Announcements
Bookmark this page as your main entry point to the course website. That way, you’ll be sure to see any changes and other information I’ve posted here.
Current Announcements (2)
Grades are posted
27 December 2023
Course grades have been posted to CUNYfirst. Have a great break and a happy new year!
Grading page updated
26 December 2023
The grading page has been updated with all papers I have received and a provisional grade for the course. If there is an assignment or revision you’re sure you submitted but that isn’t reflected on the grading page, please contact me immediately.
Official grades will be posted to CUNYfirst on Wednesday.
I was very impressed by a lot of the written work for this semester—there were some seriously thoughtful essays and papers this time around, and the effort at insight and scholarship really came through. Thanks for your hard work in your assignments as well as in our awesome class discussions. I hope you have a safe and happy winter break and a successful new year!
Archive
Final Exam grades posted
18 December 2023
I’ve posted the grades for the final exams on the My Grades page. If you have any questions about your exam, drop me a line and we’ll discuss.
Your current calculated course grade so far is not your official grade for the course. Almost everyone has missing assignments or reversible deductions you can turn in to boost your course grade, so get those in to me when you can. As you know, the deadline is by December 25 at the latest.
Again, if you have any questions about the assignments you’re still working on or how to fix the reversible deductions and get those points back, please please email me and we’ll get things straightened out.
Position Paper grades and markups posted
17 December 2023
The grades and markups for the Position Paper are posted on the My Grades page on the course website. A lot of great insights into Hellas—I can really see the interest and diligence.
If you have any questions about the grades, comments, or deductions, please don’t hesitate to seek me out by email or in office hours.
Reversible deductions. Some of you may find that you received “reversible deductions” for issues relating to formatting and citations. The good news is, those are points that you can get back. Check the cover page of your markup to see if there are any check marks and points taken off next to the reversible deductions. If there are, I made notes on the cover sheet or in the essay about the issue, and included a handout with the requirements.
Please resubmit your essay to BlackBoard with those problems fixed, and I’ll be in a position to reverse those deductions. Only reversible deductions can be reversed, so don’t resubmit for anything other than reversible deductions.
Missing essays. If you have not gotten your paper in, please do so as soon as you can. In terms of your course grade you’re better off with any grade, even with a lateness penalty, than a zero for the assignment. Remember also that the lateness penalty is capped at a maximum of 30 points, so turning your paper in, even very late, is better than not doing so.
Quiz #10 grades and markups posted
12 December 2023
The grades and markups for Quiz #10 are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.
I strongly recommend spending a moment to take a look at my commentary on the quiz, as I use the markups and quiz notes to emphasize some of the key take-aways from last week’s topics. The Quiz Notes for this quiz are live on the Quiz Notes page and on the Print/PDF page, and are also included in the quiz markups.
Grading update
12 December 2023
I think I have everything graded I’ve received so far, except for the position papers. If there’s something you’ve submitted that’s not showing as graded on the My Grades page, please let me know.
If you have late papers or reversible deductions in the works, please obviously keep sending them in. I will be grading all the way through Christmas. :) And if you have any questions about a pending assignment, email me or come see me. I will be having office hours at 5 o’clock before the exam on Thursday, and I’ll have some time afterward as well.
See you Thursday at 6:15!
Welcome to Week 14!
3 December 2023
This week we’re talking about the Hellenistic world—the cultural aftermath of Alexander’s conquests that resulted in a changed perspective and new connections in the ancient lands of the east. What transformations stand out most to you as having the most lasting impact? What were the downsides of hellenism in the east, and what did it leave undone? How much did the Hellenistic world truly have in common with Greek culture and the Greek idea?
Also this week you’re completing your position papers. What did you learn from your research and analysis that you’d like to share with the rest of us? How has your perspective on Hellas changed or been reaffirmed as you explored your topic?
Looking forward to discussing all this with you on Thursday. See you then!
Clouds Essay grades and markups posted
27 November 2023
The grades and markups for the Clouds Essay are posted on the My Grades page on the course website.
I tend to grade this one a bit tough in hopes of providing guidance for your position papers. Please consider in particular issues like having a strong thesis, effective three-part organization, and supporting your assertions with examples when writing your position papers, so that they can be as strong as possible. If you have any questions about the grades, comments, or deductions, please don’t hesitate to seek me out by email or in office hours.
Reversible deductions. Some of you may find that you received “reversible deductions” for issues relating to formatting and citations. The good news is, those are points that you can get back. Check the cover page of your markup to see if there are any check marks and points taken off next to the reversible deductions. If there are, I made notes on the cover sheet or in the essay about the issue, and included a handout with the requirements.
Please resubmit your essay to BlackBoard with those problems fixed, and I’ll be in a position to reverse those deductions. Only reversible deductions can be reversed, so don’t resubmit for anything other than reversible deductions.
Missing essays. If you have not gotten your paper in, please do so as soon as you can. In terms of your course grade you’re better off with any grade, even with a lateness penalty, than a zero for the assignment. Remember also that the lateness penalty is capped at a maximum of 30 points, so turning your paper in, even very late, is better than not doing so.