FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHEN DOES THIS COURSE MEET? WHAT IS ITS FORMAT?
This course meets in person on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00pam to 12:15pm. Please consult the course schedule for any predetermined dates where we will not meet in person.

IS THERE A TEXTBOOK?
There is no textbook for this course. All course readings, assignments, and materials will be provided to you through our Blackboard course site.

WHO IS THE INSTRUCTOR? HOW CAN I CONTACT THEM?
This course is taught by Dr. Donna-Lee Granville. You can call me Dr./Prof. Granville and use she/her pronouns. The best way to reach me is via email (dgranville@brooklyn.cuny.edu). I respond within 24hrs to emails sent during the week and within 48 hours to emails sent over the weekend. Find out more about me on page 5.

WHEN ARE OFFICE HOURS?
Office hours are held in room 3614 in James Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-2pm. You can also set up an appointment for a virtual or in person meeting outside of those times.

WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS COURSE?
You will need reliable wifi and a laptop or tablet (preferably) to access our online platforms like Blackboard, the CUNY commons site, and Google Suite products. You will also need to be able to submit a screenshot, follow links, and download and upload documents.

HOW IS THIS COURSE ORGANIZED?
This course is organized as a collaborative effort between the instructor and students. The content is spread out over four units. Unit one helps establish some important foundations for understanding hip hop and sociology while Units two and three will dive into topics like inequality and representation. There is also one big change from a more traditional classroom. You will grade yourself. Yes, even your final grade will be determined by you.

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR EACH WEEK OF THE COURSE?
Each week you will be assigned a reading and a concept video or short assignment to prepare before our meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays. Be sure to read each weekly overview carefully in Blackboard so that you are adequately prepared.

NEED TECH HELP? NEED BLACKBOARD HELP?
Contact the Help Desk at 718.951.4357 or via email (helpdesk@brooklyn.cuny.edu). Visit the CUNY Blackboard page for afterhours contact info and troubleshooting.

WHAT ARE THE LEARNING GOALS FOR THIS COURSE?

• Identify and intelligently articulate the social issues facing Caribbean immigrants in the United States and other national settings.
• Express critical ideas, themes, arguments, theories orally and in written form.
• Apply the sociological imagination to understand and explain the larger global context influencing urban issues.
• Compare and contrast the migration and settlement experiences of Latinx and African descended Caribbean immigrants.
• Develop and improve writing, reading, presenting, and critical thinking abilities.

HOW CAN I DO WELL IN THIS COURSE?

• Attend every class session. You can miss 3 class sessions without explanation. Any additional absences should be discussed beforehand with me since your attendance and participation is essential in this course.
• Participate! Complete your readings, add to our class notes, and carefully review any additional assigned content for before class viewing. Be prepared!
• Complete your assignments on time. Communicate with me and with your grading accountability partner(s) if any issues arise.
• Manage your time well. Schedule times to work on assignments or readings. Work backwards from deadlines and give yourself time to complete and review an assignment before submitting.
• Visit office hours often. Think of this time with me as your one-on-one time to get course info clarified, get advice for grad school, or help with a challenge, or even to share something related to the course that you came across outside of class.

HOW WILL I BE GRADED IN THIS COURSE?

• For each assignment there will be a rubric that explains the goals of the assignment and the different levels of evaluating your work.
• Using the rubric, you will assign yourself a grade and write a 1-page rationale to explain how you arrived at this grade. For your final grade, you will complete a rubric and submit a 1 page rational that responds to similar questions. Each student will meet individually with me to determine their final grade during our final exam period.
• This means you will be getting practice all semester in advocating for the grade you want and will earn through evaluating the quality of your own work.
• We’ll finalize our grading strategy in class on 9/14 during Week three.