ENGLISH DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 1
Eugenio MarÃa de Hostos Community College, CUNY
SPRING 2019
ISSUE 2
English Department
Well wishes for a successful Spring
Newsletter \\
Volume 1 | Issue 2
Table of Contents
Deputy Chair’s Message
1
Newsletter Update
1
Women’s History Month Calendar
2
End-of-Term Checklist
2
English Grade Outcomes
3
Happening This Term
4
Recognizing Faculty Excellence
5
Departmental Contacts Andrea Fabrizio, PhD Chair of Department afabrizio@hostos.cuny.edu Heidi Bollinger, PhD Deputy Chair of Department hebollinger@hostos.cuny.edu Diosa Carmona CUNY Office Assistant dcarmona@hostos.cuny.edu Shalema B. Averett-Hunt CUNY Office Assistant saverett-hunt@hostos.cuny.edu Questions or submissions?
Contact Prof. Victoria Muñoz vmunoz@hostos.cuny.edu 1
Deputy Chair’s Message As the days grow lighter, we are cheered to see the gradual transformation from winter to springtime. For the Deputy Chair, it is always scheduling season! My work scheduling the classes we offer each semester—there are 103 sections this term—has deepened my appreciation for how many Hostos CC students we serve and how great an impact our department has on the campus community. Our own work as writers infuses our teaching of writing and literature with vibrancy and creativity. As educators and intellectuals, we are continually immersed in the composition process, whether it be a new assignment, rubric, grant proposal, conference presentation, poem, book chapter, or yet another email. We bring our understanding of composition as a process into the classroom, and we model what it means to engage in the satisfying struggle of writing with care and attentiveness. In these pages we get a glimpse of our colleagues’ many scholarly, creative, and professional endeavors. It is inspiring to be part of a department that is constantly innovating, and it is great to have this chance to appreciate each other’s hard work. Happy spring, everyone.
Newsletter Update: Changes to Our Newsletter The Hostos Community College English Department Newsletter is already growing! Professor Elizabeth Porter has agreed to take on the role of Assistant Editor for the publication. In addition, Professor Anne Rounds and Professor Victoria Muñoz (Editor) have teamed up with Information Technology to digitize the publication for archiving on our college website. Starting this term, the English Department Newsletter will be available for online reading on the Teaching & Learning Commons page (https://commons.hostos.cuny.edu/ englishcommons/edn/). This issue’s contributors also merit acknowledgement: Professor Carl Grindley prepared the section on Fall 2018 English Grade Outcomes. Professor Juan Soto-Franco prepared the End-of-Term Checklist, and he provided photographs of the English Faculty Reading Series (page 5). Photographs from the visit of Ekere Tallie (cover and page 3) were provided by Sindayiganza Photography. Professor Muñoz provided the photograph from the Wonder Woman event (page 6). The photograph from Intrusion (page 2) was provided by Qurrat Kadwani.
Women’s History Month @ Hostos March 2019 Monday, March 25th: 12:30-3:15 p.m. in B501 Film screening of RBG (2018) Directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen At age 84, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become an unexpected hero and pop culture icon. The film portrays the hardly known personal journey of this small, quiet and highly influential warrior for women’s equality. Wednesday, March 27th: 11:00-1:45 p.m. in the Savoy Mutipurpose Room Positive Representations of Gender in Early Childhood, with a reading by author Alex Fabrizio A reading of Baby's Big World: Women Who Changed the World by author Alex Fabrizio (Columbia University) along with a celebration of students’ own storyboard projects. Monday, April 1st: 2:00-3:15 p.m. in B501 Sexual Assault Awareness Month "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Professor Julie Trachman, who is conversant with CUNY’s policy on sexual harassment, will use the game show format to educate the Hostos community about sexual harassment: effective responses and possibilities for its prevention on campus.
March 19th, 2019 Intrusion: One Woman Performance by Qurrat Kadwani Portraying 8 different characters, awardwinning performer Qurrat Ann Kadwani evaluates the flaws in a futuristic society where rape is supposedly eradicated. The performance helps to raise awareness about sexual violence and combat systemic oppression. “This is the type of programming that we should have in every college—it’s empowering.” – Keyso, Hostos CC “Honestly, I liked the play from beginning to end. I was very engaged.” – Danilsa, Hostos CC
End-of-Term Checklist Requirements Class Observation Reports For fulltime faculty only, Faculty Activity Report is due 4/18. Choose the textbooks for next semester’s class(es). Remind students in ENG 93 to register for the CATW. Encourage students to complete Student Evaluation Form (Homepage). If you are teaching ENG 100, 110, or 111, duplicate final exam readings in the duplicating center. N.B.: Do not give final exams to student aids in the duplicating center. You may upload final exam readings to Blackboard Submit attendance to CUNY EDGE Program (if applicable). Verify final exam date(s). Submit grades on CUNYFirst by 5/28. After submitting grades, please be sure to submit the following paperwork for the department’s files: 1. Grade Distribution Form 2. Grade roster from CUNYFirst 3. Copy of spreadsheet or rollbook (grades)/attendance 4. Provide a justification for all “F” grades given on final printed roster from CUNYFirst 5. For INC (Incomplete), submit an Incomplete Justification Form 6. ENG 100, 110, & 111 Final Examination (Yellow) Booklets with the final exam prompt 7. ENG 93 portfolios
Check
Succeed@Hostos: Follow up to encourage students’ success at Hostos (ongoing).
