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Syllabus
LL ED 465 Fantasy Literature For Children (3)
A study of fantasy literature for children looking at a variety of fantasy stories and examining them from different perspectives.
Overview
In this course we'll explore a range of fantasy literature written for children and adolescents. Of course, fantasy is not limited to children's literature. Rather, fantasy forms a nebula of genres, some invented or adopted for young readers; some targeting tweens and teens. Our focus will be on the eight various sub-genres that dominate the field of children's fantasy today: literary fairy tales, reworked fairy tales, anthromorphic fantasy, ghost fantasy, super hero fantasy, light fantasy, dystopia, science, or speculative fantasy, and mythopoeic fantasy. The latter, as expressing themes and concerns central to the fantastic, we'll examine in its three variations: traditional quest, modern quest, and female quest. At the outset we'll briefly consider different rationalizations for fantasy literature—literary, social, and psychological—and then discuss some of the novels that best exemplify the dominant generic conventions in fantasy for children and YAs.
The roots of modern fantasy are myth, legend, and fairy tale, each forming a wide road that may be taken to approach and theorize fantasy. In this course we'll first follow the fairy tale path, reading selected fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm Brothers. Having discussed the originals, we'll then read examples of reworkings of those classical tales (I'll encourage you to see the film versions too). After the introductory lessons to familiarize you with this online course and with defining as well as rationalizing the importance of fantasy literature, in Lesson 3, we'll examine reworked fairy tales, a strong contemporary trend in fantasy literature. You can find re-workings of Cinderella, Beauty and Beast, Hansel and Gretel, and many more stories in public libraries, book stores and the Internet. Donna Jo Napoli is one of many prominent authors who revisit familiar fairy tales and rework them into novel-length stories. Gregory Marguire is another author who engages in this practice, with some of his works now adapted into highly acclaimed broadway shows (Wicked). However, we'll be reading Napoli's book, Zel, a reworking of "Rapunzel." To better appreciate Napoli's version, we'll also read the original "Rapunzel" by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Our discussions in this lesson will be informed by claims about imagination, fairy tale re-workings, and the art of weaving stories out of stories. We’ll read about these in the three scholarly articles assigned for this lesson. So basically, this lesson will focus on adaptation.
In Lesson 4 we’ll take a closer look at anthropomorphic fantasy. Talking animals have been a convention of beast fables found all over the world that stretch back to antiquity. Add to this children's natural curiosity about animals and it becomes obvious that such fantasy occupies an important place on the map of children's fiction. But anthropomorphism isn’t limited to animals; other inanimate objects and even technological forms take on human attributes. Anthropomorphism can be useful for suggesting connections between humans and the natural world, but scholarship on posthumanist theory may undermine our thinking about the traditional boundaries between the human, the animal, and the technological. Other readings will help us to appreciate the potential and ethical pitfalls of animal fantasy for education and entertainment. Our discussion will revolve around your selections and evaluations of anthropomorphic animated feature-length films. Afterwards, for your first testimonial, you will choose an anthropomorphic fantasy novel.
If animals or robots can talk, plan, and think—as any cat owner will swear is the case—where then are ghosts on our map of the fantastic? Like stories about talking animals, stories of ghosts and other supernatural phenomena also have been part of the fantasy mode from the beginning. Ghosts and apparitions can take different functions in the story. Our reading of Neil Gaiman’s award winning The Graveyard Book in Lesson 5 will illustrate a number of those functions along with the unavoidable puzzles that the use of ghosts entails. From the scholarly articles that will accompany this lesson we’ll learn about the uses of the gothic in children’s fiction, about the recent rehabilitation of monsters in fantasy, especially werewolves, rites of passage from childhood into adulthood, and even about how to discuss The Graveyard Book in the classroom.
In Lesson 6 we’ll experience a postcolonial realization of light fantasy. Sometimes also called word-play or allegorical fantasy, the genre stretches back to Carroll's Alice books and includes some of the greatest word-play storytelling by Dr. Seuss, Norton Juster, Roald Dahl and others. As exemplified by Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, fantasy can also be a great vehicle for political, social, and artistic reflection. Like many other novels in this course, Haroun is a compelling defense of imagination and a defense of creative freedom. As we’ll see from the accompanying articles, Rushdie’s defense of creative freedom through a fantasy medium is quite dramatic because Rushdie wrote it, in part, as a response to fatwa (excommunication and death sentence) laid on him by Ayatollah Khomeini and Islamic fundamentalists.
