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The Graduate Program in American Studies at Rutgers-Newark Handbook

American Studies at Rutgers-Newark243 Conklin Hall

175 University AvenueNewark, New Jersey, 07102

(973) 353-1882

http://www.ncas.rutgers.edu/americanstudies

http://www.ncas.rutgers.edu/americanstudies


Table of Contents

Section I: Elements of the Program

1. American Studies at Rutgers-Newark2. Program Objectives3. Interdisciplinary Fields4. Public Scholarship5. The M.A. Program6. The Ph.D. Program 7. Timetable8. Previously Offered Courses9. Checklist

Section II: Exams

1. Foreign Language Proficiency2. Doctoral Exams3. Writing and Grading Doctoral Exam Questions

Section III: Reading, Writing, and Research

1. Reading Lists2. IRB Protocols3. Using Libraries4. Conferences and Lectures5. Manifesto for Ambivalent Graduate Students

Section IV: Financial Aid, Health and Human Resources

1. Financial Aid2. Healthcare3. Communication4. Transportation5. Travel Policy6. Statement on Plagiarism


Section I: Elements of the Program

I. 1. American Studies at Rutgers-Newark

This handbook is a practical guide for navigating the American Studies Graduate Program. Students are expected to show initiative to move forward and make progress in the program. This handbook provides basic information of the requirements and expectations from the being admitted to completion of an M.A. or Ph.D. degree.

The Graduate Program in American Studies at Rutgers-Newark is a multi-disciplinary program, offering both the Master’s (M.A.) and doctorate (Ph.D.) degrees and drawing upon the scholarly expertise of faculty members from the humanities, social sciences, and arts departments on the Newark campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The Program focuses on six interdisciplinary fields that are central to understanding American culture and are especially vital sources of contemporary scholarship:

• Race, Ethnicity, and Modern Society

• Urban Cultures

• Cultural History and Artistic Production

• The United States within a Global Context

• The Operations of Social Institutions

• Women's and Gender Studies

In addition, the Graduate Program is distinguished by its commitment to advancing students' active engagement in the fields of public scholarship. All our students, whether they are preparing for careers in the academy or the public sector, are asked to consider the diverse audiences their scholarship can serve and the many forms in which the fruits of their research can be disseminated.


I. 2. Program Objectives

The Graduate Program in American Studies educates students to become knowledgeable and productive scholars who will contribute significantly to a wide range of academic, cultural, and public institutions. The curriculum is designed:

To train scholars in the theory and methodology of interdisciplinary study and to develop research skills enabling them to draw upon, and eventually contribute to, the collections, archives, and resources of the universities and cultural institutions of the region;

To foster new scholarship which contributes to the advancement of understanding of American society’s heterodox identities, institutions, and culture;

To encourage the original and creative articulation of research and scholarly contributions to diverse audiences, including other scholars in the academy; undergraduate and graduate students; scholars and professionals in cultural institutions in the public sector; and the general public, through a variety of media.

The Ph.D. degree in American Studies requires the successful completion of 60 credits of work. Doctoral candidates are expected to complete 42 credits of course work, including 6 credits in two core courses, 6 credits in upper-level reading and research seminars, 3 credits of coursework in public humanities in a course chosen in consultation with the program director and 18 credits of dissertation research. Degree candidates must complete substantial work in two of six interdisciplinary fields of specialization as well as a third field that is more focused in a single academic discipline.

The Master's degree in American Studies requires the successful completion of 30 credits of work. Master's degree candidates are expected to complete 24 credits of course work, including 6 credits in two core courses, 3 credits in public humanities in a course chosen in consultation with the program director and at least 12 credits in one interdisciplinary field. They have the option of completing their final six credits either preparing a Master's thesis or taking two additional elective courses.

Students will select courses that are relevant to their chosen concentrations and have access to an extensive and diverse array of course selections offered by the American Studies program and other graduate programs at Rutgers-Newark, including: English, History, Political Science, Jazz History and Research, Liberal Studies, Global Affairs, Public Administration, Urban Systems (Urban Health Systems, Urban Environment Studies, Urban Educational Policy), and Public Health. In addition, with permission, students may also enroll in courses appropriate to their fields offered by the Rutgers-Newark School of Criminal Justice, the Rutgers Law School, Rutgers Business School, School of Public Affairs and Administration, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. They may also enroll in relevant graduate courses offered on the New Brunswick campuses of Rutgers University.


