J7A

General comment for all courses

In most cases, students who try to enroll in my courses are first placed on a waitlist, even when there is considerable space still in the course. The exception: most Japanese majors are enrolled directly. If you are on the waitlist your best strategy is to attend class. You can try talking to me after that first class but whether or not you do, I recommend you also email me using the keyword "enrollmentissue" (no spaces used—see the sidebar for how to email me). I try to rapidly determine the final enrollment of a class and can probably give you a "sense" of your status after the first two or so sessions of the course. However, since I work with the department on this it can take up to two weeks to settle all issues. The order of filters used to make selections is: majors and minors in Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Asian Studies; then, intended majors and minors in Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Asian Studies (when that intention is very clear); then, individual considerations that I make which include but does not place as the first priority, the waitlist number.

Is this course a good fit for you?

Of course, if you are majoring in Japanese you need to take this course. But since there is a chance someone else will teach it during the summer, you might keep that option in the back of your mind and take a look at the below.

This class is undergoing considerable changes from the way I have taught it in the last few years along these two lines: the final paper / project has become more flexible and the material is built around a series of cultural "moments" or concepts rather than taught chronologically. Many will find this first change a pleasant one but the paper or project remains a major grade component. The second change continues to bring more forward what I think is the most important and efficient way to appreciate the power, value, interest and beauty of premodern materials. However, many will feel this "conceptual" approach requires quite a bit of thinking to get everything in line. Passive collection of material will leave the student empty-handed when it comes to the several essay exams which ask for analysis.

We cover a variety of material (literature, painting, music, etc.) from about the 9th through 18th centuries. There is quite a bit of reading involved but not as much as in previous classes since non-literary objects are taking a more prominent place.

Bottom line expectations (things that, if not met, are certain to have a negative impact on your grade): reading the assignments and regular attendance (because we quiz the content of both every week), analytic thinking (reports and summaries will not work in this class), avoidance of multitasking, academic honesty (I regularly fail students on assignments and course grades because of dishonest practices by them, mostly plagiarism).

Useful skills for this class: good note-taking ability, accurate reading skills (including instructions), research AND analytic skills for in-class essay exams and the final paper or project. (For the final paper or project, the students are asked to "bridge" two apparently different objects—say a 9th century poem collection with a 16th century ceramic style—using one of the many aesthetic concepts presented during the term. Similar, but less difficult, work is expected for the essay exams.)

(last updated: 19-Aug-2011)

Access to course details

If you are trying to find out about a course that is being taught now, or will be taught within a couple of weeks, try going to the Announcements Page for access to the course schedule, syllabus and so on. Otherwise, use this link to get a sense for the course's structure: link.

(last updated: 19-Aug-2011)

If waitlisted or unable to get onto a waitlist ...

If you come to the early session, complete the paperwork, follow up, and so forth, your chances of being able to enroll are very good.

(last updated: 19-Aug-2011)