| CPDH
Fall 2015 Room 3306 Th 2–4pm Calendar |
Scott Dexter
Office Hours: Th 1–2pm, Room 4439 at Brooklyn College: 0113N (basement of Old Ingersoll) Office Hrs: T 11am–12pm, Th 5.30–6.30; & by appointment |
A new "science" emerges where a new problem is pursued by a new method....[L]iterature is not an object, it's a problem, and a problem that asks for a new critical method: and no one has ever found a method by just reading more texts. That's not how theories come into being; they need a leap, a wager—a hypothesis, to get started. (Moretti, Distant Reading)
In this course, we will consider literature and other problems of the humanist sciences. We will collectively wager on the potential energy of diverse scholarly preparations brought into close proximity. Perhaps, we will bring into being new theories and new methods, both computational and humanist.
For this course, our most valuable assets will be not what we know, but how well we can say, "I don't understand." Our task will be not to perform our knowledge for others who share it but to communicate it effectively across "disciplinary" boundaries. Ideally, this course will address problems in both computing and the humanist sciences, and, through those problems, uncover both new techniques and new problems in both domains.
This course is open to all students with scholarly affinities anywhere along the following spectrum
(on one end, the) Humanist:
You are a scholar of the humanities
with an interest in using computational methods
to support your research. You seek novel arguments,
novel processes, and novel collaborations.
(and on the other, the) Technologist:
You are a scholar of computation
with an interest in applying computational methods
to novel problems. You seek novel problem domains,
novel solutions, and novel collaborations.
You will also keep a reading/research journal in which you will record your impressions of, responses to, and questions provoked by the readings, as well as reflections on the research component of the course.
Your work in this class will contribute to your final grade as follows (subject to change, with plenty of notice):
25% Journal
25%
Mini-session
50%
Course Project
Both computer science and digital humanities, as modes of inquiry, value and often require collaboration. This class is no exception. In particular, the real world often demands collaboration across disciplinary lines, so, as far as the demographics of the class permit, I expect you to seek collaborators outside your "home discipline."
I take academic honesty very seriously. Completing your own work is the foundation of the educational process and of professionalism, both yours and mine. You are responsible for understanding the CUNY and Graduate Center policies pertaining to academic integrity, including both intentional and unintentional plagiarism. Lapses of academic integrity (e.g., plagiarism of books, articles, or papers written by others; unauthorized “recycling” of work completed for another course; etc.) will result in severe consequences, at minimum a failing grade (F) for the assignment.
The success of this class depends much more on your presence and participation than it does on mine! You'll certainly have plenty to work on outside of class, but I expect you to attend all class meetings, on time. So, this is a statement of values, not a threat: If you are late or absent more than once (one class), your final grade will drop one full letter for each late arrival or absence thereafter.
Similarly, I want you to complete the class work by the end of the semester—especially because so much of the work is collaborative. So, I expect you to meet the few deadlines/milestones described elsewhere in this syllabus. Late work will be docked 20% (e.g., an A assignment will receive a C). I do not accept work seven days beyond the deadline; in such cases a zero is recorded for the assignment. There are no exceptions to this policy, especially in cases of printer, email, or other computer problems.
I will not assign an Incomplete final grade.
But: I want this to be a rewarding and successful semester for you. If, for whatever reason, you have difficulty maintaining the reading schedule, meeting deadlines, or have other course-related issues, please contact me immediately. It's in your best interest to keep me informed of your progress, good or bad. Make an appointment with me so that we can discuss it.
I believe the classroom is hugely enriched by the presence of individual diversity of all kinds. I am deeply committed to creating an inclusive classroom that respects a wide range of experiences, viewpoints, and abilities. I encourage students who have a disability (or suspect they may have one) to contact Sharon Lerner or Elise Perram (212-817-7400 or disabilityservices@gc.cuny.edu) and consult the Graduate Center Student Handbook. If you have a documented disability that needs accommodation, please schedule a time to meet with me so that we can discuss it privately.
I don't expect this to be an issue for this class, but I expect you to have an email account that you check regularly, as well as access to whatever course management technology (Blackboard, Academic Commons, etc) we use for the course.