First Year Seminar Fall 2005
ZINT 101-36
“Not Your (typical) Course” (NYC)
Anne & Patrick Chang,
Instructors
Angie Aggrey,
Peer Facilitator
(Updated:
Home phone: 201-818-8578 Pat’s
Office: 201-684-7731
Anne’s cell: 551-427-9008 Pat’s
cell: 201-206-0931
Anne’s e-mail: achang@ramapo.edu Pat’s e-mail: pchang@ramapo.edu
Angie’s e-mail: aaggrey@ramapo.edu,
Angie’s phone: 201-684-4649
Office hours for either instructor by appointment.
The international,
cultural, and commerce center of the world is 28 miles east of Ramapo
College: New York City. If you are coming to college not merely to
accumulate a collection of credits, but to become a truly educated citizen of
the world, then this course is a good start!
We’ll be regularly in Manhattan to visit Ramapo faculty, staff, and
alumni in their lives as ethnomusicologists, writers, scientists, international
advocates, artists, actors (to name just a few) and residents of “The Big
Apple.” Potential activities might include
trips to museums and avant garde
plays, adventurous dining, exploration of neighborhoods, and analyses of city
architecture leading to rigorous but creative academic projects that will forge
an individual connection between you and New York.
Caveats:
n
Although
efforts will be made to keep student costs down, you should expect to incur
some extra expense with this course, for example, some transportation, food,
etc. (Our students from last year asked
us to emphasize this to you.) You will
be required to go into NYC on your own for a variety of assignments, and more
so if you choose Service Learning.
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If you’re
looking to do “classic” NYC tourist activities like big Broadway shows or
visiting “The Hard Rock Café,” this is not the course for you.
n
Since our class
does not meet at regular intervals, you need to pay close attention to our
schedule of class times. We will post
the schedule on Luminis and it is your responsibility
to check this and to be in the right place at the right time. Because of the nature of arranging the many
logistics of this type of course, there will inevitably be several changes to
the currently posted class times, locations and even dates. We will post changes in such information as
soon as we know them.
n
We hope to make
this class an enjoyable and engaging experience, but make no mistake: you will be doing a lot of work. Do not judge the difficulty of this class by
the first walking tour held during orientation.
Your research and writing skills will be challenged in this class, and
there will be a good amount of work required outside of our class time.
Course Policies
Attendance: Because of the unusual nature
of our class schedule (we meet for longer sessions, but less days), attendance
is paramount. So much will be covered
each time we meet and we expect you to be at each and every class. Extenuating circumstances should be discussed
with the instructors ahead of the class date in question.
Grading: Your final course grade will be
determined by the following:
25% Attendance & Participation
25% Midterm Project
25% Final Project
25% Other Assignments and Quizzes
Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of class time on the date
required. No late assignments will be accepted
without prior approval from the instructors.
(Note: prior approval means you
contact us with enough time to discuss the potential extension – this, for
example, does not mean e-mailing us the night before it is due!!) In other words, unless you have arranged with
us ahead of time for another due date, any assignment turned in after the due
date will be an “F.” There will be no
extra credit opportunities for you to “make up” an assignment.
All written assignments
must be typed, double spaced, stapled, and have a cover page. The cover page must include your name, the
date the assignment is due, the course and section number, and some sort of
title (of your choosing) for the assignment.
If you hand in an assignment not in the correct format, we will not
accept that assignment and it will be an “F.”
Please take this literally – in other words, if you turn in a paper that
isn’t stapled, for example, it will be an “F.”
All references and
citations must be done in MLA (Modern Language Association) format. You should consult the MLA style manual in
our required book list (you most likely have this same manual required for your
English class) for proper format requirements for a given citation. (We actually check your format in grading
your papers.)
You will be graded on
spelling, grammar, word usage, citation format, etc. as well as content!
You should always have with
you the capacity (paper, pen, PDA, etc.) to take notes while meeting for class
sessions, including those meeting in NYC.
While we strive to provide as much information as practical to you via Luminis, there will be some verbal instructions given to
you as well, and you will be held responsible for that information.
There will be assignments
given throughout the semester, usually pertaining to the various topics and
areas of Manhattan that will be covered at that time in the course. There will also likely be some “surprise
quizzes” incorporating knowledge you gained from the readings. In addition to these assignments, there will be
two quite substantial projects required.
