Humanities and Social Sciences

English Program

Undergraduate Resources

Essential Guide

Foreword

The Essential Guide is a compendium of all the basic things we have found that students need to know to make their work go smoothly. So you will find advice and/or information about such things as essay writing, enrolment and re-enrolment, examinations, counselling and child care. With a copy of the Guidelines issued by individual courses, and a copy of the Essential Guide, you should be able to deal with the complications that occasionally arise in student life, and also satisfy the rules and requirements of the Program. If in doubt, make an appointment with your tutor, and he or she will direct you to other sources of advice if need be.

The courses the Program offers and the staff who teach them are dedicated to variety and plurality. Courses cover a variety of areas and topics: English literature from the 14th century to the present day, Australian literature, American literature, new literatures in English, women's writing, creative writing, cultural studies, psychoanalytic theory, studies in the relations between psychoanalytic, medical and literary discourses, and literary theory. Most of our staff, including some of the most senior and experienced, teach in first year as well as later years; all of our staff are actively engaged in research as well as teaching, so that in your classes you will have access to what is currently being discovered and debated in the discipline of literary criticism. Courses adopt a plurality of approaches; this reflects the wide range of contemporary approaches not only to literary texts but to texts in general, and to cultural, political and gender issues. This variety and plurality is one thing that, we feel, distinguishes La Trobe English from other schools and departments in Australia.

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A Profile of Students

There are four kinds of students in English:

Undergraduates, who are enrolled in a pass degree ('Bachelor of Arts', abbreviated to B.A.);
Undergraduates, who are admitted into the honours program on the basis of their achievement in their first three years, and who are awarded the degree of BA(Honours) after a fourth year;
Graduates, who are taking further undergraduate subjects in Graduate Diplomas.
Postgraduates, who have completed a first degree and are enrolled in a higher degree (e.g. Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated to M.A. or Ph.D.).
30 students completed English honours in 2003 and 30 students are enrolled for 2004. There are 48 current postgraduate candidates.

Although in many cases subject quotas have been lifted, the Program is committed to teaching in groups small enough for students to have voices of their own.

The Structure of the English Program

The English Program is located within the School of Communication, Arts and Critical Enquiry and has a relatively simple structure comprising the following positions, committees and coordinators:

Coordinator - an elected position. The Coordinator is responsible for the academic administration of the Program.

Deputy Coordinator - an elected position.

The Program Board to which all members of staff and elected student representatives belong - primarily a forum for discussing policy and practical matters relevant to the running of the Program. Provision is made in the procedures and guidelines which govern the administration of the English Program for three student representatives, one elected from each of the following categories: undergraduate; fourth-year honours; postgraduate.

Subject coordinators are important because they are the people who run your subjects. You will find their names on the Information Sheets for the subjects in which you are enrolled. Their specific duties include: preparing the Handbook entry; organising teaching arrangements including venues, timetables, allocation of places in tutorials; preparation of an Information Sheet at the beginning of the year setting out all the details of the subject including subject requirements, essay dates and assessment procedures; preparing and distributing bibliographies and reading lists; coordinating the setting of essay topics and exam papers (where appropriate); being available for student consultation; supplying booklists to the Bookshop.

The Honours coordinator organises the selection process for honours students, administers honours program, and in general looks after the honours students.

The Postgraduate coordinator administers the selection of postgraduate students, organises the postgraduate program, and in general looks after the postgraduate students.

Periodically the Program conducts student surveys of all its subjects. The surveys are administered by the Academic Development Unit (the ADU). These surveys help to give us a clear and systematic picture of how our subjects are functioning. Survey results have had an impact on general matters of policy as well as on the teaching of individual subjects. The Program appreciates the time and care students have put into the answering of the surveys.

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Teaching

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING SECTION WITH CARE. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW THE PROGRAM PROCEDURES AS THEY ARE SET OUT HERE. IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND AFTER READING THIS SECTION, ASK YOUR TUTOR.

Teaching in the English Program is by means of

• lectures
• seminars
• tutorials

Completing a subject means attending lectures, participating in tutorials or seminars, submitting a number of pieces of written work, and finally in some subjects taking an examination or class test.

Lectures usually run for 50 minutes and begin five minutes after the hour. Most lectures are designed to present a considered and coherent argument about a text or an issue. They are intended to start you thinking about the work, and to stimulate you to form your own views and arguments. You need not accept the lecturer's opinions or judgements and may find it useful to discuss them in tutorials.

