American Studies News

Hey, everyone. I'll be putting announcements on this page having to do with course requirements, changes in these web pages, and other matters. I recommend looking here every time you visit the course web site--at least once a week.

12/11/03
Here's a preview of my office hours for next week: M 9:30-4:30; T 10-5; W 11-4; Th 1-4; F 2:30-5. Check here for any changes.

A few reminders:

• Do your best to make it to our meeting at 8:30 am on M 12/15/03 in our regular classroom. We'll be wrapping up the course--doing course evaluations, peer reviews of each other's final projects, and anything else that strikes us as worthwhile.
• If you absolutely can't make this meeting, please fill out both course evaluation forms and bring them to Diane Bohn, English department secretary, in Fenton 277 before you leave campus. You can arrange to do the outside our last meeting as well--just let me know your plans in advance.
• When you turn in your final project, please attach your proposal(s) to it. If it's a web project, turn in the proposal(s) to me directly.

12/9/03
Here's a summary of my office hours for the week: M 10-12, 2:30-4; T 9-9:30, 5-6 by appointment; W 10-12, 2:30-5; Th 9-9:30, 5-6 by appointment; F 10-12, 2-5.

Please be aware of the new extra credit option for the critical essays explained at ce.htm.

12/2/03
Here's a preview of my office hours the rest of the week: W 9-12, 2:30-5; Th before 9:30 and after 5 by appointment; F 10-12 and by appointment before 3.

12/1/03

My apologies for having to change my office hours to 11:15-12, 2:30-4 today--car and doctor's appointments lasted longer than expected this morning. See you all tomorrow!

11/14/03
Hey all, my apologies for being sick yesterday. I hate cancelling classes, and particularly when they're on an author as weird and interesting as Pynchon. Why don't we devote some of class time next Tuesday to looking back on the "Modern Americas" unit through the lens Pynchon provides, and the rest looking ahead to the "Postmodern Americas" unit through the lens Kincaid provides?

11/12/03
Hey all, I've corrected a few mistakes and added a few more options to the final project assignment sheet. Also, due to a department meeting, I have to change my Friday office hours to: 10-12, 2-3.

11/4/03
Just wanted to let you all know that the assignment sheet for the third critical essay is up and running, as well as one for the final project. Please check them out and come to class with questions about them! Thanks.

10/31/03
Hey everyone, Happy Halloween. A few notes about office hours as we approach the course advising/selection period. First off, though, please be aware that I have extended office hours today: 10-4. Next Monday, my hours will be 10:30-3:30. Next Wednesday, my hours will be 10-4. Then we hit advising week. My hours for that week will be by appointment according to the following schedule: F 9-12, 1-3; M 9-12, 1-4; T 5-6:30; W 9-12, 1-4.

Here's how it's going to work. I have a sign-up sheet on my door for my advisees, who have to meet with me to discuss their plans for the spring semester. They have first dibs on the sign-up sheet, for a time. My advisees have been told they need to sign up for a time between Friday 11/7 and Wednesday 11/12 well in advance of that time. If they procrastinate, they're in danger of missing a chance to see me. Here's how it works. If you want to see me , you'll need to come to my office and check out the sign-up sheet--you can sign up for a time no earlier than the day before you want to see me. For instance, if you want to see me on Friday 11/7, come on Thursday and see if there are any slots open on the sign-up sheet; if so, take one. If not, come back Friday and see if there are any slots open for Monday 11/10; if so, take one. To put the same point another way, you can't sign up for a time on Tuesday 11/11 until Monday.

This system is designed to allow my advisees a first shot at making an appointment with me during advising week, but to still give my students a chance to see me during that time, as well.

10/29/03
Had to change my afternoon office hours today (morning stayed the same)--because the roofer who's been avoiding me for months finally showed up, just before the plumber did--so the new afternoon hours are 4-5. Apologies for the short notice--I had no idea they'd come at the same time!

10/27/03
New office hours today: 11:30-4.

10/22/03
Hey all, my apologies for not realizing that my wife and I had scheduled a doctor's appointment for this morning sooner--I had to shift my office hours to 2-5 today.

10/16/03
My new (and expanded) office hours for Friday: 12-5.

10/15/03
I forgot I have a dentist's appointment at 10:30 this morning. So here are my new (and expanded) office hours for today: 1:15-4:45.

10/10/03
Hey all, my department mentors have informed me that I am crazy to be in the office during a move to my first home, so I'm going to push back my office hours until the move is done. I'll only be in the office from 1-3 today. Apologies for the late notice!

10/1/03
OK, a few big changes to the syllabus, to follow up on our discussion yesterday following my announcements.