Lessons 7 through 9 will center on mythopoeic fantasy. Sometimes called high fantasy, epic fantasy, or myth fantasy, the genre derives from the templates created by Lewis and Tolkien and forms the core of the fantastic, understood as a literary mode and a cognitive strategy. Mythopoeic fantasy, as the name suggests, has a mythic quality to it. It seems to go beyond the particulars of its story to explore the nature of good and of evil. Its tone is serious, and its secondary worlds are morally charged universes in which human actions are meaningful. The protagonists are usually on quests to save the world from some great evil or prevent the tyranny of some powerful and evil ruler. Last but not least, the embedding of the story in the conventions of myth and mythmaking allows it to suggest a spiritual and intuitive perception of reality.
While Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is perhaps the best-known example of mythopoeic fantasy, in Lesson 7 we’ll examine C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The novel and series make up the second major template for the genre. In our course, we’ll take the first book of the series and examine it as a Christian, traditional quest type of mythopoeic fantasy. Lewis’ Chronicles are classics but, as our readings for this lesson will suggest, they seem to inspire both fierce loyalty among their fans and deep bile among their detractors. In Lesson 8 our focus will be what may be called a modern, secular rebuttal to Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. We’ll read the first volume of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, a novel published in the States as The Golden Compass (in Europe as Northern Lights). Pullman’s series is a phenomenal accomplishment--a unique blending of theoretical physics, criticism of traditional church dogma, and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Although antithetical to Lewis’ Christian position in Chronicles, Pullman’s work takes up the same questions and explores them with equally “religious” convictions. Our additional readings for this lesson will help us appreciate the difference and the overlap between Pullman’s and Lewis’s work. We’ll read The Golden Compass as illustrating mythopoeic fantasy in its secular-humanist, modern quest type.“Not all those who wander are lost” reminds J. R. R. Tolkien in a poem from Lord of the Rings. His imaginary map of Middle-earth, created for reference while writing the series to help him visualize, has likely influenced subsequent fantasists in their inclusion of this referent tool. In Lesson 9 we’ll mull over the map of Orïsha in the endpages of Nigerian American author, Tomi Adeyemi’s groundbreaking debut novel Children of Blood and Bone. Through our scholarly readings, we’ll also consider how this modern high fantasy poses an alternative to the dominant Western theological roots, alludes to pressing social justice issues of contemporary times, and situates its female hero(s) as agent(s) of change, possibly subverting a number of masculinist assumptions long perpetuated in fantasy. We’ll thus read the novel as mythopoeic fantasy in its non-Western, female quest type.
Popularized by H.G. Wells’ late nineteenth century novella, The Time Machine, time travel has been conflated with both the impossibility of science fiction and the magic of fantasy. Whether you choose to leap into the future or escape to the past, in Lesson 10 we’ll explore the melodramatic potential of time travel, i.e., how it works, its paradoxes, and its role in the creation of alternate or parallel worlds. In addition to scholarly readings, we’ll scour movies and television shows favored by children and teens for various examples of time travel. For your second testimonial, you will choose a science fiction novel that prominently features time travel.
In Lesson 11 we shall examine speculative fantasy to critique the tensions between utopia and dystopia that call our attention to a cautious construction of the future; one that may easily be envisioned given our increasing reliance on Siri, Alexa, and Cortana. The accompanying articles will help us examine M. T. Anderson’s Feed, a cautionary dystopian YA novel about consumerism that speculates about how technology may affect humanity in an imagined future. As we shall see, the book’s focus is not technology per se but philosophy and ethics in the form of questions about individuality and free will. And, of course, a teen romance unfolds.
No exploration of fantasy enjoyed by today’s children and adolescents (and grown-ups) would be complete without due consideration of the superhero genre. After all, the Marvel Universe, a multiverse that houses all of Marvel Entertainment’s creations, now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, has become a multibillion-dollar franchise featuring its soon-to-be highest grossing superhero movie of all time, Black Panther. That’s right, in Lesson 12 we’ll dive head first into a cinematic juggernaut. No, not the X-Men character of that namesake, but Marvel’s intertextual storytelling—its mythos, realism, that is, characters’ moral ambiguities, and continuity. Through popular culture, scholarly and comics readings, we’ll reflect on superhero origins, myths and, quite possibly, attend to contemporary re-visionings like Spiderman’s Miles Morales and Ms. Marvel’s Kamala Khan.
