**You may download the most updated syllabus here.

Each Seminar 4  instructor takes a different approach to the study of New York and has different areas of expertise – thus, every section of the seminar will have a somewhat different orientation while sharing the common description that I have outlined above.  In this seminar, our focus is on New York City schools and the ways that the city and its schools have shaped each other.

In the first part of the course we will take stock of New York City schools in terms of racial, ethnic, and class demographics and the distribution of resources across the city. We will then spend several weeks exploring the history of New York City and its schools, seeking to understand how a combination of social, political, and economic forces contributed to the shape of the city and its educational system today. The last part of the course will look forward, with a focus on policy solutions intended to address existing inequalities and injustices within the New York City public school system. Your semester-long project, which you will present at the CUNY-wide conference “Planning the Future of New York City,” will incorporate all three aspects of the course – the current, past and future of New York City schools.

Common Course Learning Objectives

  • Use primary sources, both qualitative and quantitative, especially in their research projects, to understand community institutions, the local economy, and the role of government
  • Develop an understanding of how power differentially affects New York City’s people, its built environment, and its institutions through site visits, case studies, or research projects.
  • Develop the ability to engage in key contemporary debates that shape the future of the city through in-class discussions, presentations, and colloquia.
  • Develop an understanding of the formal and informal institutions underlying decision making in the city by analyzing historical and contemporary planning and policy issues.

COMMOM COURSE DESCRIPTION

“Having examined a variety of important aspects of the past and present New York City in the previous seminars, in this fourth and final seminar students analyze the interplay of social, economic and political forces that shape the physical form and social dynamics of New York City…By studying institutional agents of change-federal, state, and city governments; public authorities; private sector interests; community boards; and grassroots organizations-students come to appreciate the roles people take or are given in the decision-making processes of government and the ways in which these roles are affected by patterns of success, inequality, and the operations of power. The culminating project of this seminar are small-group presentations, in an academic setting, of students’ investigations of crucial issues affecting the future of New York City.”

Late Work Policy
Ten percent of the earned grade will be subtracted from any assignment submitted late, up to a week past the due date, after which time late work will not be accepted at all (except in extenuating circumstances).

Academic Integrity
Students are expected to work together collaboratively and are encouraged to discuss and share ideas about all readings and assignments both in and out of class. Individual assignments, however, must be written and completed by each student on his or her own. Handing in an assignment with plagiarized, stolen, or “borrowed” material will result in a failing grade for the entire course. For questions about academic integrity and Baruch College’s policy concerning student honesty, see here.

Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities may receive assistance and appropriate accommodations in order to allow them to participate fully in this course. Please let me know right away of any specific accommodations you need, and make sure to contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, part of the Division of Student Development and Counseling. For more information, contact Lillian Shmulevich, Assistant Director of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, in Newman Vertical Campus, 2‑271 or at (646) 312‑4590.