You will be given specific details about each of these assignments on
separate project description sheets, but, in sum, here are the basics about the
two assignments.
The midterm project, due
Saturday, October 22, will require you to research an area of Manhattan not
covered extensively in our class and write an approximately 10-15 page
“chapter” of “The Not Your (typical) Course’s Not Your Typical Guide to Manhattan.” This will involve you doing extensive
research incorporating several fields of study (for example, history,
architecture, political science, visual arts, etc.) The goal of this project is to result in a
polished chapter that can be combined with other chapters by members of the
class to be put on reserve in Ramapo’s library! Please see the Midterm Project Description
for proposal due date and detailed project requirements.
The final project, due
Saturday, December 3, will require you to find some film or TV show that has a
scene allegedly taking place in Manhattan, but you can see it wasn’t actually
filmed there (now that you’re a savvy New Yorker). For this project you will research the scene,
and “re-shoot” it (using a video camera) on a Manhattan location of your choosing, making it more authentic. Although each student will produce their own
scene for submission, the work will be done in small groups assigned from the
number of students choosing to do the final project. The product will be both a small paper and
the video itself. Please see the Final
Project Description for proposal due date and detailed project requirements.
Luminis (aka My.Ramapo.edu): Luminis
is an online communications tool that we will be using to correspond with you
via chat, e-mail, calendar, targeted personal announcements, file downloads and
message boards. It is your
responsibility to check Luminis on a regular basis
for assignment updates and late breaking announcements. For example, you will be expected to complete
regular assignments utilizing the Message Boards to either answer specific
questions posed at the end of each Manhattan trip or to submit threaded
responses and research to questions posed prior to each trip.
Service Learning: In lieu of
either the midterm project or the final project (not both), you may elect to do
an approved service learning experience.
This option, coordinated by The Cahill Center for Experiential
Learning and Career Planning, will be explained in detail during our first
classroom session. In brief, for this
option you will be required to meet with The Cahill Center and attend any
orientation/reflection sessions as required by the Cahill Center, complete 20
hours (before December 3) of community service in Manhattan at approved sites,
and write comprehensive and reflective journal entries for this experience. Your completed Service Learning journal will
be turned in to us (instructors) and will be graded. The Service Learning journal is due on
Saturday, December 3, and may be handwritten in a notebook or typed using a
computer (if you choose to type entries, then hand it in as you would a paper
with the required format indicated earlier in this syllabus – e.g., cover page,
stapled, etc.).
If you are choosing to do this Service Learning option, you must commit to this in writing, through
e-mail to both instructors no later
than 5 p.m. on September 27. This e-mail must also include which project
(midterm or final) you are opting out of by doing Service Learning. If we do not hear from you
by this deadline, you will be considered committed to doing both the midterm
and final projects. Note: September 27 is also the deadline
by which you must have signed up for Service Learning with the Cahill Center as
well, so this is the deadline for you to have signed up both with us and
with the Cahill Center.
Note: this Service Learning option will necessitate
some greater expense in terms of commuting costs, etc. as you will be making
more independent trips into Manhattan on your own. Transportation, meals, etc. will not be
provided.
Personal Development Workshops
As new college students,
you’ll encounter situations where you’ll be expected to make personal choices
on issues that arise in social settings.
To help you in making your choices, Personal Development Workshops have
been incorporated into your First Year Seminar so that you can participate in
open discussions with your classmates and your peer facilitator on these
important development issues.
Three times during the
semester, your section will meet with a few other seminar sections for an interactive
presentation by a professional staff member or panel of experts. After these workshops, you will have a
follow-up discussion with your peer facilitator. Below is the schedule of topics for these
workshops – these workshops are included in your class schedule found on a
following page in this syllabus.
Personal Development Workshop #1: Stayin’ in the
Green Zone
Presenter: Cory Rosenkranz,
Psychological Counselor and Coordinator for Fiolence
and Substance Abuse Programs, Ramapo College of New Jersey. Some students will choose NOT to drink; some
students WILL choose to drink. Some
students will worry about those who choose to drink. All students will know and WANT to know about
the “Green Zone.” The
“Green Zone” – alcohol information that is personalized, easy-to-use and
empowering.
