RAMAPO COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY · Web viewFYS LLC INTD 101-41 Fall 2017 Course Syllabus 4 Credits FYS LLC INTD 101-41 FYS LLC INTD 101-41 Fall 2017 Course Syllabus Fall 2017 Course

Fall 2017 Course Syllabus FYS LLC INTD 101-41 4 Credits

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RAMAPO COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY First-Year Seminar (Experiential Learning)

Zombies, Black Bears, and the Meadowlands:Mapping Social Environments

Ann LePore, Associate Professor3D Design and Animation

Prerequisites and/or Co-requisites: First-time, first-year student status

Office BC 147 : Office Hours: Tue 3-5pm, Wed 4-5pm, and by appointment

E-mail: [email protected] Mailbox BC 238 CA Office BC 237 (201)-684-7365

mailto:[email protected]


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First Year Seminar

Designed for first-time, full-time, first-year students, First-Year Seminar (FYS) provides a comprehensive introduction to college-level learning. Seminar courses are developed around an academic theme or topic that is based on one of Ramapo College’s academic pillars. First-Year students will have the opportunity to select a seminar that best suits their interests while learning about Ramapo’s academic foundation. The First-Year Seminar course helps students in their transition from high school to college life both in and out of the classroom. The common learning outcomes of FYS are: critical and creative thinking, college-level writing, oral communication, information literacy, and technological competency. FYS classes are small to emphasize open discussion and experiential learning within the context of the theme of the seminar course. Peer facilitators play an essential role in each FYS class ensuring that first-year students have guidance from a more experienced student. FYS is also the home of the Ramapo Summer Reading Program; all first-year students read the same book and discuss and write about it in their seminars. FYS encourages new students to participate in a community of learners, to strengthen their critical thinking skills, and to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Environmental Data Mapping to address your fearsMapping technology has recently been the focus of much critical attention as evidenced by numerous efforts to develop new ways of visualizing not only spaces, but complex sets of data. The proliferation of tools such as Neatline, The DM Project, Google Earth, and Walking Through Time has made mapping the stuff of both academic endeavors and everyday life.

Using the process of data mapping, students will be encouraged to make connections between math and image creation, science and narrative, research and analysis. The focus of environmental data mapping will help students to understand their immediate surroundings better, and the context of environmental issues is a relevant one that easily supports the visual display of both research and analysis.

Student group research projects are based on five site visits. We will conduct over an hour of location-specific sampling at the Meadowlands Environmental Center, in Manhattan, Newark and 3 additional locations. The results of all water sampling projects will be made public online as part of a larger citizen science initiative. Orienteering, and documenting the landscape through images will add to our data points when we conduct sampling in these locations for comparative water monitoring.

Course GoalsIn addition to written summaries of both research and hypotheses, students will learn how


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to present their findings in the form of GIS Maps, Hand-made Maps and Physical 3D models. Hands-on group research exercises are fundamental to the understanding of both data collection and possibilities for visual analysis with issues of place, physical space, and visual cues playing a central role.

Measurable Student Learning OutcomesAs part of this course, students will submit a 10-page research paper along with a paper outline and at least one revision. Two essays will be written in relation to the summer reading. Students will be responsible for turning their research into 4 unique maps, two of which will be presented formally in class. Class participation in discussions and critiques is meaningful and will be graded.

Objective Outcome Information Literacy Session

Class discussions and essays

Map Presentations for Data Sets

A & B

Research Paper or

Field Research Project

Summer Reading Paper

1 Develop the skills necessary to locate, evaluate, and employ information effectively.

1. Locate Information Effectively.

X x X

2 Speak effectively in scholarly and creative contexts.

1. Deliver a central message that is easy to identify, vivid, and memorable.

X x x

2. Use appropriate language for the subject and the audience.

X x x

3. Deliver oral communications in an engaging manner.

X x

3 Use technology to communicate, manage, or solve problems

1. Use technology to communicate information.

x

2. Use technology to manage information.

X X x

4 Understand diverse communities on local, national, and/or global

1. Demonstrate understanding of the intersections of issues that affect diverse communities in their local, national, and/or

x x X X


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levels global context.

