Any students considering enrolling in Topics in Literature III should take note that a course under this vague title could be about any literature topic. It could cover anything from women’s literature to world literature or even subjects like “books and film.” The authors discussed could range from Jane Austen to Franz Kafka to J.R.R. Tolkien. It all depends on that particular professor’s area of expertise and interest, so if the professor wants to teach a class on African Orators it could be classified under the title of Topics in Literature III.
An enrolling student has no way of telling the particular subject of the course from the course descriptions given on the UC website or in the course manual.
So how do you avoid reading Shakespeare’s comedies all semester when you were hoping for Kafka? It’s simple, contact the professor! That’s right. You are allowed and even encouraged to contact the instructor about a prospective course by emailing and simply asking them what they will be reading.
You can email any UC professor if you have his or her full first and last name. Let’s use the example of Jane Smith. You would simply type Jane.Smith@uc.edu. You can also use the faculty directory conveniently located on the UC website or the RWC Directory at http://www.rwc.uc.edu/directory/directory.htm.