Special
Independent Studies and Tutorials
Students in the graduate program in Writing may wish to enroll for
special independent study classes (English 681) or tutorials (for
instance, English 652, Writing and Society) that combine traditional
course work with professional, degree-related experiences.
A student offered the chance of working as an intern with a publisher
may, for example, want to integrate this experience into the course
work of an independent study in the principles of editorial work,
or a student working as an assistant in the public relations division
of the National Audubon Society may wish to combine work-related
activities with the course work in a tutorial on environmentalism
and writing in contemporary society.
Students who would like to pursue the possibility of taking such
special independent study or tutorial courses should consult with
their advisors or with the division director of the Humanities program.
College personnel will be happy to work with students who would
like to find a professional working experience that can be combined
with study toward the degree.
All students interested in such courses must comply with the application
procedures for tutorials and independent studies as listed in the
College catalogue. Each such course will require a faculty instructor
as well as a written syllabus detailing the nature of the academic
work to be done and the method of grading. Students will not be
permitted to enroll for such courses until they have completed one
semester or session in residence at the Southampton Campus and have
completed counseling for work- related course experience. Generally,
students will not be permitted to take more than six credits toward
their graduation requirements in independent studies or tutorials
that combine professional experience with academic course work.
Students should take the lead in drafting the proposed syllabus
for special independent study or tutorial courses related to work
experience. At the end of this notice, a sample syllabus is provided.
The final version of the syllabus will be prepared in collaboration
between the student and the course instructor.
Students who are not United States nationals should be aware that
it is often very difficult for foreign students to obtain the necessary
government approvals to work in the United States. Foreign students
interested in any credit- bearing activity that involves employment
outside the College should consult with Noreen McKenna in the Office
of Graduate Admissions.
Sample Syllabus for Special Independent Study and Tutorial Courses
in the M.F.A. in Writing Program
This sample syllabus covers the coursework a student might do who
had obtained an internship at The New Yorker. In this
case, the student is applying to take a tutorial version of the
catalogue course, English 652, Writing and Society. The special
topic of the course is the history of American literary magazines,
with special emphasis on The New Yorker itself.
Southampton Graduate Campus of LIU
Syllabus
Spring 2005
English 652W: Writing and Society
Student: Aspirina Writer
Tutor: I.M.A. Sage
General Plan of Study
- From February 2nd through May 23, 2005, the student has arranged
through the college's Humanities Division and Cooperative Education
Office to work as an intern at The New Yorker magazine,
located at in New York. She will work under the direction of
Lucky Brighthing, Assistant Editor for Fiction.
- In addition to the work associated with the internship, the
student will also read the texts and do the work outlined in
this syllabus.
- Specifically, this tutorial course will examine the history
of literary magazines in America, with special emphasis on the
role of The New Yorker.
- In order to obtain a grade, the student agrees to complete
the reading listed below and to submit the following written
work: a) a journal recording notations from reading and observations
from work-related experience that contribute to an understanding
of the topic; b) a final paper, no less than 40 pages in length,
on a subject related to the work of the course. The subject
will be determined by the student and the tutor, and all work
will be submitted no later than June 15, 2005.
- By letter, phone, or e-mail, the student will regularly contact
the tutor to discuss the progress of the coursework and to seek
any necessary advice.
Texts
- Abrahamson, David. Magazine-Made America: The Cultural
Transformation of the Postwar Period. Cresskill, NJ:
Hampton Press, 1996.
- Adler, Renata. Gone: The Last Days of The New Yorker.
New York: Simon and Shuster, 2000.
- Chielens, Edward E. American Literary Magazines: The
Twentieth Century. London: Greenwood Press, 1992.
- Gill, Brendan. Here at the New Yorker. New York:
Da Capo, 1997.
- Kahn, E. J. Jr. Year of Change. New York: Viking/Penguin,
1998.
- __________, At Seventy: More About the New Yorker and
Me. New York: Viking/Penguin, 1998.
- Kunkel, Thomas. Genius in Disguise: Harold Ross of the
New Yorker. New York: Random House, 1995.
- Liebling, A.J. The Sweet Science. Evanston, IL:
Holtzman Press, 1981.
- Meade, Marion. Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This?.
New York: Random House, 1987.
- Mitchell, Joseph. Up in the Old Hotel. New York:
Random House, 1993.
- Ross, Lillian. Here But Not Here. New York: Random
House, 1998.
- Wilford, Hugh. The New York Intellectuals: From Vanguard
to Institution. Manchester: Manchester University Press,
1995
The Low-Residency Option
The English and Writing Program recognizes that many writers have
jobs, families, and other obligations that make a full-time residential
course of study impractical. Accordingly, in addition to the traditional
course of study in which students obtain their degree exclusively
by taking classes in Southampton, the College also offers a low-residency
program that allows candidates for the M.F.A. degree to complete
many of their requirements off-campus.
Students who choose the low-residency option must meet all of the
following requirements: 1) they must complete at least 12 credits
in residence; 2) they must be in residence during their first semester
or session of matriculation; and 3) they must be in residence for
at least two semesters or sessions. Students are considered to be
in residence if they are taking one or more courses offered on site
at the Southampton Graduate Campus campus.
During their initial semester or session in residence, students
will select their advisors and plan a course of study leading to
their degrees. During the second semester in residence, in addition
to academic work, students will participate in teaching, lecturing,
or workshop activities.
Under the low-residency option, all other work toward the degree
may be completed by individualized study done off-campus. Typically,
students will do course work equivalent to that of courses within
the regular program which has been approved by the faculty in English
and Writing. They will plan tutorials or independent studies in
collaboration with a faculty supervisor, with whom they will be
in regular contact through the mail, over the telephone, or by means
of the Internet.
Students taking any course, tutorial, or independent study under
the low-residency option must submit a form, completed with the
help of the faculty supervisor and available from the Enrollment
Services Office or the Humanities office, specifying all of the
following: the name and nature of the course, tutorial, or independent
study; the amount of credit associated with the project; the name
of the supervising faculty member; the weekly schedule of readings
and written assignments; the schedule of contacts with the faculty
supervisor; the time period in which all course work must be completed;
and the standards by which the student's work will be judged and
a final grade awarded. All courses of study under the low-residency
option must be approved by the program director, and no course of
study will be approved which does not provide for weekly submission
of student work to the faculty supervisor, who shall respond to
student submissions on weekly basis, offering guidance, advice,
and support. No course of study under the low-residency option may
proceed without the signature of the faculty supervisor for the
project and the approval of the program director.
Students interested in the low-residency option should contact
the Humanities Office in Fine Arts 9, 631-287-8420.
Full-Time, Part-Time, and Non-Matriculated Students
Full-time students take 12 or more credits in the fall or spring semester.
Students taking fewer than 12 credits in the fall or spring semester
are part-time students.
Non-matriculated students may register for a course with the permission
of the program director and of the course instructor. Non-matriculated
students may take no more than one course in the Writing program
during any semester or summer session and no more than nine credits
as a non-matriculated student. In order to secure permission to
take courses, they must 1) show evidence of having completed a college
degree or of possessing appropriate professional experience in the
area of writing, and 2) demonstrate by the submission of transcripts
or writing samples that they possess the requisite knowledge and
skills to take advanced courses. Matriculated students shall have
precedence in enrollment in any situation where the number of students
in a class is limited.
|
