Course Materials

Download the full syllabus here (TK).

Course Requirements and Grading 
[see “Outcomes Assessment Rubric,” pg. 7]
[see “BC Policies” in 2726W Background Documents, Videos]

Attendance 

Attendance will be recorded for each class. Also, timeliness is important ~ journalism works on deadlines: treat this course no differently. Persistent tardiness will diminish your grade for class participation.

If you must be absent, please inform me in writing beforehand through our Blackboard course email, or submit a valid excuse immediately upon returning to class. Excuses for absences accumulated during the course will not be accepted at the end of the term. The only exemption to this policy is that afforded by state law due to religious beliefs.

Assignments 

In addition to other requirements over the course of this term, you will be responsible for posts, and responding to posts by classmates.  In addition, several writing assignments must be completed.  In both cases, your writing should adhere to the seven C’s of composition:

• Context;
• Content;
• Components [building blocks];
• Cuts [editing – I know, it hurts];
• Composition [organization];
• Contrast [which differences matter]; and, 
• Consistency [style, word choice, etc.]

Discussion assignments are based on articles and analysis provided and prepared in advance, on media-related subjects of your choosing [as assigned, provided they have a demonstrable connection to course concepts and themes], about our modern media environment provided by authoritative sources.  

These readings can be extremely valuable to you as a means by which to contribute to class discussions, and support your arguments in discussion posts and responses, and other writing assignments.

COVID Contingency

Case loads are still high even as the Omicron surge falls off – be vigilant, be masked, stay safe.  That being said, here is how to proceed if you get exposed to Covid, test positive for Covid, have Covid symptoms and/or get symptomatic Covid:

We are going to follow the Brooklyn College guidance on the BC Returning Safely webpage found here:

http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/initiatives/initiatives/return.php

If you are going have a Covid-related incident especially one that will result in an absence you must:

1.     Fill out the Covid Case Collection form:  http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/initiatives/initiatives/return/resources/case-collection-form.php

2.     After you have filled out that form and submitted it – take a screenshot of the “submission confirmation page” and send it to me as an attached file when you do the “inform your professor or supervisor” step.  That screenshot should contain metadata (time/date it was taken) that will confirm the time/day of your Covid situation reporting and thus qualify you for an excused absence.  (Most of the time this is in the title of the Screenshot, but if not I can open it and look at the metadata to confirm.)  

NOTE:  No covid-related absences will be excused on the basis of an anecdotal claim of having a covid-related situation alone.  You MUST provide the screenshot that confirms that you have submitted the Covid Case Collection form in the timeframe that you are claiming the covid-related incident has occurred.  (This has implications for our entire community – if we “all” get exposed and have to quarantine then we need to quickly pivot to online for a week and I need to know or anticipate this is going to happen.)

3.     This should be obvious but let me just be explicit – do not lie about Covid or play around with this sort of thing – this is a public health emergency and lying about it is how we got into such a terrible mess in the first place.  You cannot blow through deadlines, ghost class for a month and claim you had covid – that will not fly and that completely disrespects our learning community and class motto.

4.     Unless you have documentation that your covid exposure resulted in actual illness that prevented you from completing work, asymptomatic covid and/or or quarantine is not an excuse for late work during the time of a quarantine.  This is what you can expect in your workplaces (or are currently experiencing in them.) The covid case form documentation excuses the absence only, it does not excuse late work.

5.     CUNY offers free testing to all faculty, staff and students at numerous locations all over the City.  Here is the link to free CUNY testing sites – note that you don’t have to travel to Brooklyn College if you live closer to another CUNY testing site your BC ID card will get you tested there.  Here is a list of the CUNY testing sites with their hours.  https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/cuny-covid-19-testing-site-locations/

6.     If I get exposed or have to quarantine I will keep you informed of our next steps via email and any temporary pivot we may need to make.  My top priorities this semester are: the safety of our learning community and your successful completion of the rigorous and professionalizing curriculum that is the Capstone.

Outcomes Assessment Rubric

ACTIVITY	EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS	MEETS  EXPECTATIONS	DOES NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS
Attendance /  Participation	Attends every class on time and in full; actively engaged in class and Breakout Rooms; helps foster lively student discussion through original ideas	Attends class; makes prior arrangements for absences; regularly engages in class activities	Consistently late and/or absent without excuse; does not engage in class discussion; displays disrespect
Discussion posts /  Writing assignments	Post and writing assignments present original ideas and/ or perspectives; demonstrate active engagement with readings, discussions, and, course topics	Post and writing assignments demonstrate limited engagement and / or interest in selected readings, discussions, and course topics	Short and terse post and writing assignments; simply summarizes readings without demonstrating original thought or interest
Presentations	Presentations deliver original ideas and perspectives that demonstrate engagement with subject and audience; thesis clearly stated, and supported by evidence from authoritative research sources; delivered when scheduled and within the time limit required; Ppt are clear, meaningful and memorable, and are consistent with expectations of images, color, font, and text.	Presentations deliver limited engagement with audience or assigned and/or selected topics; thesis is unclear; research cites 2 or fewer authoritative sources; not delivered when scheduled, and do not observe time limits; Ppt are unclear, do not conform with standard expectations of images, color, font, and text.	Rote delivery of presentations without engagement with subject or audience; thesis is unclear; research cites 1 – 2 sources which may be suspect, or popularly – based; Ppt do not conform with standard expectations of images, color, font, and text.
Grading	A	B / C	D / F