I. 3. Interdisciplinary Fields

• Race, Ethnicity, and Modern Society• Urban Cultures• Cultural History and Artistic Production• The United States within a Global Context• The Operations of Social Institutions• Women’s and Gender Studies

Race, Ethnicity and the Modern SocietyIn this area of specialization students explore the social and historical construct of race and ethnicity. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks supplied by fields such as sociology, anthropology, history, cultural studies, political science, and urban studies, courses examine the ways that race and ethnicity are historicized and systematized, as well as contested. Students analyze theories and definitions of race, ethnicity, and race relations, and how theories and concepts have changed over time. They study intersections among race, ethnicity, class, and gender as they are experienced on both individual and collective levels. Students explore how the media, music, literature, and the arts have formulated and transformed concepts of race. Race and ethnicity are examined, as well, in the contexts of contemporary debates on globalization, international migration, and immigration. How do social, political, and economic transformations affect ideologies of citizenship, whether at global, national or local scales? How does the emergence of global cities complicate ideas of citizenship?

Urban CultureThis specialization examines urban social structures, processes, and cultures from an interdisciplinary perspective. Drawing upon sociology, history, political science, economics, literature, and the arts, the concentration explores the historical development of cities, their social fabric, political-economic structures, and group dynamics. Students examine urban environments as places of both consensual and conflicting group relations, based upon social class, race, ethnicity, and gender. They study the relationships among urban social structure, urban institutions, and group interactions, especially with respect to political power, wealth, and social status, and the ways in which struggles among groups are related to urban change. Special attention is given to how changing demographics result in conflict and change in the urban environment, as well as how multiple cultural groups co-exist in urban environments. Students examine the diversity of cultural groups and cultural forms, including the music, art, language, and rituals manifest within urban life. They explore the ecology of cities, including issues of ethnic concentrations and neighborhood organization, the effects of demographic change through immigration and migration, and the impact of urban architecture, design, and transportation systems on the urban environment.

Cultural History and Artistic ProductionThis concentration is predicated upon the idea that an understanding of the relationship between a people and their cultural production is a vital one for any society. This is particularly true of United States, a country with a relatively brief, but dynamic, history


and a broad array of influences stemming from the many ethnic, racial, and national groups that helped form and continue to inform its national fabric. Students study the relationship between cultural production and American society as well as contemporary trends and themes. Areas that are examined include the important role literature has played in shaping America's understanding of itself, the evolution of the fine arts and design from its beginnings to its leadership role in today's world, and the interface between urban life and popular culture. Similarly, American theater and music (particularly the unique place of jazz and the American musical) are examined, as is the role of the media, particularly television, in defining American society to both its citizens and the broader world.

The United States within a Global ContextThe United States cannot be studied fully without seeing its political, economic, and cultural histories within a global framework. Since all of its inhabitants could trace their immediate or ancestral roots to other societies and nations, all aspects of American society manifest the global composite nature of its development. As an emergent world power during the last century–the purportedly “American” century–that now finds itself inextricably bound to a global, transnational system, the United States exerts tremendous influence on and is influenced by many economic, social, and cultural forces arising outside its geographic boundaries. Approaching these issues through the disciplines of the social science and humanities, students study multiple aspects of this global context, among them local, national, and transnational political, ethical, and legal issues; immigration and global movements of peoples; and the international effects of the exportation of American culture and the cultural hybridity within America resulting from the importation and appropriation of global and local artistic and behavioral practices.

The Operations of Social InstitutionsThis interdisciplinary field encourages scholarship in the social and cultural effects that the structures of social organization have on American life. Students study the historical, economic, and social foundations of governmental, corporate, and non-governmental social agencies. They engage in comparative analyses of the law and criminal justice systems, local, national, and transnational corporations, the news media, the healthcare and education systems, and local, state, and national governments.