Students who persistently talk in lectures disturb other students' concentration and can expect to be asked by the lecturer to leave.

Transcripts of lectures are not normally available.

Requests for taping of lectures must be made at least twenty-four hours in advance. Taping can only be arranged in exceptional circumstances. Permission for private taping may sometimes be obtained from a lecturer, but you must always ask for permission.

No student who is unable (because of timetable clashes, work commitments etc.) to attend lectures for a subject is permitted to enrol in that subject.

Seminars are smaller groups of students than are usually found in a lecture. In a seminar students are expected to participate in a discussion led by a lecturer. A seminar is usually opened by the lecturer or tutor giving a prepared paper or talk (often briefer than a lecture) which is the basis for the seminar discussion to follow. Sometimes the introductory presentation may be given by a student. Seminars are more common in years after first year.

Tutorials are groups of students who meet weekly, under the guidance of their tutor, to discuss the texts on the course. Regular attendance at tutorials is essential, since they are where the foundational work for the subject is undertaken. Tutors normally keep a record of attendance at tutorials, and regard unexplained absences seriously.

Changing tutorials is an option only after consultation with your tutor, but is usually possible in the first three weeks of a semester. First year students need to consult with their tutor and the subject coordinator before changing tutors.

Teaching staff indicate when they are available by means of their timetable, posted on the door, but you can always make an appointment with your tutor for consultation. Remember that staff have administrative and research as well as teaching responsibilities, and that they cannot therefore be expected to be continuously available. Make sure you leave a note at the general office if the person you call to see is not around.

Mobile phones must be switched off in lectures, seminars and tutorials. Some tutorials and seminars have a coffee or tea break in the middle; otherwise eating and drinking is not permitted.

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Written Work

There are three kinds of written work - exercises, essays and exams or tests - of varying lengths and focusing on different kinds of topics. Statement of Authorship forms for essays and exercises are normally distributed with the essay questions but are also available on the web. (Students enrolled in 2/3 subjects need to look carefully at the different submission requirements and penalties for subject essays, final essays, and essays in lieu of exams - see the section below). Written work is normally marked by your tutor, and returned to you within three weeks.

Word limits for exercises and essays are set out on the topics sheet. Essays that are too long may be penalised. Essays that are too short are unlikely to contain sufficient material to earn a good mark. If you use substantial quotations in your exercise or essay (more than about 40 words) you are not allowed to count these in the word length.

Tutors are happy to discuss essay topics and the conception and planning of an essay. In later years they may permit you to devise your own topic, as long as you discuss it with them, and get their clearance. However, do not ask your tutor to read a draft of your essay. At tertiary level students are expected to revise their own work unassisted.

Due dates for submission are set out on the topic sheets. Written work must be submitted by the due date unless an official extension has been granted by your tutor on the grounds of illness or significant personal difficulty.

Penalties for late submission of essays: if you submit an exercise or an essay (other than a final essay or an essay in lieu of an exam) after the due date, your mark is subject to a penalty of 2% per working day or 10% per week. Essays will not normally be accepted after 2 weeks without an extension. Note that an essay that is a week late goes down a grade and this will have a significant impact on your final result in a subject. Work that is submitted late will often be returned late, since tutors give preference to work that comes in on time. In other words, if you break the implicit contract that you get your written work in on time, your tutor has no reciprocal obligation to get it back to you quickly. It is in everyone's interest that you make every effort to submit work on time.

Submission of written work is a job you do yourself. Exercises and essays are posted in English's essay box and stamped with date of receipt before they are passed on to the marker. If you cannot get to the University in time for the submission date, then send your work to the Program by certified mail so as to arrive by this date. It is unwise to entrust your work to a third party or a messenger service. The Program will not accept written work that is faxed or emailed in, nor work that is presented on disk.

The presentation of written work is important. All written work must have a Statement of Authorship form which is essential for the administrative staff to distribute work to the correct markers. If any information is missing, your exercise can easily go astray and be held up in the marking process.

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All work must be in at least 12pt, one and a half or double spacing and have a clear 4 cm margin for comments and annotations. Write or printout on one side of the paper only. Number the pages and staple them together. Do not submit work in plastic folders or sheaths.