2. Practice reflective intra-personal skills.

X

3. Participate in diverse communities on local, national, and/or global levels.

X x

Peer FacilitatorsAs an added resource for first-year students, each section of First-Year Seminar (FYS) will have a peer facilitator. These upper-level students will attend FYS classes and assist the instructor with the academic topics covered in this seminar. They will serve as discussion leaders on course topics as well as on issues that pertain to your personal and social development and they will facilitate weekly discussions on the class readings. Your peer facilitator will be your mentor and will be available to you to provide guidance on navigating the different personal and social hurdles that you may encounter in your first year at Ramapo.

First-Year Academic AdvisingEach First-Year Seminar course is assigned a professional Academic Advisor from the Center for Student Success who serves as your Academic Advisor during your first year. This advisor will attend your First-Year Seminar class for a group advisement session to review general academic advising policies and procedures. They will also be available to answer any general questions regarding college policies/practices. Students are required to schedule individual appointments with their assigned Academic Advisor for assistance with course selection and the development of a personal academic plan. If you have any questions regarding Academic Advisement please call the Center for Student Success at (201) 684-7441 or via email at: [email protected]

Texts, Readings, Materials.Selected readings will be provided from the following texts:

Segel, Edward and Jeffrey Heer. Narrative Visualization: Telling Stories with Data. IEEETrans. Visualization & Comp. Graphics (Proc. InfoVis), 2010

Brown, Tim. Change by Design. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Francesco, Cerari. Walkscapes. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2002. Flam, Jack. Robert Smithson: The Collected Writings. Berkeley: University of California

mailto:[email protected]


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Press, 1996. Low, Setha. On the Plaza: The Politics of Public Space and Culture. Austin, U of Texas Press,

2001. Sadler, Simon. The Situationist City. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998. Thayer, Pall. On narrative, abstract and location: A few words on location-based data in

art. 2004. Web. 2015 Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. 3rd

ed. The University of Chicago Press, 2008. Harmon, Katharine. The Map as Art: Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography. Princeton

Architectural Press, 2009. Tufte, Edward R. Envisioning Information. 1st ed. Graphics Press, 1990. Lima, Manuel, visual Complexity; Mapping Patterns of Information. Princeton Architectural

Press, 2011.Tufte, Edward R. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Graphics Press, 2001.

Hacker, D., & Sommers, N. (2012). Rules for Writers (7th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. ISBN: 9780312647957.

Ko, Lisa, The Leavers. Algonquin Books, 2018.

Course Requirements

Classroom Participation – You will be required to arrive on time and participate fully and respectfully.

Writing Assignments – You will be required to complete two assigned essays related to the summer reading. The class research (library, online and field research) will culminate in 4 maps, the first two of which will be presented formally in class, and one research paper. The 8-page Environmental Monitoring research paper will analyze a specific site, the site’s data and will include additional supporting research as well as background contextual research on the site. The paper should also include an action plan or further monitoring plan, whichever is required by the specifics of the proposed topic. The research paper will begin with an outline due week 9, a first draft due week 11, and a final draft due week 15. Written responses will be required of each student following site visits and assigned readings. Responses don’t have to be long but they should be thoughtful, coherent syntheses of your own personal experiences related to the topic or site.

Oral Presentations – Students will present group research as a PowerPoint or similar presentation and should be ready to prompt, or answer, questions .

Examinations, Laboratory/Studio, Library Research – Field research trips are a major component of the course. Everyone will be expected to meet punctually at the designated time on site monitoring days. We will visit the Potter Library together twice during class, but you will need to visit the library and the Writing Center outside of class


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time as well. All major mapping projects will be started in class but must be finished on your own time. Please allow seven hours per week outside of class to complete your research, writing and projects.