Women's and Gender StudiesThis area of concentration provides historical and theoretical perspectives on Women's and Gender Studies, both across and within disciplines and in relation to the recent developments in American Studies. Contemporary theoretical frameworks and methodologies within Women's and Gender Studies research analyze, in particular, the situation of women in American culture and life. Students work in fields as diverse as the law, philosophy, history, politics, literature, the arts, and popular culture.


I. 4. Public Scholarship

The American Studies program’s emphasis on Public Scholarship is defined by two characteristics: scholars’ engagement with questions that arise from the problems of public life and scholars’ interests in communicating their work to the public beyond academic institutions. In both cases, we train public scholars to think of themselves as being in a conversation with the public, in a dialogue between equals. The audience we envision is a general public that is hungry for an informed perspective.

All students are required to earn 3 credits in public humanities in a research or reading seminar, internship or independent study. Students are encouraged to incorporate some work in public scholarship into their academic program, either by engaging in an “applied” or public project, by working with a public institution, or by participating in the several public programs developed annually by the institutes, centers, and academic departments on the Rutgers-Newark campus.

Thus, Master’s and Doctorate-level scholars can bring the full apparatus of their academic research to bear on topics that are of importance to public life. In the process, students engage in scholarly inquiry focusing on the theory and issues that arise from and feed back into their public projects.

In addition to scholarly work within their chosen interdisciplinary fields, those students preparing specifically for positions in public scholarship will explore the missions and goals of different public institutions, such as historical archives, museums, historical and cultural commissions, and the communications media, as well as the distinct methods and media utilized by these institutions. Their training will provide opportunities for collaborative work with professionals at these organizations, such as the curators, librarians, archivists, or education staff, all of who are deeply engaged with making scholarly materials available to the general public.

Many students have opportunities to work closely with public institutions, often through internships, developing the language, skills, and expertise to bring scholarly research to the institutions’ public. Other American Studies graduate students receive training through workshops, colloquia, and university courses, where they encounter a range of methods and tools of professional, public scholarship such as oral history, collections development and management, hypertext and web-site design, exhibitions development, and education programming.

See also: Section III. 4. Conferences and Lectures


I. 5. The M.A. Program

Master's Degree

The Master’s degree in American Studies requires the successful completion of 30 credits of work. Master's degree candidates are expected to complete 24 credits of course work, including 6 credits in two core courses and at least 12 credits in one interdisciplinary area. Students have the option of completing their final six credits either preparing a Master’s thesis or taking two additional elective courses.

The Interdisciplinary Areas of Focus in American Studies at Rutgers-Newark:

Race, Ethnicity, and Modern SocietyUrban CulturesCultural History and Artistic ProductionThe United States within a Global ContextThe Operations of Social InstitutionsWomen’s and Gender Studies

Master's Program Graduation Requirements:

Core courses in the Theory and Methodology of American Studies:Concepts and Interpretations of American Studies (3 credits)Methodological Approaches to American Studies (3 credits)One course in public humanities, chosen in consultation with the program director (3 credits)

Major Interdisciplinary Area (12 credits)

Elective work in other disciplines or interdisciplinary fields (6 credits)

Thesis Option: (6 credits) or an additional 6 credits in electives.

Procedures and Policies for American Studies Master's Program

A maximum of 12 graduate credits may be transferred from another institution toward the completion of the M.A. degree. The appropriateness of the credits to be transferred to the completion of the M.A. in American Studies will be determined by the Program Director.

With the approval of the Program Director, the student’s academic advisor, and the course instructors, up to three Rutgers Newark undergraduate courses may be counted toward the completion of the M.A. Degree. No more than one undergraduate course may be taken per semester. To receive graduate credit, the student must have been assigned and successfully completed significant additional work in the undergraduate course.


With the approval of the Program Director and the student’s academic advisor, up to six credits in directed readings may be counted toward the completion of the M.A. Degree.

Notwithstanding the above options, at least five courses (15 credits) must be taken as master’s seminars.

Students choosing the thesis option must signal their intention and identify a thesis advisor no later than after having completed 18 credits.

Upon admission to the Master’s program, each student will be assigned an academic advisor from the American Studies faculty. Students are free to change advisors at the end of their first year. Every year, however, students must submit to the Program Director a form identifying their advisor.


