The Daily Plan-it / Dean of Students Blog, Columbia J-school

Dear Students,

Friday, August 31, we have a fun day of all-school events scheduled to kick off the school year..

THE FOLLOWING EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE ENTIRE COLUMBIA J-SCHOOL COMMUNITY

10:00 a.m.-12 p.m., Miller Theater @ Columbia University
“How to Survive, and Thrive, at J School.” We’ll discuss various topics, including Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the 2009 movie Adventureland, and a recent New York Times story about illicit amphetamine use, which is attached to this email. Be sure to read this story before you arrive.
*Miller Theater is located in Dodge Hall which is parallel to the Journalism School across College Walk. See map at http://bit.ly/DodgeHall

12 p.m.-3 p.m. Furnald Lawn
BBQ Picnic
Join us for an old-fashioned picnic… Pulled pork, ribs, chicken, macaroni and cheese, baked beans and collard greens will be served. (Vegetarian, Kosher and Halal meals will be available for those who ordered them).
*Please note that you must pick up your J-School wrist band during the Miller Theater event for entrance to the picnic!

2:00 p.m. -2:30 p.m.
Multicultural Programs

• Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (Rm 502)
• Asian American Journalists Association (Rm 601C)
• National Association of Black Journalists (Rm 202)
• National Association of Hispanic Journalists (Rm 107B)

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Multicultural Programs

• National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (Rm 607C)
• South Asian Journalists Association (Rm 601B)
• Central, Eastern and European Interest Group (Rm 107A)
• Africa Interest Group (Stabile Student Center)

TO: M.S. Students completing the Master’s Project this Summer
FROM: Bill Grueskin, Dean of Academic Affairs
RE: Instructions on Submitting Your M.S. Master’s Projects, Summer 2012

The deadline for submitting your finished Master’s Project is Friday, August 31, at 10 a.m.

We will begin accepting completed projects as of Monday, August 27.

All projects must be submitted to Chanel Roche and Evelyn Corchado in 207A.

You will be required to sign your name on the Master’s Project submission log when you turn in your final project. Only those students who received a formal extension from your faculty adviser and the Dean of Students Office have permission to miss this deadline.

There are multiple sections of the submission instructions. The portion marked General Instructions applies to all students. There are also sections with specific additional instructions for Hybrid/Video, Hybrid/Photo and Radio projects.

General Instructions:

• Please submit your piece (and any other materials as specified by your type of project) in a 9 ½ by 11-inch envelope. This copy will be given to the library. Label the envelope with your name, your class year, the title of your project and the name of your Master’s Project adviser.

• Please e-mail a final copy of your project to your adviser. Ask your adviser if he or she also wants a hard copy.

• This final version of your project will be available in the Columbia Library, so it must conform to the specific formatting guidelines.

Formatting:

• Margins and Numbers: The print version must be double-spaced on one side of white paper, leaving a 1½- inch margin on the left-hand side and a 1-inch margin on all other sides. Pages must be numbered. No binding or staples, please.

• Title Page: Include a separate title page with the following information: Your name, class year, the title of your project, the name of your master’s adviser, and, at the bottom of the page in the center, add:

  Copyright
  (Name of Student)
  (Year)

• Source List: Submit a complete source list for your project at the end of your project. If you are not certain about the best way to cite a source, consult with your adviser. Be aware that source lists and your entire project, including the “P.S.” portion, will be available for reading and copying by all Journalism School library visitors. If you have confidentiality concerns about sources (i.e. names, phone numbers, personal addresses, etc.), you are responsible for removing the source list from the copy submitted to the Dean of Students Office for the library.
• Post Script: At the end of your project, include a first-person narrative describing how you discovered, researched and reported your story. This will help future students see what goes into the making of a successful master’s project. This “P.S.” should be included with all copies of your project after the source list, and should run no longer than 1,000 words. Remember that this post script will be available along with your project in the library.

Hybrid/Video Project Instructions

• One copy of your print piece per the instructions above for print projects. Please e-mail one final copy of your project to your adviser. Ask your adviser if he or she also wants a hard copy. Include a Post Script and Source List as described above.
• One DVD of the video portion of your project. Provide a second DVD directly to your adviser. Label all your DVDs and accompanying materials with complete project information (author(s), title, adviser).

Hybrid/Photo Project Instructions

• One copy of your print piece per the instructions above for print projects. Please e-mail one final copy of your project to your adviser. Ask your adviser if he or she also wants a hard copy. Include a Post Script and Source List as described above.
• One DVD of either your audio slideshow or jpgs. If your project includes both, please submit a separate DVD for each presentation. Provide a second DVD (s) directly to your adviser. Label all your DVDs and accompanying materials with complete project information (author(s), title, adviser).