• First, we're going to make Th 10/9, the first class after the break, a "reading day." This means that we won't meet but that you will be responsible for having read and thought about the readings listed for that day. On T 10/14, we'll be comparing and contrasting European and Asian experiences of immigration in class. You should take advantage of this time out of class to get a jump on your second critical essay, the assignment sheet for which is just out in rough form.
• I've moved the due date for the third critical essay back to F 11/21, in effect giving you until you leave for Thanksgiving Break to turn in the third critical essay.

Also, I'm extending my office hours today: 10-1, 2-5. This in part to make up for missed hours in the past week and for my having to cancel my office hours this coming Friday and next Wednesday.

9/29/03
Turns out the white supremacist rally was something of a false alarm--or at least much smaller than previously thought and not affiliated in any way with UB. But dealing with the closing on my new house--yeah!--and the affiliated errands took up my entire day today--boo! So I had to cancel my office hours today. Looking ahead, the next few weeks are going to be crazy. I'm attending a state-wide delegate assembly for the faculty/professionals union at SUNY (of which Fredonia is one chapter among many) this coming Friday and Saturday, so there goes my Friday office hours. I'm also going to have to cancel my office hours next Wednesday (the day after October break), 10/8/03, because my wife and I will be moving that day (assuming all goes well with the cleaning, the packing and unpacking, and the work that needs to be done on the house before we move). So I'll do my best to schedule extra hours this coming Wednesday. Oh, and I just found out that my wife has an interview with the INS (actually now the BCIS) to complete her green card application on Th 10/9--an interview I'm required to attend. So I'm looking into getting a "sub" for that class. More on that later.

On the bright side, the assignment sheet for the second critical essay will be up and running tomorrow morning on the web site in draft form. Please come to the next few classes with comments and questions on it. Thanks!

9/26/03
Jeez, now there's a white supremacist rally going on at UB this weekend and as faculty advisor to the BSU I have to attend an emergency e-board meeting at 3, so my office hour today have to be revised again: 1-3 pm. Sorry!

9/25/03
Hey all, I'm closing on a house on Monday and Friday morning is the only time I can schedule the final walk-through, so my new office hours for tomorrow are: 1-3:30. Apologies for the late notice.

9/24/03
I've updated the reading response advice page to clarify the distinction between a full-blown reading response and an extra-credit follow-up response.

9/23/03
Please be aware that I added a very brief reading, "No Irish Need Apply," to Th 10/9 on the main page.

9/18/03
Change in plans for my office hours tomorow: I'll be in from 9:45-1:45 Friday. I have a 2 pm meeting that looks like it's going to be a long one, so I'm shifting my hours around a bit.

I've also changed the syllabus on the main page to correspond with the additions of short readings by Twain on 9/25 and Cervantes on 9/30 I announced in class today. Make a note of it!

9/17/03
To confirm the email I sent to the list last night, I'm announcing a change to my office hours for today: 10:45-12:15, 2:45-5. Also, now that everyone is subscribed to the course listserv, I'm going to be sending a couple of emails to the list: one with all the announcements we've had thus far on the list from me and one with all the reading responses we've had thus far on the list from you all, so that's everyone's "on the same page" and you can check to see that I've received what you have sent.

Just got word from the library that most of the books on reserve are now available at the circulation desk of the library. So, for an up-to-date list of what's available now, go to the library; for a list of what will be avilable, go to the reserves page.

9/11/03
Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm extending my office hours for tomorrow (Friday)--I'll be there from 9-3 instead of from 10-12, 2:30-3:30, primarily to give you all a chance to meet with me if you have any questions about the first critical essay or if you want me to look over a first draft. Depending on the response tomorrow, I may also have extended office hours on Monday.

9/10/03
Hey all, I found out late yesterday evening that I had some errands to do this morning that couldn't be avoided, so my apologies for the late notice in the following change of office hours for today: they will be held from 11-5 instead of 10-12, 2:30-3:30.

9/8/03
The assignment sheet for the first critical essay is up and running. Check it out when you get a chance--essays are due next Monday!

9/5/03
Because of an emergency meeting this afternoon, I've had to reschedule my office hours today. I'll be in the office from 10-2 instead of 10-12, 2:30-3:30. Please familiarize yourself with the list of reserve readings for the course, as they will be useful in crafting your essays and final project.

9/3/03
A rough draft of the links page is up and running. If you find good web sites to add to it, please send me their addresses (URLs) and if I add them to the page, you'll receive some extra credit in your preparation/participation grade.

9/2/03
Hey all, just wanted to remind you about the change in the syllabus for Thursday that I announced in class today: we're going to be reading a short excerpt by Benedict Anderson from the Beyond Borders anthology in addition to the readings already listed on the syllabus--see the main page for details!

8/26/03
Welcome to the course! Please feel free to explore the site to see what links are active. As more become active, I'll let you know here!