Personal Development Workshop #1: Sexual Assault
Coordinated and presented
by Mandy Restivo, Director of the Women’s Center and
Assistant Director of Greek Affairs.
Personal Development Workshop #3: Diversity
Presenters: Kathy Zeno,
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Peter Heinze Assistant Professor/Clinical Psychology
Mandy Restivo, Director of Women's Center/Ass't. Director Greek Affairs
Policy on Academic Integrity
Every member of the Ramapo
community is expected to be honest and forthright in their academic
endeavors. Since violations of academic
integrity erode community confidence and undermine the pursuit of truth and
knowledge at the College; academic dishonesty must be avoided. There are four broad forms of academic
dishonesty:
n
Cheating is an
act of deception by which a student misrepresents his or her mastery of
material on a test or other academic exercise.
n
Plagiarism
occurs when a person represents someone else’s words, ideas, phrases, sentences
or data as one’s own work. When a
student submits work that includes such material, the source of that
information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific
footnote references; verbatim statements must be acknowledged through quotation
marks. To avoid a charge of plagiarism,
a student should be sure to include an acknowledgement of indebtedness.
n
Academic
Misconduct includes the alteration of grades, involvement in the acquisition or
distribution of unadministered tests, and the
unauthorized submission of student work in more than one class.
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Fabrication
refers to the deliberate use of invented information or the falsification of
research or other findings with the intent to deceive.
If we have reason to
question a potential case of plagiarism, we may ask you for a computer file
with your paper on it and run it through the anti-plagiarism software, Turnitin.
Instances of academic dishonesty in any form will
result in a failing grade for the course and possible disciplinary action.
Students With Disabilities
Ramapo College of New
Jersey supports the protections available to students with disabilities under
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990.
The Office of Specialized
Services facilitates equal access to the programs and activities at Ramapo
College for students with documented physical, sensory, learning, or psychological
disabilities. Students must initiate
contact with this office (201-684-7514) in order to receive services or to
arrange appropriate accommodations and/or academic adjustments. Comprehensive documentation of a disability
from a licensed physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or
certified learning disabilities specialist must be submitted in order to
establish eligibility and to determine which accommodations and/or adjustments
are appropriate for each student.
Any student with a disability
who believes that he or she has been discriminated against should refer to the
Ramapo College Anti-Discrimination Policy Statement and Discrimination
Complaint Procedures published in the Student Handbook for resolution of the
grievance.
Required Books:
Fodors LLC. Fodor’s
Flashmaps New York:
The Ultimate Map Guide (7th Edition). New York:
Fodors, 2003.
Grader, Rob. The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to New York City
(2nd Edition).
Connecticut: Globe Pequot Press, 2004.
Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers (5th
Edition). Boston: Bedford Press, 2003.
Kahn, Robert, ed. City Secrets: New York City. New York:
The Little Bookroom, 2002.
Class Schedule (This is tentative – times, topics, and dates are
subject to change.)
Monday, Sept. 5th (Labor Day) 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Walking Tour,
location: meet at Visitor’s Circle
Saturday, Sept. 10th noon – 3 p.m. on-campus class, location: H 203.
Tuesday, Sept. 13th 12:55 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. “Meet With Angie” location: TBA
Saturday, Sept. 24th 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Circle Line Tour of Manhattan &
Midtown Adventure, location: meet at
the Visitor’s Circle
Tuesday, Sept. 27th 12:55 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. Personal Development
Workshop #1 “Staying in the Green Zone,” location: Trustees Pavilion (deadline
to sign up with the Cahill Center for the service learning option, AND deadline
to sign up with instructors for the service learning option)
Saturday, October 1st Midterm Project Proposal Due
Tuesday, October 4th 12:55 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. Personal Development Workshop #2
“Sexual Assault”, location: Trustees
Pavilion
Tuesday, October 11th 12:55 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. “Meet With Angie”
Location: TBA
Saturday, October 22rd
10 a.m. – 10 p.m. The United Nations and Non-governmental
Organizations, and The Upper East Side, Guests:
Prof. Cliff Peterson and Ms. Vivian Nilsson (Ramapo Alumnus),
location: meet at the Visitor’s
Circle. Note: Midterm Project Due
Saturday, October 29th 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Meeting with the “Cheap Bastard”
himself, plus a Music and Poets’ Tour of Greenwich Village, Guests: Rob Grader, Prof. Kai Fikentscher
and Al Romano, location: meet at the
Visitor’s Circle Note: Cheap Bastard Paper Due
Tuesday, November 1st 12:55 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. “Meet With Angie” Location: TBA
Saturday, November 5th Final Project Proposal Due
Saturday, November 12th
Tuesday, November 15th 12:55 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. Personal Development Workshop #3,
“Diversity,” location: TBA
Satuday, December 3rd noon
– 10 p.m., Museum Mile, American Museum of Natural History, and The Upper West
Side, Guests: Prof. Eddie Saiff (Coordinator of Honors Program) and Ms. Jackie Skrzynski (Director of Advisement), meet at location in
Manhattan: TBA Note: Final Project Due/Service Learning Journal
Due
Tuesday, December 6th 12:55 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. “Meet With Angie”
Location: TBA
Saturday, December 10th noon – 6 p.m. Course Wrap – Up, location: on-campus, to be announced.