Radio Project Instructions

• One copy of your script for the Dean of Students Office, email a second to the adviser, plus a hard copy to the adviser if he/she requests it. Include a Post Script and Source List as described above

  One copy of your project on audio CD for Dean of Students Office, and a second for your adviser. In addition, provide your adviser a copy of the .wav file (i.e. the final mix “bounce,” on a data CD).

• Label all your CDs, tapes and accompanying materials with complete project information (author(s), title, adviser). Indicate whether CDs are data or audio.

Your Copy

• Keep a copy of your project for yourself. Neither the Journalism School nor the Journalism Library is able to provide on-demand copies of your work.

Congratulations!

From Dean Huff, Asst. Dean of Students

The Add/Drop period for M.S./K.B. students begins August 20 at 7 a.m.

Add/Drop forms ARE processed first-come, first-served!

During this period, M.S. students may request a change of classes. Knight Bagehots can request classes.

Please note that this is only a REQUEST and we cannot guarantee your request will be accommodated.

On each Add/Drop request form you may request to add one class AND drop one class.

It is possible to simply fill out the “Add” or “Drop” portion if you are a PT or K.B. student not looking to switch, but merely to add or drop a class (or if you are a FT student looking to add a second skills class).

The Add/Drop request form will be available as of 7 a.m. on Monday, August 20.

Additional information on the Add/Drop request process is listed below. Please read it carefully before submitting a request form.

Add/Drop forms ARE processed first-come, first-served!

PLEASE NOTE: You may also sign up via Add/Drop for Prof. Herman’s class:

Business and Financial Reporting
Instructor: Tom Herman
Mon. 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This course is an introduction to the basic concepts and tools of business reporting, designed for students interested in the field as well as those planning to specialize in other areas. The dynamics of business are at the heart of many journalistic subjects, so learning how to make sense of business news and bring it to life are invaluable skills. We will study these subjects both through readings, by following and discussing news stories throughout the semester, and by analyzing classic business articles. Several short features, as well as in-class writing exercises, will be assigned. We will cover effective methods for conceiving and pitching stories, identifying and interviewing sources, story structure, and writing. Several class sessions will feature guest speakers from major business and general-interest publications. (A more in-depth version of this course will be offered in the spring.)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ADD/DROP REQUESTS:

The Add/Drop period Monday, August 20, at 7 a.m. to Friday, September 14, at 7 a.m.

Add/Drop forms are processed on a first come, first served basis.

If your form is submitted correctly you will receive a request confirmation e-mail within 24 hours. Please remember to include the @columbia.edu after your UNI.

You will NOT receive an e-mail from our office saying that your request was granted or not granted.

To learn if your request was granted, you must keep checking your class schedule on the web using SSOL at https://ssol.columbia.edu/. All requests remain on file during the add/drop period.

You do not need to submit multiple forms for the same Add/Drop request. If I am able to grant requests I do it as soon as possible but sometimes it takes days for a space to open in a class. Sometimes the space never opens up. In most cases, if you want to add a class I have to wait to see whether someone else wants to drop it.

Please remember that you are submitting an Add/Drop REQUEST.

There is no guarantee that I will be able to approve your request. Until you see a change reflected on your class schedule at https://ssol.columbia.edu/ your request has not been approved.

I will NOT drop you from a required course unless I can get you into the course you have requested. If you have more than one preference, you may for a given course, in the notes section of the Add/Drop form, indicate so. Simply complete the add portion of the form with your first preference and in the notes section give me the same info about your second, third, etc., choices. You must include the call and course numbers if you indicate other preferences in the notes section.

Also, please be certain that you are not requesting a class that conflicts with any of your other classes. Such requests will be ignored.

See http://bit.ly/Skills_F12 for the complete schedule of M.S. skills classes.

See http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/ (J for Journalism and then Fall 2012) for the days/times of everything else.

And finally, remember that if you are requesting to add a course, you are also probably planning to drop a course. DON’T forget to request to drop the course and please do it on the same form you use to request a class.

The only way I will be able to approve most requests is by knowing which courses will be dropped by students.

SAMPLE FORM BELOW (information is fictional)

Program/Contact Information (information below is fictional)

Your Name: SUSIE J-SCHOOLER

PID: C000213126

E-mail: sjs2009@columbia.edu

Phone: 917-123-4560

Program: FT Master of Science

Concentration: Newspaper (M.S. students only)

Stabile: No

Please enter the details of the course you would like to ADD: (information for completing this section is at the Directory of Classes - see http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/)
Class Number: J6000; Section Number: 20; Call Number: 81350
Title: Covering Fish

Please enter the details of the course you would like to DROP: (information for completing this section is at the Directory of Classes - see http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/)
Class Number: J6000; Section Number: 16; Call Number: 72241
Title: Reporting on Snails

ADD/DROP FORM - http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/AddDrop