General Education Program CourseThis course fulfills the First-Year Seminar category of the general education curriculum at Ramapo College. Common to all First-Year Seminar (FYS) courses, you will develop critical thinking skills that are basic to college level study, regardless of your area of interest. You will be reading, writing, and participating in thoughtful group discussions with the aim of developing the skills of a scholar. You will learn to support your arguments using a foundation of knowledge and facts rather than simply using personal opinions and experiences.

This First Year Learning Community Seminar (Experiential) includes hands-on experiential learning in the form of field research. Students will be fully engaged in analysis of their research while drawing connections in the form of a variety of maps from standard cartographic examples to 3D models.

Weekly Class Schedule

Date Class topic, reading assignment Exam/assignment/ paper due date

Sept 4 Opening Convocation, BBQ, Meet your Professor

Week 1 Sept 5 Introduction, Discussion on the summer reading, Good mapping practices, College V HS, Summer reading Essay #1 in class (4pts). High Line map assigned

Week 2 Sept 12 High line reading, view urban maps, talk on water sampling, -draw samples from Ramapo pond. Library Research Workshop, Meadowlands reading assigned

High line map due (6pts)

Week 3 Sept 19 Pontoon Boat Tour Meadowlands. Waterways map due next week.

Meadowlands reading response due. (4pts)

Week 4 Sept 26 Water Sampling from Ramapo Reservation/ Lake Henry. Talk on public health and socio- economic maps, professional emails, reading responses due next week *extra 30 min for Peer facilitators

Summer read essay#2 due (8pts)

Week 5 Oct 3 Student handbook, interpreting rules, maps that show power and influence. Mapping power on campus project due next week. *extra 30 min for Peer

reading responses due (4pts)

Week 6 Oct 10 Deciphering the pollution data, how to complain and get results, Director Raoul Peck on campus today. Link your water quality maps to create a narrative

Mapping power on campus project due (8pts)


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Week 7 Oct 17 Getting results on social justice issues, building strong communities, census data maps, Iron Bound CC reading #1 due next week

water quality maps & resulting narrative due (8pts)

Week 8 Oct 24 Intro to research paper. Heat maps, Title 9 policy, Research paper outline with annotated bibliography due next week

Iron Bound CC reading #2 due (4pts)

Week 9 Oct 31 Using the power of Civil society for change. If you’re struggling part 1, Research annotated bibliography due week 10 *extra 30 min for Peer facilitators

Research paper outline due (4pts)

Week 10 Nov 7 Iron Bound Community Corporation Environmental Justice Tour (Newark Field trip). Newark EJ maps due next week

Research paper annotated bibliography due (4pts)

Week 11 Nov 14 Workshop for mapping water quality at home. Individual vs municipal water quality responsibility. If you’re struggling part 2, First draft of paper written in class. Second draft due week 13

Newark EJ maps due (8pts)

Nov 21 Thanksgiving Recess

Week 12 Nov 28 Research papers work-shopped in class, starting student clubs. Second draft due next week

Week 13 Dec 5 Final draft of paper due week 15. How to incorporate civil society and policy in to your action. Work shopping and individual meetings on 2nd draft. Final draft due week 15.

2nd draft of paper due (Feedback given on draft 2 via email by week 14) (8 pts)

Week 14 Dec 12 Truth or fiction of data maps, internships, Final draft of paper and presentation of policy recommendations Week 15.

Dec 19 Final Exam Review of 4 maps, Discussion of course experiences, internships, cartography, and applications to liberal arts exploration.

