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Professor: Andrew J. Ryan
Office Hours: ENT 4th Floor Conference Room, Monday 5.00 to 6.00 PM or
by appointment
Meeting Times: Robinson Hall A208, Monday 6.15 to 7.10PM
Course Web-site: http://classweb.gmu.edu/ajryan/nclc195_s02/syll.html
Contact Information:
703.993.1436 (school)
703.234.0750 (work)
202.328.1099 (home) before 10PM
ajryan@gmu.edu
Course Description and goals: BEATS, RHYME AND CULTURE will examine the history of hip-hop and the effect it has had on our society. The primary focus of this course is to engage hip-hop not as a mode of entertainment, but as a medium of communication which impacts, represents, and misrepresents the life experiences of youth (especially inner-city youth) in the United States.
The course will meet approximately seven times throughout the semester with an experiential learning component covering the remaining class hours. There will be weekly reading and a final paper. Students will also be encouraged to participate in hip-hop related conferences as a source of experiential learning.
Course Goals:
· Introduce hip-hop culture and its effect on society
· Examine hip-hop's role in academia
· Articulate how your learning experiences in this course relate to the
New Century College Competencies.
Grading Policy:
· Class Attendance 35%
· Report on Hip-Hop Culture (group) 30%
· Paper on Hip-hop Culture (individual) 35%
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class.
We will only meet seven times and it is expected that you attend each class.
One excused absence is permitted IF prior notice is given. Much of what we do
in class is interactive and depends upon your regular attendance and enthusiastic
participation. Your being absent not only diminishes your learning, but it keeps
the class from benefiting from your experiences and ideas. Arriving late, leaving
early, and being absent may cause your final grade to be lowered.
Late work will not be accepted. Unless otherwise noted, all assignments
are due at the beginning of class. Any exceptions are permissible, but require
prior permission of instructor.
Mid-term grades will be tabulated as of Fall 2001. GMU has instituted a new policy requiring all 100 and 200 level classes to submit mid-term grade reports. These reports will be available during the eighth week of class.
Final grades will be calculated using the University grading system. No curve will be used --this is to your advantage!
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any project or paper suspected not be the original work of the author will be forwarded to the George Mason University Honor Council. When in doubt, please consult me before handing your work in.
Required Texts:
· Hip-Hop America Nelson George
Optional Text:
· Vibe History of Hip-Hop Alan Light (ed.)
Experiential Learning: This course has a required experiential learning component, for which you and your group members will assess some aspect of hip-hop culture. You will be required to attend ONE of the pre-approved events listed on the web-site.
Participation: You will be assigned to groups and are expected
to work with group members on group projects and help each other as you are
learning new technology skills. If a student does not actively participate in
the group projects, that student's individual project grade may be downgraded
accordingly. You will evaluate each other's group performance at the end of
the semester. Participation in in-class and electronic class discussion is included
in your participation grade. You are expected to come to class having read the
material for the class and have ready
any course work due for that class.
I feel no obligation to accept or respond to work turned in late. Quality of work, not just completing it, determines the grade you earn.
About Group Work: During the course of the semester, you
will be required to work in groups. In the past, this has been a very rewarding
experience for students. However, there have been occasions where inequity in
workload has been a problem. You are encouraged to write a group contract, to
be signed by all members, which outlines the penalties involved for not fulfilling
group duties. At the end of the project, I will collect these contracts and
incorporate them into the final grade for the project. I will hold the group
responsible for resolving any issues that may arise throughout the semester.
As a last resort, I will mediate in the matter, if all group members agree to
abide by my decision.