I. 6. The Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. degree in American Studies requires the successful completion of 60 credits of work. Doctoral candidates are expected to complete 42 credits of course work, with 6 credits in two core courses, 6 credits in upper-level reading and research seminars, and 3 credits in public humanities. Students are also required to complete 18 credits of dissertation research.

Degree candidates must complete substantial work in two of six areas of focus as well as a third field that is more grounded in a single academic discipline. In concert with their advisors, students will develop a focus within each of these areas. For example: Race, Ethnicity, and Modern Society: Asian American Literature and Politics from the 1880s to 1945; or Cultural History and Artistic Production: US Literature and Society since 1945.

Within each of these areas, students will work with an advisor to develop an appropriate reading list for their doctoral exams.

The Interdisciplinary Areas of Focus in American Studies at Rutgers-Newark:

Race, Ethnicity, and Modern SocietyUrban CulturesCultural History and Artistic ProductionThe United States within a Global ContextThe Operations of Social InstitutionsWomen and Gender Studies

Disciplines for Third Academic Specialization:

EnglishHistoryPolitical ScienceJazz History and ResearchUrban Systems

American Studies Ph.D. Graduation Requirement:

Courses (42 credits)Core sequence in the Theory and Methodology of American Studies Introduction to American Studies (3 credits) Research Seminar in American Studies (3 credits)Upper-level Research Seminar, second year of full-time study (3 credits)Upper-level Reading Seminar (3 credits)Public Humanities (3 credits in consultation with program director)

Major Interdisciplinary Area (18 credits)Second Interdisciplinary Area (9 credits)


Third Area of Study, more Concentrated within a Single Discipline (9 credits)

Dissertation Research (18 credits)

The culmination of work for the Ph.D. is the production of a dissertation based on original interdisciplinary scholarship in the candidate's primary area of focus.

Within six months of completing the written and oral doctoral examinations, students must present and defend a dissertation proposal to three advisors. These need not be the same three advisors who administered the oral and written examinations. The student is responsible for scheduling the date of the defense.

Procedures and Policies for the American Studies Ph.D. Program

Students may enter the program with either a B.A. or M.A. degree.

For transfer students who earn the M.A. outside Rutgers-Newark, up to 12 credits in course work may be counted toward the fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree requirements. Acceptance of these credits will be at the discretion of the Program Director in consultation with the Graduate School and will depend on the field of the student's Master's degree, the appropriateness to American Studies of specific courses taken, and the rules of the Graduate School.

For students who enter the program with an M.A. earned at Rutgers-Newark, up to 24 credits may be counted toward the Ph.D. requirements. Acceptance of these credits will be at the discretion of the Program Director and will depend on the field of the student's Master's degree and the appropriateness to American Studies of specific courses taken.

All students, however, will be required to take the one-year-long sequence of introductory courses: Introduction to American Studies (050:501) and Research Seminar in American Studies (050:502).

Doctoral students, in their second year, must take a research seminar and a reading seminar in which they pursue their core interests in a more developed way than in their first-year seminars.

All students must, in consultation with the program director, take a 3-credit course in public humanities. This can be a research seminar, reading seminar, internship or independent study.

With the approval of the Program Director, the student's academic advisor, and the course instructors, up to three Rutgers Newark undergraduate courses may be counted toward the completion of the M.A. Degree. No more than one undergraduate course may be taken per semester. To receive graduate credit, the student must have been assigned and successfully completed significant additional work in the undergraduate course.


With the approval of the Program Director and the student's academic advisor, up to twelve credits in directed readings may be counted toward the completion of the Ph.D. degree.

It is expected that students will modify and refine the broad interdisciplinary areas as they define their particular academic interests. Each field will be followed by a more specific thematic, chronological, or methodological designation. (For example: “Race, Ethnicity, and Modern Society: Asian American Literature and Politics 1880-1945;” or “Cultural History and Artistic Production: US Literature and Society since 1945.”).

Students may take a maximum of one course per semester outside of Rutgers-Newark.

Doctoral qualifying exams must be taken within six months of the completion of course work. The student will have established approved reading lists with her or his three academic advisors in each area of focus. The student's area advisors will design the separate exams, which will be written and submitted within a week's time, followed a week later by the oral exams.

