Syllabus

DM-UY 4913 G The Art of Gathering

...we often choose the template—and the activities and structure that go along with it—before we’re clear on our purpose. And we do this just as much for gatherings that are as low stakes as a networking night as for gatherings that are as high stakes as a court trial.

Parker, Priya. The Art of Gathering (p. 4). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

PROFESSORCOURSE INFO

Name

De Angela L. Duff

Term & Year

Spring 2024

Email

deangela.duff@nyu.edu

Meeting Day

Fridays

Meeting Time

2:00-3:50pm; 4-5:50pm

Office

370 Jay, Rm 361

Location

370 Jay, Rm 307

Chat with Instructor

by appt. at http://calendly.com/deangela at 370 Jay on Fridays; otherwise Zoom

Credit Hrs

3

In the event that the course needs to be offered entirely online for a particular class meeting, we will meet synchronously at the standard class time using Zoom. The Zoom link will be posted on the class Discord and included in a calendar invite that the professor will also send.

Welcome to The Art of Gathering!

Course Description

Using the book, The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, as a primary text, this course will explore designing intentional and meaningful gatherings. Students will analyze a variety of gatherings, in-person, virtual, or hybrid, and learn how to effectively produce and promote gatherings to cultivate their own audiences or the IDM or NYU communities. By its end, students will design and host event(s), individually or in teams/groups, that apply the principles and practices learned throughout the course.

Our classroom will be a laboratory for ideas and a model of what a class as a gathering can feel like.

Course Website

This gitbook is the official source for all dates and assignments. The syllabus found on this gitbook provides a general overview and guideline for the course. All dates and assignments may be subject to change at the discretion of the professor.

Course Communication

Discord will be our primary communication tool, not Brightspace! Our Discord server was emailed to you. What is Discord? Here's a YouTube video that will walk you through logging on.

We will not be using Brightspace for this course. Why? As a student at the intersection of design, art, and technology, it is important to be familiar with industry-standard tools and new technology that you may encounter in the workplace. Also, I want you to get in the habit of being comfortable with using new tools. The only thing constant is change, and to succeed in a rapidly changing job market, we must embrace change. We must become comfortable with continuous adaptation. My main pedagogical goal is for you to "learn how to learn" in order to become agile, lifelong learners.

We will be using a combination of gitbook (where you currently are and where this document resides) and Discord for communication.

Please feel free to ask me questions via Discord. If you have a question, most likely someone else has the same question.

If you want to ask me a private question, please feel free to send me a direct message in Discord. Please note that I may not see your message immediately even though it is a chat. I may be in a meeting.

Our class Discord is not just for me. It's for you, too. Please feel free to share resources and references with each other.

Communicating With The Professor Outside Of Class

  • Direct message me on Discord about logistics ONLY (when, where, how many?).

  • Talk to the professor directly after class, during one of your one-on-one meetings, or set up an appointment to have a verbal conversation at http://calendly.com/deangela about issues and problems. DO NOT chat or email long conversations. If your chat/email turns into a paragraph or more, that means we should have a real-time conversation instead.

IDM Program Learning Objectives

The following IDM program learning objectives are reinforced within this course at an undergraduate level. Students will:

  • develop conceptual thinking skills to generate ideas and content in order to solve problems or create opportunities.

    • Students will develop a research and studio practice through inquiry and iteration.

  • develop technical skills to realize their ideas.

    • Students will understand and utilize tools and technology while adapting to constantly changing technological paradigms by learning how to learn.

    • Students will be able to integrate/interface different technologies within a technological ecosystem.

  • develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to analyze and position their work within cultural, historical, aesthetic, economic, and technological contexts.

  • gain knowledge of professional practices and organizations by developing their verbal, visual, and written communication for documentation and presentation, exhibition and promotion, networking, and career preparation.

  • students will develop collaboration skills to actively and effectively work in a team or group.

Course Objectives

At an undergraduate level, students will:

  • explore, understand, and debate the principles of gathering as offered by Priya Parker in her book, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.

  • analyze and evaluate different types of gatherings.

  • deeply reflect on their own experiences attending, participating in, or hosting gathering(s).

  • apply the book's concepts to the design and development of their own gathering(s) by developing and articulating a clear purpose, audience, agenda, and desired outcome for a gathering(s)

  • develop their capacity to brainstorm, research, plan, organize, communicate, promote, facilitate, and creatively problem-solve in the context of designing and developing gatherings.

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will:

  • design, curate, and host gathering(s), individually or in teams/groups, and apply the principles and practices learned throughout the course.

  • create a facilitator manifesto and community guidelines and/or rules for a gathering(s) they plan to host.

  • interview a seasoned gatherer and apply their insights into their own gathering(s).

  • evaluate the success of their own gathering(s) by identifying areas for improvement and proposing changes for the next iteration(s).

Community Agreements

As a class, we will co-create our classroom agreements for our gatherings.

Faculty Expectations of Student Responsibilities

  • Schedule your time (keep a calendar of some sort).