You should keep a photocopy, not just a draft, of all written work submitted. If you use a computer, make sure you have a backup disk containing your written work. Very occasionally submitted essays go astray, and you may be asked to resubmit work later in the year.

Extensions are normally granted only on grounds of illness or personal hardship. Applications for extensions are available from the Program Office or on the web and need to be accompanied by documentation, where appropriate, such as a medical certificate. See your tutor before the due date if you are experiencing problems. Work submitted after the due date without an extension is considered late, and will attract a penalty accordingly.

Essays are a subject requirement. This means that you must hand them in, even if they are late, or very late indeed, in order to complete the subject. In other words, you have no chance of passing a subject (however good your tutorial performance, however high your mark on the work you have submitted) if all the written work required for that subject is not submitted by the final date.

You can expect comments in the margin of your script, a general comment and a mark. All Ns and As are double marked as a matter of course. It's important to consult your marker about any questions you may have about the work and/or the assessment. Comments are intended to help you to correct and develop your work: they are not necessarily critical or negative.

Marks are given on a percentage scale and the equivalent letter grades are:

A = 80-100%
B = 70-79%
C = 60-69%
D = 50-59%
N = fail

Under University regulations, marks are provisional until the final mark is given by the Chief Examiner at the completion of the subject. It's important to understand this point because if there is any question about your work you may be required to resubmit written work that's already been marked. It is your responsibility to hold on to all written work in case you are asked to resubmit.

If you feel that there is some specific reason for your assessment to be considered by another member of staff you may apply to the coordinator in writing for a re-mark. That second marker has the options of raising or lowering the mark or leaving it as it is. When there is a serious disparity between the two marks, the two examiners will arrive at an agreed mark. If this is impossible, the Coordinator of the Program will appoint a referee, whose decision will be final. In cases where written work has initially been marked by two members of staff who have agreed upon a mark, the Coordinator will arrange for a third member of staff to mark the essay. That third member of staff has the options of lowering or raising the mark or leaving it as it is. Where there is a serious disparity between the original agreed mark and the third marker's grade, the Coordinator will ask the three markers to arrive at an agreed grade. If this is impossible, the Coordinator will appoint a referee, whose decision will be final. It is the responsibility of the tutor to return the written work and the comments to you.

As already noted, each piece of written work must have a declaration that it is your own unaided work attached. You may, of course, use, refer to, and quote other people's work in the course of your exercise or essay, but if you do so, the sources from which you have drawn must be clearly shown. (See the Essay Writing Guide.)

Quotations from critical works are acknowledged in footnotes, either at the bottom of the page or at the end of your work. If you are paraphrasing someone else's work you need to name the source, including the page number, and you need to indicate clearly where your paraphrase begins and ends. A footnote number at the end of a paragraph is too vague to indicate what is being acknowledged. All essays (apart from some first year exercises) must include a Reading List or Bibliography, which lists all the materials you used in preparing the work. Passing off someone else's work as your own is called plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of cheating - you are presenting someone else's work as your own - and it not only means failure but may also mean further action. All cases of suspected plagiarism are regarded very seriously by the Program. Any inquiry involves the Head of School and a committee of inquiry. (See Essay Writing Guide.)

Essays in lieu of examinations are treated as examination scripts. They are not annotated, and they are not returned. Final essays are annotated and returned. In subjects where you submit an essay instead of sitting for an exam, the due date for that essay is treated as an exam date. This is called an essay in lieu of examination. No extensions are given for these, and the penalty system available for subject essays does not operate. Only the procedures of Special Consideration (see below) are available to a student who is unable to meet the deadline.

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Problems

Many students encounter problems in the course of the year, and there are various steps you can take to ensure that they do not impact too disastrously on your academic progress. Generally speaking, if you are experiencing difficulty completing academic work, for whatever reason (such as accommodation difficulties, a death in the family, etc.) make sure you keep your tutor informed. He or she will then be able to assist you, either with extensions for your written work, or by directing you to the various means of dealing with the problem available.

If you have been studying under pressures far from normal, or while suffering severe medical problems, you have every right to apply for Special Consideration, and we encourage you to do so. Special Consideration may make it possible for a student to sit a supplementary exam and/or submit a supplementary essay in lieu of an exam. If the Special Consideration applies to circumstances earlier in the year, it may be taken into account in various ways at the Program Examiners' meetings. Applications for Special Consideration are not handled through the Program. Go to Student Administration to fill in a form; take with you whatever documentation will support your case. Your application is then forwarded to the Program.