3rd and Final draft of paper and presentation of policy recommendations (20 pts)


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Luminous map of air quality by neighborhood designed by The Living

Important DatesOpening Convocation, Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers Sept 4th

First Day of Classes: September 5th Last day for Class Adjustments (on the Web): September 11th

Last day to withdraw from courses with “W” grade: November 16th Thanksgiving Recess: Nov 21st – 25th Final Exam Week: December 17th – 22nd Common Finals: December 22th Last day to request “I” grades: December 22nd Final Exam Snow Make-Up Day: December 24th

Grading PolicyWeekly reading/event responses 24%Mapping assignments 36%2nd draft of final 8%Final Paper 20%In-Class participation 15%

Grading scaleA Excellent 4.0A- 3.7B+ 3.3B Good 3.0B- 2.7C+ 2.3C Satisfactory 2.0C- 1.7D+ 1.3D Poor 1.0


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F Fail, earned 0.0

Incomplete grades are given only in the case of documented family emergencyor documented illness that interferes with your completion of the course. Youmust submit the required paperwork to me according to the collegeʼs deadlinein order to receive an incomplete instead of an F in either of these cases.

Attendance PolicyStudents are expected to be present for every class. A student with 3 absences will lose one full letter grade. A student with more than 3 absences will not pass the class. If you miss a class, you are still responsible for handing in the assignment on time. It will be your responsibility to contact me if you want to discuss the class you missed.*College policy states that students must notify faculty within the first three weeks of the semester if they anticipate missing any classes due to religious observance.College-Wide Policies:https://www.ramapo.edu/fa/arc/college-wide-policies-courses/

Electronic Forms of Communication In accordance with College policy, I will use your Ramapo College email address (@ramapo.edu) to communicate with you about all course-related matters.

Students with Disabilities If you need course adaptation or accommodations because of a disability that has been documented with the Office of Specialized Services, please make an appointment with me. *Please note: Students m u s t be registered with the Office of Specialized Services (OSS) to receive accommodations.

Policy on Academic Integrity: Students are expected to read and understand Ramapo College’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found online in the College Catalog (https://www.ramapo.edu/catalog-2017-2018/academic-policies/). Members of the Ramapo College community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. Students who are suspected of violating this policy will be either required to meet with the faculty member (and in the event of a ‘responsible’ finding, reported to the Office of the Provost), or be referred directly to the Office of the Provost, which will adjudicate the matter. *Be certain that you have read and reviewed specifically the policies on Cheating, Plagiarism, Academic Misconduct and Fabrication.

Criminal Sexual Assault and other levels of sexual misconductRamapo College is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment. Title IX and our college policy prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. Rape/Sexual Assault is a crime. Other forms of sexual misconduct — including harassment, domestic and dating violence, and stalking are also prohibited. The College encourages anyone experiencing sexual misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need and our college

https://www.ramapo.edu/catalog-2017-2018/academic-policies/

https://www.ramapo.edu/fa/arc/college-wide-policies-courses/


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can respond appropriately.

If you wish to speak confidentially about an incident of sexual misconduct, you can contact Bergen County HealingSPACE which provides free and confidential assistance through a 24/7-Crisis Intervention Hotline (201-487-2227). The trained advocates provide counseling, as well as medical and legal accompaniments to survivors. You can also contact the Police, Ramapo College Counseling Center at 201-684-7522 or Public Safety 201-684-6666 during nights and weekends.

The College is legally obligated to investigate reports of sexual misconduct, and therefore it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of a report, but it will consider a request for confidentiality and respect it to the extent possible. As a faculty member, I am also required by our College to report incidents of sexual misconduct and thus cannot guarantee confidentiality, but I will respect your privacy and only share the information with those who have a duty to respond. Should I become aware of an incident involving sexual misconduct, I must provide our Title IX Coordinator with relevant details such as the names of those involved in the incident.


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Image: Artist Kate McLean

Documents

RAMAPO COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY · Web viewFYS LLC INTD 101-41 Fall 2017 Course Syllabus 4 Credits FYS LLC INTD 101-41 FYS LLC INTD 101-41 Fall 2017 Course Syllabus Fall 2017 Course