NOTES: In addition to the different types of fantasy literature and the literary critiques and analyses of these works, we’ll also be wrestling with the overall importance of these books and stories in the lives of children. Toward this end, we’ll read about imagination and its role in the lives of children throughout the course. Such readings will not be explicitly tied to individual lesson topics, though you’ll be encouraged to make your own connections.Course Philosophy
- Risk taking. Our master's program in children's literature values Risk taking. We also encourage you to reach beyond the assigned course readings. If you can connect an idea to the assigned readings, or to your own research, or to something you read on the discussion forum, then please take the risk and share your idea. This is how we can all profit from our interaction!
- Understanding literature. Literature talks to us in images and metaphors. As Ursula Le Guin says in “The Question I Get Asked Most Often,” fiction is “experience translated by, transformed by, transfigured by the imagination. Truth includes but is not coextensive with fact. Truth in art is not imitation, but reincarnation” (p. 268). But “reading is a most mysterious act” (p. 269). For some of you, this may seem esoteric, but we can all agree that literature is not intended to be as exact as an instructional manual. Reading literature is neither exact nor stable. We can pick up a story we’ve read many times, reread it, and take away something different -- something new from our previous readings. In this course then, just read, think, and post your ideas, supporting these with some kind of evidence.
- Plurality of interpretations. That a work of literature has no single correct reading does not mean that anything goes. Thus, support your views with evidence from the story or scholarly reading. While we respect the rights of others to construct their own meaning, we do not have to agree with them; but we should disagree in a respectful manner.
Student Expectations
A Web-based course grants you a great deal of freedom but also a great deal of responsibility. While you don't have a fixed schedule of classes, you do have a fixed schedule of deadlines by which assignments must be completed. In general, you should expect to put in about as much work, and about as many hours, as you would for a traditional resident-instruction course.
Note that this course requires much reading. Pace yourself accordingly and don't allow yourself to get behind. This class is also highly participatory as you will be in electronic discussions with your classmates throughout the semester.
Course Objectives
After finishing this course, you should be able to:
- Distinguish a variety of types of fantasy including reworked fairy tales, anthropomorphic fantasy, ghost fantasy, light fantasy, mythopoeic fantasy, dystopia/science/speculative fantasy, and superhero fantasy.
- Identify the mythic functions of mythopoeic fantasy.
- Contemplate the concepts of good and evil as developed in select works of fantasy
- Evaluate the required works of fantasy in terms of literary quality, including theme, language, characters, and narrative structure.
- Understand the workings of imagined worlds in works of fantasy.
- Explore the impacts and controversies that these works may have evoked.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the role of imagination in the lives of children.
- Examine fantasy literature from the perspectives of children, literature scholars, and educators.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.E-Book Option: An online version of one or more of your texts is available at no cost as a Penn State Library E-Book. Some E-Books will only be available online, while others will be available to download in full or in part. You may choose to use the E-Book as an alternative to purchasing a physical copy of the text. You can access the E-Book by selecting the Library Resources link on the course navigation, and then selecting the E-Reserves link. For questions or issues, you can contact the University Libraries Reserve Help (UL-RESERVESHELP@LISTS.PSU.EDU).
Technical Requirements
For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Major Assignments and Grading
| Assignment | Percent |
|---|---|
| Discussions | 30% |
| Testimonials (2) | 20% |
| "Building Worlds" Fantasy Project | 30% |
| Digital "Commonplace Book" | 20% |
| TOTAL | 100% |
Late Policy
Activities are due by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the due date and will be considered late if submitted after this deadline. Unless you have contacted me beforehand and received an extension, two points will be deducted. In the event of an emergency, contact me as soon as possible.
Discussions (30%)
Because we meet only in cyberspace, it is vital to post during each lesson. Post in a thoughtful and pertinent manner to each of the threaded discussions. Not only should you respond to the readings, but you should also respond to the ideas and questions put forth by your fellow classmates. At a minimum, you are expected to make at least one initial post and one reply to a classmate for each threaded discussion. Each lesson is active for a World Campus week, which runs from Wednesday to Tuesday. Unless otherwise stated, complete your initial post by Sunday evening so that there will be ample time for discussion.