Important Dates:
The following are important
dates/events for you to be aware of, and although we will not take attendance at
the events listed below, they would be to your benefit/enjoyment to attend.
Monday, Sept. 12th: Last day to
add/drop a class online. Last day for
100% tuition refund. (Note: if you receive permission/authorization to add
a class, you must still register for it.)
Wednesday, Sept. 21st: Opening
Convocation, Azar Nafisi,
(author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, speaker. 2 p.m. Bill Bradley Sports
and Recreation Center.
Monday, Sept. 26th: Last day to
withdraw with 50% tuition and/or housing refund.
Saturday, October 15th
and Sunday, October 16th: Ramapo Family Weekend.
Friday, October 31st: Last day to
withdraw from a course with a “W” grade – must use form from Registrar’s Office
and obtain proper signatures.
Dec.17th -23rd
:
Final Exam Week.
Sunday, Dec. 19th: Final Exam
Snow Day.
Saturday, Dec. 17th: Common Final
Exam Day.
Friday, Dec. 23rd: Last day to
request an “I” grade (you must use form from Registrar’s Office and obtain
proper signatures).
Check Web for Students for
registration dates (will be in November) for both Winter and Spring sessions.
Practical Travel Matters
We want you to become savvy
New Yorkers, and, to that end, we will provide bus transportation for only the
first three Manhattan classes. After
that, you will be expected to get into NYC on your own, meeting us at a
predetermined location in Manhattan (note on the class schedule when we will be
gathering at the Visitor’s Circle and when we will be all meeting up in the
city.
For group bus trips,
departures will be promptly at the time specified. If you fail to be there when we leave, it is
your responsibility to meet us at our destination, or you will be considered
absent. You should be certain to eat
before departing, as only dinner will be provided for you when we’re in the
city. If, for some reason, you are
unable to continue on during one of our city visits, it will be your
responsibility to get back to campus on your own. ALWAYS bring extra money for purchasing
water, snacks or other incidentals you might want or need while in NYC.
Unfortunately, because of
budgetary constraints and also because this is a course like any other college
course, we cannot accommodate guests not enrolled in this course.
While we do not consider Manhattan
to be an unsafe place, common sense precautions should prevail, including, but
not limited to:
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Be aware of
your surroundings and the people near you, even when you are walking/standing
with our group. Wallets are best kept in
front pockets and do not have your bag facing the back of you. Pickpockets do exist and tend to prey on
people who are not aware.
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Do not flash
around lots of cash or jewelry.
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Do not hang
your bag on the back of a chair or anywhere where you are not touching it. Believe it or not, someone can lift a bag
from the back of your chair even while your friends are facing you during a
meal!
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Walk
confidently, even if you are unsure of your directions.
Finally, please realize
that whenever you are off-campus, you are representing Ramapo College. We expect you to maintain high standards of
decorum at all times. This includes
consideration and respect for all of our guest presenters, current Ramapo faculty/staff
or not – in other words, we do not expect to see you listening to your CD or
making phone calls during a tour/presentation/guided walk (except for the one
class where you may be asked to bring a portable CD player!). This respect should also extend to the
restaurants we visit – you will probably be trying some unfamiliar foods. We do not expect you to love everything you
try, but we do expect (barring a stated allergy) you to try everything and, if
it is not your favorite dish, to remember to respond the way you would want
someone to react if you had just cooked the dinner.