocean (Tor, ISBN : 9780312876524)
Tepper, Gate to Women's Country (Bantam, ISBN : 9780553280647)
Elgin, Native Tongue (Feminist Press at The City University of New York, ISBN : 9781558612464)
Course Requirements for EH 418 (Undergraduates):
3 Short papers 20% each 60%
1 Annotated Bibliography 15%
1 Final Exam 15%
In-class Participation 10%
Course Requirements for EH 540 (Graduate students):
1 250 Word Abstract 20%
1 10-12 page paper (2500-3000 words) 50%
1 Final Exam 20%
In-class Participation 10%
Grading System and Percentages:
Grading scale for this course is A-F. Grades are calculated based on the quality points
normally assigned for that letter grade (i.e., 4.0 = A; 3.7 = A-; 3.3 = B+; 3.0 = B etc.). Each
of these quality points will contribute the above percentage to the overall grade

Course Schedule: (All readings and assignments to be completed before classtime)
27 May
28 May
29 May
2 June
3 June
4 June
5 June
9 June
10 June
11 June
12 June
16 June
17 June
18 June
19 June
23 June
24 June
Tuesday Introductions: What is Feminist Science Fiction?
Wednesday Butler, “Bloodchild” (FP), Tuttle, “Wives” + article (DE)
Thursday Harris, Stone, Jones (First 3 stories DE) + articles
Monday Tepper, Gate Into Women’s Country
Tuesday Tepper cont.
Wednesday Merril, “Survival Ship,” Sargent, “Fears,” Russ, “When it Changed” (FP)
Thursday Butler, “Speech Sounds,” Elgin, “For the Sake of Grace” (FP)
418 Paper One Due
Monday Elgin, Native Tongue
Tuesday Elgin cont.
Wednesday Wilhelm, Zoline, Tiptree (next 3 stories DE) + articles
Thursday McIntyre, “Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand”; Murphy, “His Vegetable Wife” (FP)
+ article in DE on Murphy
Monday Slonczewski, The Door Into Ocean
Tuesday Slonczewski cont. 418 Paper Two Due. EH 540 Paper Proposal overdue.
Wednesday Jones, Fowler (DE) + articles
Thursday Moore, “No Woman Born,” van Loggem, “Pairpuppets” (FP).
Latest Submission date for EH 540 Paper draft Friday noon.
Monday Piercy, He, She, and It
Tuesday Piercy cont., Conclusions. EH 418 Paper Three and Annotated
Bibliography Due. EH 540 Latest Submission Date for Abstract

POLICIES:
27 June FINAL EXAM 8:00-10:30.
Latest Submission Date for EH 540 Final Paper
Readings: Read each assignment carefully before coming to class. You obviously can't discuss something you
haven't read. You'll want to pay attention to reading lengths; I've tried to give us enough time for longer reading
assignments, but you'll have to plan ahead to take advantage of that extra time. I’ve scheduled novels after
weekends, but depending upon your other commitments you may want to start early where possible. The five week
summer session is going to be intensive; fitting a full semester of work into that shortened timeframe is always a
challenge. Be aware that minimal expectations for a college-level course would be two hours of work outside class
for each hour inside class. Expect to need up to 4 hours per evening for this course alone, depending upon your
reading speed (I suspect you'll often need a good deal less than that, but I want you to be aware that the 2-1 ratio
applies even more in a compressed term).
Attendance: My goal for us in this course is for us to have the opportunity to discuss the themes and issues in a really
interesting body of literature. I assume that if you choose to continue with this course, your continued enrollment
constitutes an agreement between us: I will endeavor to make each class session worth attending, and you will endeavor to
attend every class, barring unavoidable or emergency situations. The focus of the course will depend upon you as a
group--your interests and concerns and how those interests shape our conversations. If you don't come to class, you won't
be able to participate effectively in the intellectual work of this course--and you will almost certainly compromise your
ability to receive a grade with which you are satisfied. If you cannot attend, make arrangements to get notes. If you know
in advance that you will be unable to attend, arrange for a fellow student to tape record the lecture/discussion and/or to
take more extensive notes than usual. You have 1 "free" miss over the course of the term; save it for genuine illnesses and
unpredictable emergencies. Each absence after that first will result in a full letter-grade reduction in the participation
component of the grade. That means that on or before the 5 th absence, you will have failed 10% of the course (since you
may not have started from an A). For the 6 th and each following absence, your overall letter grade for the course will be
reduced by a letter grade (starting from wherever you are with that F already included.) Two substantial tardies or early
departures will count as one absence. Medical and other emergency issues will only be taken into account as an excuse if
you have established a good ethos of participation and attendance otherwise, and if you have no unjustified absences other
than those emergency ones. Schedule other appointments during non-class times. If you've got family coming in to the
airport, tell them to bring a book because you will collect them after class is over. We only meet 17 times. Be here.
Please also note that failure to attend class does not constitute withdrawal from the course; you are responsible for
formally withdrawing from the course through the registrar should that be your decision.
Papers: Assignments differ for undergraduates and graduate students. See assignment sheets for details.
Exam: The exam will be essay-based, although there may be an identification component depending on my sense of the
needs of the group. You will always have a choice of questions and of particular texts to consider, but this component of
the course is designed to encourage you to complete the assigned readings, so the majority of the texts we read will be
reflected in the exam in one way or another.
Participation: I take participation very seriously. I expect you to pay close attention to our conversation at all times, but
simple attendance and attentive listening will NOT equal A-level participation. Be actively engaged in the conversation.
This means joining in regularly; if you remain silent, other students and I will come to assume that you aren't interested.
On the other hand, pay attention to be sure that you are not drowning out other students who might wish to speak--often, if
a handful of people are too quick to speak every time, other students (who may need more time to formulate a question or
comment) have trouble joining into the discussion at all, or come to rely on those students to do the discussion work on
their behalf. If you do not feel comfortable speaking in class, come talk to me about strategies to relieve this discomfort; I
won't excuse a student from writing a paper because he or she is uncomfortable with writing, and the same goes for