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English Grade Outcomes Fall 2018
Percentage of Students at outcome
Broad CUNYFirst Grading Outcomes for all Sections of all English Courses with Standard Grading, Fall 2018 (combined n=2609). 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% A
B
C
D
F
INC
W
WD
WN
WU
CUNYFirst Grading Outcome
This graph shows the total distribution of grades earned by students last semester, but excludes results from ENG 93, which is a pass or fail course. This grade distribution is consistent across almost every single section of every single course, with most faculty awarding no more than 20% A level grades. Completion Rate Comparison for all Sections of all English Courses with Standard Grading, Fall 2018 (combined n=2906). 90% Dropping or Withdrawing at any Point
Percentage of Students at outcome
80% 70% 60%
Completing with F or Higher
50% 40%
Completing with D or Higher
30% 20%
Completing with C or Higher
10% 0% Dept. Avg.
Above (and on cover): On March 11th, 2018, poet Ekere Tallie engaged students in a tribute to Lucille Clifton and Ntozake Shange, and she presented her new book, Strut!
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The above graph shows the department’s completion rates for all courses except for ENG 93. A course where a student has received an “earned” grade—even an F—is considered completed, and it does not affect student aid. It is important to remember that for an F grade, a student must have completed all of the term’s work and continued to attend class right up to the final exam. If a student stops attending, the right grade is a WU. Our overall C or better completion rate is 69%.
Happening This Term Upcoming Events Monday, March 25th (7:00 PM): Full-length play reading of Chris Widney’s play, “The Semis of Abu Dhabi” at EAT Theatre, NYC (15 W. 28th St. Suite 3, New York, NY 10001)
Wednesday, May 22nd (6:00 PM; Main Theater): Presentation of English and Women’s and Gender Studies Awards at CUNY Hostos Community College Honors Convocation
Wednesday, March 27th (3:30 PM-5:00 PM; B501): Next English Department Meeting
Friday, May 31st (10:00 AM; Lehman College): CUNY Hostos Community College Commencement Ceremony
Thursday, March 28th (5:30 PM-8:00 PM; B501): Couch Potatoes Movie Club holds a screening and discussion of The Matrix in honor of its 20th anniversary. Event is free and open to all students, faculty, and staff. Pizza will be served. Please direct inquiries to Professor Sean Gerrity (sgerrity@hostos.cuny.edu), Faculty Adviser to the club. Thursday, April 4th (3:30 PM & 5:00 PM): “Undocumented and Unafraid: The Power of Creative Expression” at the Hostos Longwood Gallery (450 Grand Concourse). This two-part event is part of Lincoln Center's city-wide Migrations Festival. At 3:30 PM, Dan-el Padilla Peralta, author of Undocumented: A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League, holds a public dialogue with guests regarding his experience and the rewards of his writing process. At 5 PM, the event will feature Julio Salgado, co-founder of DreamersAdrift.com and project manager for CultureStrike. Salgado is an undocumented, queer artivist whose visual art depicts key individuals and moments of the DREAM Act and migrant rights movement. This segment will also include a short poetry reading via Skype by celebrated queer undocumented immigrant activist, Yosimar Reyes. Friday, April 5th (8:30 AM-4:00 PM): Prof. Heidi Bollinger and Prof. Jason Buchanan will present on, “Restructuring First-Year Writing at CUNY: Access and Equity in the 21st Century,” at the CUNY English Summit, this year at New York City College of Technology (285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY). Breakfast and lunch will be served. Attendance is free, but registration is required. For questions and more information, please email Neil Meyer (nmeyer@lagcc.cuny.edu).
Announcements Submissions are solicited for the ENG 110/100 final exam readings and prompts. Faculty should direct their submissions to Professor Andy Connolly (aconnolly@hostos.cuny.edu) and Professor Sean Gerrity (sgerrity@hostos.cuny.edu). The final ENG 93 course meeting will take place at 3:30 PM on Thursday, April 11th in the English Conference Room. The final ENG 100 course meeting will take place at 3:30 PM on Friday, April 22nd in the English Conference Room. The final ENG 110 course meeting will take place at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, April 16th in the English Conference Room. The meeting will decide readings and prompts for the common final exam. ENG 111 course meetings will take place at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, March 19th, and Mon., April 15th in the English Conference Room. The final Electives course meetings will take place at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, April 30th in the English Conference Room. Shalema will be going out on maternity leave soon. Please hand in any paperwork due to the department ASAP.
