Seeing the Body · Dance
it seems like she gives almost everyone an A. - 3 shorter essays (2-4 pages) - 6 discussion posts (no length requirement + you can post them whenever you want during the semester) - attendance/participation -- but it seems like she gives full points to everyone, even if you don't really talk during class - final essay (8-10 pages; building off the topic that you present in your 3rd essay) btw, you can include images in your essays, so fulfilling the page count really isn't a challenge.
she's suchhhh a sweetheart omg. one of the nicest professors i've had during my four years at barnard! my major is not even remotely related to the topics discussed in this class, but she did such a good job of keeping me engaged. she's also so understanding and flexible, so she'll always be willing to grant you extensions for assignments + it doesn't seem like she takes attendance (but she mentions that she would like you to give a heads-up if you're going to be absent just so she knows that you're ok). class is pretty lecture-style focused with 3-4 readings per class. it's not really necessary for you to do all the readings, and you could probably skim through some of them just so that you can reference it in the essays. a couple of classes involved group discussions where we just talked about what topics we were writing our papers on, and she even provided us with snacks during those classes. she is really good about posting the presentation materials on courseworks + all the readings well ahead of class + updating the syllabus.
6 discussion posts out of 10, with no deadline through the semester and no length requirement. Two essays that are 3-4 pages with two prompt options per essay. The third essay is a rough-draft/plan for your final project, which can be a creative project related to the course with a 7-8 page write-up or a 8-10 page research paper about a topic related to the course. You are technically graded on class participation/attendance, but you can have up to three absences without notice. If you notify her, absences don't count.
One of the most passionate professors you will meet. Some might consider this course an easy A, but it is genuinely very, very interesting content if you listen to her lectures. She encourages class discussion and is always open to new topics that students want to hear about that relate to the course. She provides a lot of flexibility on assignments and deadlines. She always includes great primary sources and finds very niche photos and videos that better encapsulate the period she is trying to teach.
four discussion posts - 20% two 2-3 page essays - 10% each final essay propsal (1pg) - 10% final essay 7-8 pages - 25% class participation 25% very lenient grading.
Highly recommend. Marjorie is a gem. She knows so much about the material and is a hoot in class. I think "fascinating" is one of the words she uses the most, which just shows how passionate she is. She really cares about her students as well. Participation was theoretically part of her grade but she just talks the whole time so nobody actually participates, though I don't think this actually hinders anyone's grades. She also doesn't care about attendance as long as you keep her updated. She posts a lot of readings, which are great for resources come time to write your essays, but you don't need to do them for class. As for assessments, I don't think she will ever say no to a request for an extension. The assignments are really open ended so you can tailor them to your interests. For our final essay she even suggested that we could make a butter sculpture. She also gives you so many ideas about topics to write about during class so it makes the essays very easy to write if you were paying even one iota of attention. I really looked forward to this class and it's one of my favorites at this uni.
25% participation (not sure how this is graded though because usually she talks the whole time and the participation is very organic), 4 discussion posts, 3 response essays (2-3 pages), and an end of term assignment (7-8 pages). The readings can be dense, but you don't necessarily have to do all of them to do well in the class, especially if you pay attention to the lectures.
LOVE THIS TEACHER!! She is the sweetest woman ever and her lectures are SO chill - we literally just watched videos and listened to her talk. This course covered so many different topics that there is truly something for everyone, even if you aren't a dancer. We learned about movement and how it's pertinent to everything from urban life to surveillance and mechanization. It will make you think differently about the world around you. I originally took this as a chill elective, and it surpassed my expectations for sure. Highly recommend if you are interested in humanities in any capacity.