speaking in class! I do have strategies to suggest to help you master this skill if it is not one that comes readily to you, so
please let me know if you need direct instruction to facilitate your participation. See me any time if you aren't sure how
you're doing regarding this component of the grade.
Academic Honesty: Follow all guidelines in UAH's student handbook, as you would for any class. However, let me
point out a few areas of concern for this course, primarily in terms of plagiarism. Plagiarism consists in taking the words
or ideas of another writer--be that fellow student, web site, or published text--and presenting them without clearly
indicating that they are not your own material. (This includes using all or part of any work you've done in one class to
satisfy requirements in another--sometimes using prior research may be acceptable, but be certain to discuss it with your
professor first). I take plagiarism very seriously. It is a violation of the trust that scholars and students must be able to
have in one another if genuine knowledge is to be created and sustained. Words and ideas are intellectual property, so that
using them without proper credit is no different from stealing a wallet and using the credit cards inside. A plagiarized
paper will definitely receive a failing grade--and at my discretion (that is, if I believe it to be a deliberate attempt to
deceive), you may fail the class as a whole. Certainly I will report any violation of academic honesty to Academic
Affairs. In addition, the policies of the English Department make it incumbent upon me to detect plagiarism by whatever
means I have at my disposal, including on-line resources such as Turnitin.com and other on-line searches. Don't use
downloaded material in any paper. If you still have questions, ASK me. Even well intentioned students may sometimes
plagiarize inadvertently, but even accidental plagiarism is serious enough to warrant a failing grade for a paper. Avoid it!
UAH is committed to the fundamental values of preserving academic honesty as defined in the Student Handbook
(7.III.A). The instructor reserves the right to utilize electronic means to help prevent plagiarism. Students agree that by
taking this course all assignments are subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com. Assignments
submitted to Turnitin.com will be included as source documents in Turnitin.com's restricted access database solely for the
purpose of detecting plagiarism in such documents. The terms that apply to the University's use of the Turnitin.com
service, as well as additional information about the company, are described at www.uah.edu/library/turnitin.
I will not accept any essay for credit unless it is submitted to the turnitin website. You do not have to provide hard copy
of anything other than your final draft of your long paper. For shorter projects and drafts I will generally respond to the
on-line version. For that final draft, if the uploaded version and the hard-copy version are substantially different, you may
fail the assignment at my discretion.
Expectations Regarding Classroom Conduct: For us to enjoy and benefit from this class, we all need to behave in
accordance with professional expectations, with an understanding that classroom environments are professional
environments. Let me detail some of what it means to act professionally:
You should expect me to:
� Come prepared for class (*see below for specifics)
� Start and end class on time
� Treat all students fairly and equally
� Treat all students with respect, both in and out of the classroom
� Return all work promptly, generally within one week for longer projects
� Provide useful feedback on work so that students have the opportunity for improvement
� Clearly state all learning objectives, assignments, and due dates, and follow all syllabus specifics unless I notify you
in writing of necessary revision
� Be in my office during office hours or for appointments (barring emergencies, for which I will provided as much
advance notice as is possible)
� Promptly respond to emails concerning the course, generally within 24 hours (barring weekends).
I expect you to:
� Take responsibility for your own learning
� Come prepared for class (*applicable to us both)