Testimonials (20%)
Read two fantasy books of choice (one from the required readings and the second from the optional readings list). Write a 300-to-500 word testimonial for each book. Tell us what you liked about the book and what you disliked. Tell us about any puzzles or questions the book raised for you and note any patterns and connections (text-to-self/text/world). Good testimonials are more about telling us your response to the book and less about retelling the story. Your choice of titles may be guided by the preceding week’s lesson. After you’ve read the chosen fantasy novel you should submit the testimonial and also post it to the appropriate threaded discussion board for your classmates to read.
"Building Worlds" Fantasy Project (30%)
Overview
World-building is at the heart of fantasy writing. These imagined worlds are often predicated on the supernatural or impossible. Well-wrought ecosystems and histories of an imagined world shape and define every aspect of the narrative. To readers, this world and its rules are believable for they guide destinies. To step into a fantastical world is to feel elements (e.g., earth, wind, water, and fire), to take in the natural or technological surroundings, to understand the motivations of characters, and recognize tensions that may be one-step removed from our reality.
For the “Building Worlds” Project, you will have an opportunity to “play” with world-building. Whether you choose to work in a small group (up to three) or individually, be inspired. You will conjure up images, maps, histories, characters, settings, and power dynamics or inequities happening within your imagined world. You will create and assemble a collection of multimodal “texts” (e.g., documents, charts, informational graphics, maps, portraits, landscapes, sketches, songs, artifacts, etc.) which serve as the foundation for your fantastical world. Please note, you will not be graded on artistic abilities in the creation of these multimodal “texts,” but you are welcome to use free online images licensed under Creative Commons. This Project does not expect a fully rendered narrative arc, i.e., a completed story. Rather, your final submission should be an introductory exhibit or tour of your well-constructed and believable world. You choose how to present this fantastical world. Perhaps you make a short (as in less than 5 minutes) video featuring these multimodal texts with voice over narration detailing their significance of them in relation to your world. Or your self-guided tour uses an online digital mind-map or presentation slides (VoiceThread or prezi). Box.psu.edu is an option to store these multimodal “texts” in a folder as you accumulate them throughout the semester. Be mindful of file size limitations to upload onto CANVAS. Instead, you may have to provide the instructor with the web address link as the submission of your “Building Worlds” project.
As we progress through cumulative lessons about certain fantasy conventions, characters, settings, or sub-genres you may wish to reflect on how these topics inform your musings about your world in-the-making. Those thoughts should aim to further refine your world and resolve any noticeable ambiguities. Though you may engage in fantastical “play,” it will be necessary for you to also consider how or to what degree your fantastical world is moored in reality in order to make it believable? Or how might it challenge accepted ways or patterns of contemporary beliefs?
In Stategies of Fantasy Brian Attebery (1992) explains the importance of this groundedness:
Unlike realist texts, fantasies freely acknowledge their own disjunctions and deny at the outset any direct applicability of their fictional discourse to the realm of action and perception, but the result is not disorder and disillusionment. Rather than leaving us in a solipsistic void, fantasy invites us to recreate what it has denied. As soon as it is announced that the world we are reading about bears no relation to our world, we begin to make connections. If physical rules have been altered beyond recognition, we look for moral rules. If we are confronted by a being whose appearance and powers deny its humanity, we begin to look for human motivations. If time is fragmented, reversed, or looped upon itself, then we are encouraged to exercise our own storytelling powers to draw a connection from beginning to end. By forcing a recognition of the arbitrariness of all such narrative conventions, fantasy reminds us of how useful they are, not only in literary sleight of hand, but also in formulating our own imaginative understandings of our existence in time, which can only be comprehended through narrative. (67)
Grading Rubric
The grading rubric for this “Building Worlds” project will look for evidence of the following:
- Fantastical world is comprehensible and convincing. It has a strong sense of place and time, and how these inform other worldly features, such as history or why current events are happening. There is creative regard for the origin and far-reaching effects of any supernatural or impossible elements. Elaboration of complex or pluralistic social, political, cultural and/or religious groups have been fleshed out as well as physiological, emotional, and/or self-fulfillment needs of character(s). Presentation of fantastical world is self-explanatory, highly engaging, and features a wide range of multimodal texts.