If your request for Special Consideration is tied to an examination or to an essay with a deadline treated as if it were an examination, you need to make your application through Student Administration within 72 hours of the exam or the due date of the essay.

Changing subjects is a big step and should not be taken lightly. You need to see your tutor, a student adviser or one of the 2/3 year coordinators as soon as you identify the problem. Delay may only create further problems. Places may not always be available in the subject you choose.

Withdrawing from a subject is a decision only you can take, but you should talk to someone in the Program before you decide. Then you need to fill out a Withdrawal of enrolment/Application to defer form available from the Faculty Office or the Student Centre before the end of the fourth week of the semester. Otherwise you'll find yourself with a fail grade next to the subject in which you were enrolled and you may be liable for HECS again. Try to withdraw before the HECS census date to avoid a HECS liability.

Continuing students usually re-enrol during December. Details of dates and any special arrangements applicable to individual subjects will be distributed through the Faculty towards the end of second semester. Make sure that you fully understand the enrolment and re-enrolment procedures.

Deferral means not continuing after you have either completed the year's study or after you have re-enrolled. You need to fill in a 'Total withdrawal of enrolment/Application to defer' form at the Student Centre, otherwise you'll wind up with a fail on your record and be liable for HECS fees.

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Resources

Videos and Audio Tapes: the Program houses a small video library and a selection of audio tapes. Audio tapes may be borrowed by arrangement with Marie Mackenzie. You can make arrangements through the general office to view videos. Videos can be viewed only in the Program video room.

Being a student means using the library and the Borchardt Library is one of the best. Make sure you read through the orientation material available in the Library and get to know where the books relevant to your work, periodicals, and main bibliographies are located and how to use the catalogue. The Library Staff conduct tours early in the semester and these are well worth taking. Make sure you find out about what happens when your books are overdue.

Closed Reserve is almost the most important part of the Library. Crucial and high use texts will be kept here for restricted use so that everyone can read the material.

Members of staff are usually happy to write a reference for a student. However, students should realise that the degree of support that is forthcoming will generally depend upon the staff member's assessment of the student's performance and capacity. You should therefore discuss any requests for letters of reference with the staff member, and give her/him sufficient time to respond.

If you have any difficulties with written English expression there is a special program available Humanities Academic skills unit within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Advisors are located on the fourth floor of Humanities 3. Your tutor may also advise you to participate in the program on the basis of written work you submit early in the semester. S/he will also receive a confidential report on your progress. This program is taught in small groups with the emphasis on individual attention to specifically diagnosed problems; there's nothing vague or hit-and-miss about the strategies. Students who have participated in these workshops have a high rate of improvement in their written work and exam performance. If you have problems in this area it is important to address them as soon as they arise: failure to do so may result in increasing difficulty with academic work and a consequent loss of confidence and enjoyment.

The Student Loan Committee has four kinds of loans - short, medium, long term and travel - that are available to full and part time students where students can provide evidence of financial need. The loan funds are designed to alleviate financial hardships which would affect a student's ability to complete her/his course of study. The SLC has produced a guide to advise students about managing their finances and a leaflet about the loan service. This information is available from Student Welfare in the Students' Centre of the David Myers Building.

Student Counselling provides both academic and personal counselling and referral. Counsellors are especially aware of the connections between your studies and the rest of your life. Sometimes, they are more aware of these connections than you are yourself. If you are having any kind of difficulty, don't hesitate to talk to someone at Student Counselling. Here again, it is better to tackle problems early rather than let them develop. Help is always available, and there are more ways of sorting out your study and your life than you think.

Booklets listing child care facilities are held at the Equity and Access Unit, Children's Centre, Student Centre, Union, SRC Office.

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Equal Opportunity Policy

'In recognition of the principles of equity and justice and in conformity with the spirit and intent of equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation, La Trobe University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in education and employment. As an employer and an educator, La Trobe University accepts that it has a responsibility to eliminate from its structures and practices any source of direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of sex, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, race (including colour, national or ethnic origin), age, sexual preference, disability, religious or political conviction.'

- from La Trobe University Equal Opportunity Policy

The Equal Opportunity Office is located on the ground floor of Peribolos East. Staff can help you with advice on matters involving equal opportunity and affirmative action. In case of doubt, do ask. The members of this unit are very knowledgeable people.

Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy

La Trobe University is committed to providing an environment which is free from sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is viewed by the University as unacceptable behaviour which 'denies equality of opportunity, undermines the morale of persons concerned and the legitimacy of their place in the University.' The University's policy and the Anti-Sexual Harassment Procedures provide both a means of addressing complaints and a sort of 'code of conduct' for all University members. Sensitivity, courtesy and respect towards others are key considerations towards ensuring a work and study environment of equal access and high quality for all at La Trobe.

- M.J. Osborne, former Vice-chancellor

A brochure on anti-sexual harassment outlining the policy, procedures and contact persons is available from various places including the Union, the SRC, the Equity and Access Unit, Student Welfare and Student Counselling.

Working Environment: Aggressive behaviour of any kind by students towards members of the office or teaching staff of the English Program will not be tolerated. If such behaviour occurs the Program will:

refuse to accept or grade written work from the students concerned;
report any incident or incidents of such behaviour to the Vice-Principal and Dean;
consider recommending that the University exclude the student concerned;
consider legal action against the student concerned based on the following definition of sexual harassment, where it is defined as creating 'an intimidatory, hostile or offensive learning, working or living environment' (From: Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy and Provisions, La Trobe University, 1993).

Non-sexist Language Policy

The University has paid specific attention to the ways in which language can discriminate against women by referring to all of 'us' as though we are all men. The La Trobe University Council (4 March 1985) adopted guidelines that include the following:

• 1. The use of the word 'man' as a word or syllable to mean a person irrespective of sex should be avoided. It should be reserved for cases where the intention is to speak about men only. Inclusive alternatives usually exist, both where 'man' is conventionally used in the generic sense and where it is part of a work denoting a function or position.
• 2. Special care needs to be taken in the use of personal pronouns where they refer to a preceding noun of the unspecified gender. Given the limitations of the English language, and in order to avoid the constant repetition of 'he or she,' the plural may be used where difficulties may be avoided by this means, or the idea may be recast in an impersonal way.
• 3. The sex of a person should not be mentioned where it is irrelevant to the matter at hand.
  - Council minute 196.17(v); C85/29

Our work as students and teachers in the area of literary studies means that we are often dealing with issues of gender, subjectivity, sexuality and the political relations between all of these areas. As members of the Program we all need to be especially conscious of the ways in which language - the language of the texts we read and those we write and the language we speak - can produce sexist, discriminatory and offensive effects.

Personal Safety

La Trobe has a Personal Security on Campus Committee which is a Standing Committee of Council, but because the campus is large and you need to take care. The emergency telephone number is 2222; after hours 9479 2222.

After hours keep to well-lit walkways.

Use the campus bus service which leaves the Library regularly. Times are displayed in the Library Foyer.
Report personal safety incidents. See the leaflet which is available throughout the campus for names of contact persons.
Further information from the Services Officer or the Safety Officer (David Myers Building).

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HECS

A word of warning and some advice about HECS:

The word of advice is: read the HECS booklet carefully and ask questions about whatever you don't understand.

If you are withdrawing from a course for reasons beyond your control you must still pay the HECS UNLESS you apply for a remittance from:

The Secretary
School of Employment Education & Training
P.O. Box 826
WODEN, ACT 2606.

English Research Seminars

The Program actively encourages debate and the exchange of ideas that are central to a lively intellectual community by organising a series of research seminars. Staff seminars are held in the Common Room on Wednesday mornings from 11:00 to 1:00, and are advertised on notice boards and the web page as well as in the University's publications. All students are welcome to attend staff seminars. In addition, special seminars are arranged from time to time, as visitors pass through Melbourne. Postgraduate seminars are also held throughout the year. Where a postgraduate seminar is open to all it will be advertised accordingly. These seminars are held fortnightly on Thursdays at 11.00 am and 6.00 PM in the English Common Room. English is also involved in the Gender, Diversity and Sexuality Research Seminar Series. This is an interdisciplinary series that draws on research done in various places in the University - English, Legal Studies, Politics, History, Gender, Diversity and Sexuality. All students with interests in this area are invited to attend. The seminars are held on advertised dates on Tuesdays 1.00 to 2.00 PM Check the Gender, Diversity and Sexuality noticeboard on level 3, HU2 Building, for venue.

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