Monday, April 8th (3:30 PM; FDR): Faculty Reading Series event featuring Prof. Anne Freeland (on “LatinAmerican Prison Literature”) and Prof. Alex Milsom (on “Anti-Tourism”).
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March 5th, 2019:
Faculty Reading Series
English faculty gathered to celebrate their colleagues’ diverse works.
Prof. Craig Bernardini introduced Prof. Gregory Darling.
Prof. Gregory Darling presented: “St. Cecilia as a Reflection of Mary in Chaucer’s ‘The Second Nun’s Tale.’”
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Prof. Justine Valinotti read a collection of original poems entitled, “Trans-formation: Poems of Change.”
Recognizing Faculty Excellence Presentations and Performances Bury, Louis. KGB Monday Night Poetry: Louis Bury & Diane Mehta. KGB Bar, 11 March 2019, New York, NY. Invited reading. Cisco, Michael. International Congress on the Fantastic in the Arts, 13 March-16 March 2019, Orlando, FL. Panel presentation and panel moderator. Fisher, Jerilyn. “Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Across CUNY’s WGS 25th Anniversary-Stonewall 50th Anniversary Celebration.” 18 March 2018, Kingsborough Community College, New York, NY. Panel participant. Fisher, Jerilyn, “‘A Fate Worse than Death’: Four Infanticidal Mothers in Progressive Era Fiction.” College English Association Conference, 29 March 2019, New Orleans, LA. Panel Presentation. Gerrity, Sean. "How to Maintain an Active Research Agenda as a Community College Professor." CUNY BMCC Community College Career Fair, 1 February 2019, Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York, NY. Panel presentation. Porter, Elizabeth. “The Eighteenth Century in the Undergraduate Classroom.” American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS) Annual Meeting, 21 March 2019, Grand Hyatt-Denver, Denver, CO. Roundtable participant. Porter, Elizabeth. “The Urban Gothic: Mobs, Marriage, and Madness in Burney’s Cecilia.” American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS) Annual Meeting, 22 March 2019, Grand Hyatt-Denver, Denver, CO. Panel presentation. Soto-Franco, Juan. "Engagement and Suited Practice Through Kahoot in Hostos Community College." 2019 TESOL International Conference, 14 March 2019, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA. Exhibit. Rice-González, Charles. "Giving Voice to Nontraditional Populations Through Storytelling." College English Association Middle Atlantic Group Conference, 9 March 2019, Washington, D.C. Panel participant. Rice-González, Charles. “A Panel with Hostos LGBTQI Faculty Students and Staff Voices.” Hostos Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots: A Moment of Reflection, Affirmation and Perseverance, 6 March 2019, Bronx, NY. Panel participant. Rice-González, Charles. "Preaching Beyond the Choir: The Value of Creative Writing Outside the Major." Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference, 29 March 2019, Portland, OR. Panel participant. Rice-González, Charles. "All the World’s a Stage: Using Short Plays to Increase Diversity." Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference, 30 March, 2019, Portland, OR. Panel participant.
March 6th, 2019: Publications Gerrity, Sean. "Advice for the Community College Scholar." Inside Higher Ed, 21 February 2019, https://www.inside highered.com/advice/. McLennan, Leanna. “Plain English,” excerpt from “Seen and Overhead.” Geist, 110, Fall 2018, https://www.geist. com/. McLennan, Leanna. “Seen and Overheard: A Year on the Bus in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.” New Limestone Review, 2018, newlimestonereview.as. uky.edu/.
Mary Shelley Screening
News Linda Hirsch was featured on EdCast to discuss the topic: “What’s So Special About a Specialized High School?” Part III of the series, “Who Belongs in New York City’s Specialized High Schools?” Rebroadcast dates: Tues. April 2nd (9:30 PM); Wed. April 3rd (10:30 AM & 3:30 PM); Sat. April 6th (7:30 AM); Sun. April 7th (6:30 PM); BronxNet: Mon. April 1st (7:30 PM; Optimum Cable). Sean Gerrity was featured on CUNY SUM: “SNAPSHOT: Slavery, Freedom, Marronage,” 30 January 2019, https://sum.cuny.edu/. The article discusses Prof. Gerrity’s research on nineteenth-century African American literature, particularly his work on the novel Blake, which appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of
MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States.
Students and faculty gathered for a screening of the 2018 film (directed by Haifaa al-Mansour), and a postscreening discussion led by Professor Alex Milsom.
In her introduction to the film, Professor Milsom explained a common confusion between Victor Frankenstein and his creation.
March 13th, 2019:
Representations of Wonder Woman: Then & Now
Professor Jennifer Tang (Library) visits Professor Heidi Bollinger’s honors course, “The Graphic Novel,” to present a retrospective analysis of the development of Wonder Woman, from her original cartoon debut to the recent, acclaimed 2017 film about her.
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Department of English Hostos Community College, CUNY a. 500 Grand Concrouse, Room B504 Bronx, NY 10451 p. 718-518-6600 w. hostos.cuny.edu
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