  • Utilize a task/project management system.

  • Come to class, individual meetings, and gatherings that the class will attend on time.

  • Participate in class critiques and discussions. Be vocal.

  • When your classmates or guests are talking, please be present and engaged.

  • Consult our class Discord at least once a week for up-to-date info.

  • Spend roughly four to eight hours on work for this class outside of class. This may include reading, writing, brainstorming, outlining, planning, organizing, and producing content and other assets.

  • Back up your work constantly.

  • Complete all deliverables by their due dates.

  • Action – do your absolute best.

  • Reflection - Any action without reflection is meaningless.

  • Iteration - Strive for continuous improvement.

  • Pay attention to detail & craft.

  • Take risks & be fearless in your projects.

  • Have fun!

Faculty Expectations of Student Values

  • Have desire amounting to enthusiasm (to learn, to explore).

  • Have self-motivation, proactiveness, and focus.

  • Have patience, persistence, and discipline.

  • Be creative.

  • Have self-confidence and pride in your work!

Our Gathering Structure

Class time will consist of a lot of group discussions (get ready to be verbal), in-class exercises, attending and critiquing gatherings in different locations in 370 Jay, individual "one on one" meetings, A-Team and class process/progress critiques, readings, reading responses, short screenings, gathering reflections, and one final presentation.

Schedule

Required Reading

Our main text:

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. It is available as an online book through NYU Libraries.

Other supporting articles and videos:

Required Media and Tools

Self Assessments

Students will conduct self-assessments as well as be evaluated by the professor at midterm and at the end of the semester.

Real learning only occurs as part of a reflective process. Reflection is studying your own practice as seriously as you study anything. It involves thinking about why, what, and how you create something.

Evaluation & Grading

Attendance

  • Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of every class AKA our gathering and if we return to class after a gathering during class. Regular attendance is essential.

  • Attendance is mandatory on the final day of our gathering AKA class.

  • Unexcused absences will affect your grade. One absence is allowed; after that, your final, overall, numerical grade will drop by 5 percent (1/2 a grade point (e.g. A to an A-)) for each additional absence.

  • Even if you have little or no progress to show, you should still come to our gathering (if not moreso).

  • In the event that you can not attend our gathering, you can see what was covered and what's due for our next gathering on this gitbook. You should also speak to your A-team about what you missed.

  • Contact the professor IN ADVANCE if you will not be attending our gathering (a direct message on our Discord is preferred).

  • If you are experiencing an illness or any other situation that might affect your academic performance in a class, please email Deanna Rayment, Coordinator of Student Advocacy, Compliance and Student Affairs: deanna.rayment@nyu.edu. Deanna can reach out to your instructors on your behalf when warranted.

  • For excused absences, religious accommodation, medical leaves, and general health and wellness, please contact advocacy.tandonstudentlife@nyu.edu the Office of Advocacy, Compliance, and Student Affairs.

Midterm Progress

Strong Progress

Strong Progress in this class means consistently participating in classroom or online discussions, completing your reading responses, and failing to make progress on the planning and organization of your gathering(s).

Satisfactory Progress

Satisfactory Progress in this class means sometimes participating in classroom or online discussion (at least twice during most weeks), completing most of your reading responses but not always fully, and failing to make progress on the planning and organization of your gathering(s).

Concerns about Progress

Concerns about progress means not participating in classroom or online discussions, regularly missing your reading responses, and failing to make progress on the planning and organization of your gathering(s). Multiple absences will also raise concerns about progress.

Your final grade will be based on a synthesis of quantitative & qualitative rubrics:

  • Makeup assignments are only available when discussed with and approved by the professor in advance of the due date.

  • Each student will be assessed on the commitment, fearlessness, and continuous improvement that their work shows. Incomplete or unsatisfactory work will receive a failing grade.

Quantitative Grading Overview

Qualitative Grading Overview

Each student will be judged on the iteration & improvement (process), craft & completion (execution), and documentation & presentation of their senior project work.

  • A Excellent

    Process, execution, documentation & presentation, and attendance of the student have been of the highest level, showing sustained excellence in meeting course responsibilities. Work clearly differentiates itself from other work, has memorable impact, pursues concepts and techniques above and beyond what is discussed in class, exceeding expectations.

  • B Very Good / Good

    Process, execution, documentation & presentation, and attendance of students have been, good, though not of the highest level. Work demonstrates a better than average sensitivity to senior project and meets expectations.

  • C Satisfactory

    Process, execution, documentation & presentation, and attendance of the students have been adequate, satisfactorily meeting the course requirements. Work is average and competent, showing a basic understanding of senior project.

  • D Poor / Below Average

    Process, execution, documentation & presentation, and attendance of the student have been less than adequate. Work is lacking in many areas that show any understanding of senior project. Problems may include lack of interest, procrastination, and/or poor time management.

  • F Unacceptable

    Process, execution, documentation & presentation, and attendance of the student have been such that the student has failed course requirements. Work shows no overall understanding of senior project on many levels, and/or a severe lack of interest.

