NMDS 5004 | CRN 2379 | Mondays 6-7:50 pm | 63 5th Ave, L104 (lower level)
Shannon Mattern, Ph.D. | matterns {at} newschool dot edu | 79 5th Ave, 16th floor |
office hours by appointment (write me!)
Course Assistants
- Julianne Day Ignacio | ignaj156 {at} @newschool dot edu
- Jasmine Kabera | kabej214 {at} @newschool dot edu
- Miho Kuriyama | kurim628{at} @newschool dot edu
Understanding Media Studies is a required course for all first-semester Media Studies MA students. It is a weekly seminar series that functions not only as a communal orientation experience for the first-semester UMS cohort, but also as an intellectual and creative hub for the entire School. We welcome several guest presenters from the academy, industry, and a variety of creative fields that represent the breadth of what Media Studies is and can be. We also welcome several New School Media Studies alumni and advanced current students, who speak with us about issues regarding professionalization and socialization within the field. The course is offered in a hybrid on-site/on-line format to accommodate all first-semester students.
UMS students are organized into small groups that are responsible for researching the various guests and preparing questions to kick off the Q&A period following each lecture; and for creating a critical response to our guests’ presentations.
Whom do I contact for what?
Students will be organized into groups, led by Teaching Assistants, within the first two weeks of the semester. For the sake of efficiency, we ask that you please consider your Teaching Assistants your first points of contact for issues regarding attendance, other class housekeeping, and general course-related concerns. They’re also able to serve as peer advisors. Shannon will assist the TAs, and she is happy to speak with you about general academic issues and any course- or discussion section-related concerns that you do not feel comfortable addressing with your TAs.
For concerns regarding the course website, contact Shannon. For issues regarding the lecture videos, please politely relay your concerns, questions, and suggestions to your TAs, and we’ll forward them to the appropriate tech support staff.