Being prepared for class means that you and I will have read the assigned material at least once prior to the class
session, we will have the books and other required material with us, and we will have ideas and interests we want
to pursue with regard to that material during class.
� Behave in courteous ways that do not disrupt the learning environment (See below for specifics)
� Treat all other students and me with respect, both in and out of the classroom
All students in the class must treat others with civility and respect and conduct themselves during class sessions in
a way that does not unreasonably interfere with the opportunity of other students to learn. Failure to comply with
this requirement may result in points being deducted from a student’s final numerical average, up to a maximum
of 15% (1 ½ letter grades). Exceptionally disruptive or threatening behavior will lead to you being asked to leave
the session of the course where the behavior occurred.
� Arrive to class on time and stay for the duration (barring emergencies)
Schedule other appointments during non-class hours. Let me know at or before the beginning of class if you
anticipate a need to leave in the middle of the session; other students and I will be distracted if you simply pick up
and walk out.
� Be interactive in the classroom and participate during in-class discussions
� Submit all work on time, whether electronically or via hard copy as specified for the assignment
� Consistently check your UAH email account for course-specific announcements as needed. Arrange to have that
email account forwarded if it is not the one you routinely check; go to http://www.uah.edu/cgi-bin/chgfwd.cgi to
arrange for that forwarding. You will need to check on a daily or at most every-other-day basis.
� Provide useful feedback to me so that I have the opportunity for improvement
� Complete work in an ethical, professional manner
� Schedule appointments with me by email if you cannot come to office hours or if you would like to speak with me in
private
� Let me know if you are having trouble understanding the material we are covering in class.
Courtesy specifics: Except in emergencies (and let me know you’ve got one), turn beepers/cell phones to vibration mode
during class and do not take routine calls or engage in texting; class should be your priority during the session itself, and
you are not available for casual contact. Phones and other electronic devices are not permitted on your desk or in your
hands during exam or quiz situations. Restrict non-class related conversations to non-class times. Avoid eating loud
(highly crunchy) or strong-smelling foods, rattling wrappers, or opening cans of soda during class; if you cannot avoid
snacking, get yourself set up before class so that others won’t be disrupted—and realize that eating will be mildly
disruptive, so do so only if you absolutely must for health or scheduling reasons. Feel free to bring in a beverage, but be
considerate of others in doing so. Avoid doing work for other classes during this class; the people around you—and I—
can certainly tell the difference between taking notes and writing papers, between attentive listening and doing homework
for other courses. Be particularly mindful of the risk of disruption if you are using a laptop or other keyboarding device;
sit where your screen will not impede other students’ ability to see, be sure to set your keyboard to make the least amount
of noise possible, and realize that any use of the computer for non-class-related activities is unprofessional and rude.
While I hope these expressions of courtesy seem obvious to you, they represent problems I’ve encountered in previous
terms and want to avoid in the future.
Disability Accommodation: The University of Alabama in Huntsville will make reasonable accommodations for
students with documented disabilities. If you need support or assistance because of a disability, you may be eligible for
academic accommodations. Students should identify themselves to the Disability Support Office (824-6203, UC113) and
their instructor as soon as possible to coordinate accommodations.
Office Hours and E-Mail: I have scheduled office hours when I hope they will be convenient for you. There is no need
to make an appointment to see me during those hours; simply drop in. If your class or work schedule
precludes meeting during those times, there are many other times that I am on campus and in my office, and we can work
out a mutually convenient alternative time. Otherwise, feel free to email me or to call if you have questions that can best
be addressed in one of those ways. I routinely check email from home as well, and generally will respond at once.
However, please follow certain basic e-mail courtesies: first, do not attach materials to your emails; I will not download
your work into my system. Cut and paste any specific material you want me to look at for you (and note that I do not
generally review paper drafts in this manner). Second, because I receive a great deal of spam and because I have two
groups of students, please use your subject line to clarify your status as a student (particularly if the way your name
appears in your return-address is unclear--cute names, or combinations of letters and numbers are very difficult to

distinguish from spam, and UAH-issued addresses appear with only your initials, making you very difficult to distinguish
from all my other students). I tend to delete messages that appear to be spam. Sign the email, ideally with your name as
well as information as to which group of students you are in. In addition, please make certain that you check your email
regularly; the account by which I will make contact with you will be the one with which you register for turnitin.com,
which should be your UAH address. If that is not your preferred address, you will need to make arrangements to have
messages from that account forwarded to the address you do check, as shown above. If there are emergency changes in
our schedule or other reasons for me to be in contact with you, I will need to be reasonably confident that you have
received email sent to that address. Finally, remember that email is a professional contact and that you will want to
present yourself in a professional manner to the best of your ability. Error-free isn't essential, but it's a worthy goal.
Copyright Laurel Bollinger 2008. All federal and state copyrights in my lectures and course materials are reserved by me.
You are authorized to take notes in class for your own personal use and for no other purpose. You are not authorized to
record my lectures or to make any commercial use of them or to provide them to anyone else, other than students
currently enrolled in this course, without my prior written permission. In addition to legal sanctions for violations of
copyright law, students found in violation of these prohibitions may be subject to University disciplinary action under the
Code of Student Conduct.