Technology

We will utilize multiple technologies to achieve the course goals. I expect you to use these technologies in ways that enhance your learning, as long as it aligns with NYU's Academic Integrity Policy.

During this class, students will be required to use Discord as a part of course studies, and thus, will be required to agree to the “terms of use” (TOU) associated with such. Discord requires you to create an account, but you can use a pseudonym (which may not identify you to the public community, but which may still identify you by IP address to the company and companies with whom it shares data). If you use a pseudonym, please let me know.

You should read carefully those terms of use regarding the impact on your privacy rights and intellectual property rights. If you have any questions regarding those terms of use or the impact on the class, you are encouraged to talk with the instructor.

Generative AI

You are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Midjourney, etc.) in this class. However, you are responsible for the output that you elect to use in your gathering(s) (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, contain misinformation. or unethical content).

Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and acknowledged. If you use ChatGPT, you can save your queries. You can also use NYU Stream to record your process.

Academic Honesty

Please review NYU Tandon's academic dishonesty policy in its entirety.

All work for this class must be your own and specific to this semester. Any work recycled from other classes or from another, non-original source will be rejected with serious implications for the student. Plagiarism, knowingly representing the words or ideas of another source as one’s own work in any academic exercise, is absolutely unacceptable. Any student who commits plagiarism must re-do the assignment for a grade no higher than a D. In fact, a D is the highest possible course grade for any student who commits plagiarism. Please use the MLA or Chicago Manual style for citing and documenting authoritative source material. Do not cite generative AI for this course. It is not an authoritative and definitive source. Instead, acknowledge its use. See above.

You MUST have complete rights of use to any and all materials that you use for your gathering(s). This includes images, illustrations, audio, etc. The source of any materials NOT created by you MUST be documented. This includes using generative AI. Please remember that you can collaborate with other students to create your own media or contact the authors of your media selections for rights. I strongly encourage you to use original media for your gatherings, however, should you absolutely require to use stock images, video, etc., you will need to provide a PDF of all source files and the usage rights you have purchased/negotiated or whether it is creative commons or copyright free.

Academic Accommodations

If you are a student with a disability who is requesting accommodations, please contact New York University’s Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at 212-998-4980 or mosescsd@nyu.edu. You must be registered with CSD to receive accommodations. Information about the Moses Center can be found at http://www.nyu.edu/csd. The Moses Center is located at 726 Broadway on the 2nd floor.

Religious Accommodations

NYU’s Calendar Policy on Religious Holidays states that members of any religious group may, without penalty, absent themselves from classes when required in compliance with their religious obligations. You must notify me in advance of religious holidays or observances that might coincide with exams, assignments, or class times to schedule mutually acceptable alternatives. Students may also contact religiousaccommodations@nyu.edu for assistance.

NYU Tandon's Equity & Inclusion Statement

NYU Tandon values an inclusive and equitable environment for all our students. I hope to foster a sense of community in this class and consider it a place where individuals of all backgrounds, beliefs, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, religious and political affiliations, and abilities will be treated with respect. It is my intent that all students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. If this standard is not being upheld, please feel free to speak with me.

Pronouns and Name Pronunciation

Students now have the opportunity to add their pronouns, as well as the pronunciation of their names, into Albert. Students can have this information displayed to faculty, advisors, and administrators in Albert, the NYU Home internal directory, as well as other NYU systems. Students can also opt out of having their pronouns viewed by their instructors, in case they feel more comfortable sharing their pronouns outside of the classroom.

Students can access the pronouns and name pronunciation features via Albert from the Personal Info page. Here is more info.

Title IX

Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources here https://www.nyu.edu/about/policies-guidelines-compliance/equal-opportunity/title9.html

NYU Health and Wellness

NYU offers many health and wellness services and resources. Take advantage of them. https://www.nyu.edu/students/health-and-wellness.html

Office of Student Life & Services

Office of Student Life & Services (SLS) – formerly the Office of Student Affairs Email: tandonstudentlife@nyu.edu Social Media Handle: @tandonstudentlife Office of Student Advocacy Email: advocacy.tandonstudentlife@nyu.edu Office of Student Leadership & Engagement (OSL&E) – formerly the Office of Student Activities and Resource Center (OSARC) Email: engagement.tandonstudentlife@nyu.edu Social Media Handle: @engagement.tandonstudentlife

IDM Equipment Room & Labs

Students have access to all IDM labs and equipment to support their gatherings. Students will still need to complete the appropriate lab training and provide proof of insurance when borrowing equipment. Information about each lab can be found at wp.nyu.edu/idmtech.

Student Insurance

IF you are an IDM students or will be using IDM's equipment room, all students are asked to get equipment insurance. This will not only cover IDM equipment, but also students' personal belongings. Students can get $3000 of coverage for $90 at https://www.collegestudentinsurance.com. An explainer is here: https://github.com/IDMNYU/ER_Insurance.

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