Syllabus

Course Description

Seminar 4 examines legal issues facing New York City, including affordable housing; racial discrimination in housing; the minimum wage; the gig economy; and immigration.

Learning objectives for the seminar include:

  • Students will use primary sources to analyze contemporary legal and policy issues facing New York City.
  • Students will engage critically and constructively in key policy debates that shape the future of the city, through in-class discussions, presentations, and  colloquia.
  • Students will propose and explore innovative approaches to the issues studied.
  • Students will demonstrate the necessary technological, written communication, and oral communication skills to convey their ideas effectively and persuasively
Course Assignments

This course has the following assignments and requirements:

  1. Class Presentation: For one randomly assigned class this semester, each student will be required to give a 10-min presentation using either powerpoint, Prezi, or another presentation device, in order to summarize the reading, identify the main points, and begin our class discussion.
  1. Blog Presentation Response: Each student should respond via a blog post to two of your peers’ presentations before the next class. I will assign you two to which to respond.

    1. See here for Blog Post Guidelines
  1. Final Paper and Presentation: The Seminar 4 symposium on May 6-7, 2017 (location to be announced by the Macaulay program). Your group will create a presentation of approximately 10 minutes analyzing one significant legal issue facing New York City, and your proposed means of improving and/or addressing this issue. You might not have a solution, but a constructive approach to the problem is still very valuable.

ITF Laurie Hurson is available to help you create your multimedia essay.

Grading

I will calculate course grades as follows. Please note that as this course involves a group project, a portion of your grade will be based on a peer assessment completed by the other members of your group. I will provide assessment forms at the end of the semester.

Class presentation 20%

Blog responses to others’ presentations (2 combined) 30%

Final media essay and presentation 30%

Peer assessment 10%

Class participation (includes attendance at Seminar 4 Conference) 10%

Course Requirements

Your attendance and participation in class sessions are critical and mandatory.

Participation means that you have completed all required readings, are prepared to engage in a serious conversation about the readings, listen to and respond to your colleagues, offer thoughtful commentary, and ask questions. I will take attendance at each class session. I will permit only three absences for any reason. For each absence above three for any reason (excessive lateness also counts as absence), I will reduce your final course grade by one notch (e.g. from B+ to B).

Turn off cell phone and other devices, including laptops, during class, unless you have discussed with me why you need to leave your phone or laptop on.

Please make sure that you know how to access the Blackboard site for the course, as course documents are posted on Blackboard. You should also check it and your Baruch email address on a regular basis, as I may send messages to the class via Blackboard.

Hand in your work in hard copy, at the beginning of class, or, if it is a blog post, post it before class begins. If you need an extension, you must communicate with me beforehand and negotiate a mutually acceptable deadline. I will not accept unexcused late assignments and you will receive an F for the assignment.

Please take advantage of the opportunity to schedule an appointment with the Instructional Technology Fellow or me for office hours if you have questions or comments about the course, the readings, the lectures, or the technology. I am interested in your feedback, and will make myself available to meet with you at a time that accommodates your schedule.

Course Reading

There is no textbook for this course. The reading for the course is available on Blackboard, in the Content section. Please know that if there is a URL link and it does not work for you, you can log in via the Baruch library to search for and access these resources online.

If there is Content on Blackboard marked (FOR USE IN CLASS), you do not need to read that in advance of class, as it will be material we cover in class (such as a video or PowerPoint presentation).

I also recommend that you read the New York Times and your local community newspapers as additional reading to support your knowledge of the issues we will discuss.

If you see articles that you think would interest the class, please feel free to give them to me and I will copy and distribute them.

Services for Students with Disabilities

Baruch College provides reasonable accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities to ensure that no student with a disability is denied the benefits of, is excluded from participation in, or otherwise is subjected to discrimination under the education program or activity operated by the College because of the absence of educational auxiliary aids for students with disabilities. Arrangements for adapting class procedures without compromising course content and standards may take time. Therefore, students who require accommodations or modifications should speak with me as soon as possible. In order to receive services, you must register with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities.

Documentation is necessary for every disability. For more information concerning services for students with disabilities, please contact Barbara Sirois, Director of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, Vertical Campus Building, One Bernard Baruch Way, 2nd floor, Room 2-270, 646-312-4590.

Academic Honesty

Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. The following definitions are based on the

College’s Academic Honesty website:

Cheating is the attempted or unauthorized use of materials, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work
  • Unauthorized collaboration on a take home assignment or examination
  • Using unauthorized notes during a closed book examination
  • Using unauthorized electronic devices during an examination
  • Taking an examination for another student
  • Asking or allowing another student to take an examination for you
  • Changing a corrected exam and returning it for more credit
  • Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to two classes without consulting the second instructor
  • Preparing answers or writing notes in a blue book (exam booklet) before an examination
  • Allowing others to research and write assigned papers including the use of commercial term paper services

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writing as your own:

  • Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes (a functional limit is four or more words taken from the work of another)
  • Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging them
  • Using information that is not considered common knowledge without acknowledging the source
  • Failure to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignment

I will give a failing grade on any assignment that has been plagiarized. I will make no exceptions. In addition, I am required by College policy to submit a report of suspected academic dishonesty to the Office of the Dean of Students. This report becomes part of your permanent file.