- Some of the above aspects of the fantastical world are well-wrought and believable, but others are implausible and/or underdeveloped. There may be an ambiguous element or two, but that has minimal to zero effect on the overall world-building. Presentation is somewhat engaging, but tone, style, and organization lend tedium and/or incoherence at times. Presentation features some multimodal texts.
- Fantastical world is incomplete and/or confusing. It lacks believability on account of underdevelopment, lingering questions, and/or multiple ambiguities. For example, it is unclear how place and time are related to other worldly features. Character development is superficial. Or social, political, cultural and/or religious groups are one-dimensional, insular, and/or lack subjectivity. Presentation of fantastical world was difficult to follow due to lack organization or clarity. Incorporation of multimodal texts was limited.
Resources
Numerous resources about world-building may be found in books, online videos, and podcasts. Here are a few recommendations to get you started:
- Kate Messner’s TED Ed video on “How to Build a Fictional World”
- Card, Orson Scott, and of Writers Digest Books Editors. The Writer's Digest Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy, F+W Media, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central.
- Podcasts:
Digital "Commonplace Book" (20%)
Overview
Commonplace books served as private spaces akin to a diary or journal in the past. Famous writers and philosophers used commonplace books as rhetorical devices and spaces for information storage to advance and cultivate their thinking about a particular topic.Throughout the semester you will keep a “digital” commonplace book as a space to collect your evolving thoughts on and connections to fantasy literature for children and adolescents. You have full control of content--choosing what to write, add, illustrate, ponder, include etc. You will not be assigned WHAT to collect, rather the expectation is that your “digital” commonplace book will be comprehensive enough to reflect your application and synthesis of ideas as well as evaluation of multimodal texts related to fantasy literature that you may come across in your semester-long exploration. For Part 1, you are expected to have three-five entries. For Part 2, you are expected to have an additional three-five entries. These entries must demonstrate higher-level, critical thinking, and not be superficial, e.g., That book reminded me of this movie. Why did you make such a connection? How does this entry change or transform your thinking about a particular topic? How does it relate to course content?
Grading Rubric
The grading rubric for this Digital "Commonplace Book" will look for evidence of the following:
- Your “digital” commonplace book evidences all required entries. These entries are rich in content, provide insightful analyses, synthesis, and evaluation and make clear connections to real-life examples and course content. Entries are high-quality and consist of personal reflections that connect between real-life, learning, and course readings.
- Your “digital” commonplace book may or may not evidence all required entries. These entries provide substantial information, but general connections are made or connections may be unclear. Ideas are mostly connected to personal life and miss opportunities for connections to course content. There are a few grammatical errors.
- Your “digital” commonplace book may or may not evidence all required entries. These entries are superficial, and attempts at analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are limited. There may be vague generalities posted. There is little evidence of personal connections and further explanations are needed. Obvious grammatical errors interfere with content.
Resources
How and where you collect your “digital” commonplace book is entirely up to you. You may use online sites like Pinterest, Stormboard, or Mapboard use apps like Evernote, Corkulous Pro (iOS only). For instance, if you create a blog or Pinterest board, to submit it for grading, you’ll provide your instructor with the web address as your CANVAS submission. For an app or other password-only sites, you’ll take screen shots to upload as your CANVAS submission. You may, of course, keep a journal with pen and paper, but scan and upload the file. You decide how best to digitally capture your commonplace book.
Eichorn, K. (2008). Archival Genres: Gathering Texts and Reading Spaces. Invisible Culture, 12, pp. 1-10.
Grading System
The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:
A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit
Grade Scale
| Letter Grade | Range (%) |
|---|---|
| A | 94 to 100 |
| A- | 90 to < 94 |
| B+ | 87 to < 90 |
| B | 84 to < 87 |
| B- | 80 to < 84 |
| C+ | 77 to < 80 |
| C | 70 to < 77 |
| D | 60 to < 70 |
| F | 0 to < 60 |
Undergraduate Grading Policy
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Deferred Grades
Course Schedule
Note: The due dates for the assignments are noted in the Course Schedule section of this syllabus, below. Deadlines will be defined as 11:55 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the lesson timeframe, unless noted differently.
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Graduating Students
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
One Year Course Access
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
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In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS):
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.