Within six months of completing the written and oral doctoral examinations, students must present and defend a dissertation proposal to three advisors.

At least two out of three members of a student’s exam committee and dissertation committee must be Rutgers-Newark faculty.


I. 7. Timetable for Full-time Students*Part-time students may proceed in a slower progression, but should nevertheless meet all requirements in the order listed here.

First YearFall Semester: Students must complete 3 graduate seminars (of 3 credits each), including Introduction to American Studies (050:501), the first half of a yearlong course. The other 2 seminars should be chosen in consultation with your adviser. Students should begin thinking about developing and refining your fields of specialization.

Spring Semester: Students must complete 3 graduate seminars (of 3 credits each), including Research Seminar in American Studies (050:502), the second half of the yearlong course. The other 2 seminars should be chosen with the exam fields in mind.

Summer: Students are required to take at least 3 credits of independent study work in American Studies to consolidate the work of their first year and explore topics related to their exams and dissertation.

Getting an idea for your dissertation early has many advantages. Students should choose a topic, in consultation with their advisers, which is both interesting and manageable. The writer of a dissertation will be living, day-in and day-out, with this topic for many years and will become the expert on that topic. Thus, thoughtfulness and purposefulness should be given to the feasibility of the topic.

Second YearFall & Spring Semesters: Students must complete 6 graduate seminars (of 3 credits each) in American Studies, History, Sociology, Political Science, English, Economics, Jazz Studies, or other related departments. By the beginning of the second year of study, each student must select a second advisor in a field appropriate to one of the interdisciplinary areas of focus identified by the student.

In the second year, all doctoral students are required to take an advanced reading seminar and an advanced research seminar that will prepare them for exams and the dissertation.

By the end of the second year of study, the student must select a third advisor appropriate to the disciplinary area of focus. Students have the responsibility of choosing their advisors and asking them to serve. By the end of the second year of full-time enrollment, the student will have identified two of the six interdisciplinary areas of focus and have an advisor for each. In addition, the student will choose a third area of focus that is more grounded in a single discipline and identify an advisor in that field. Wherever possible, seminar papers should be designed to contribute to their dissertation research.

Summer: Take at least 3 credits in an American Studies independent study to prepare for exams and the dissertation.


Third YearFall Semester: Take your foreign language proficiency exam by the beginning of this semester. Complete your written and oral examinations by the end of this semester. Students will enroll in 9 credits of Dissertation Research.

Spring Semester: This semester is dedicated to preparing and defending your dissertation proposal. The defense must be completed by the end of the semester. Students will enroll in 9 credits of Dissertation Research.

Fourth and Fifth YearsThese years are devoted exclusively to actively researching and writing your dissertation. Students should have a solid draft by the end of the fourth year, and a defendable dissertation by the end of the fifth year.

Once 42 credits of coursework and 18 credits of dissertation research are completed, students should register under the category of “matriculation continued.” Students who have outstanding loans at this stage of their studies should register for “full time matriculation continued,” or “FT-MC.” These categories of registration keep you formally enrolled at the Graduate School but do not earn you any credits.

Of special interest to part-time students:

1) Once you complete your coursework and begin work on your dissertation, you must take at least one dissertation research credit per semester.

2) If your studies are interrupted, you may be able to register for “maintenance of matriculation.” See the program director of you wish to explore this option.


I. 8. Previously Offered Courses

Introduction to American StudiesLiterature of the Great DepressionPolicy Making in AmericaGlobalization and CitiesTopics in Race, Ethnicity, and Modern Society: Race, Class, Gender, and Migration:

Research and InquiryAmerican Literature Since 1990Readings in African American History: Slavery and ReconstructionTopics in American Studies: The Vietnam War and American Culture, 1945-2009Urban Government and PoliticsFeminist TheoryTopics in American History: History of American ConservatismUrban Education SystemsJazz Historiography (Mythbusting)Graduate Topics II: Miles Davis / Wayne ShorterResearch Seminar in American Studies: Newark and New York City Since 1945Culture and Science: History of American Medicine: AIDS in AmericaPolicy Making in AmericaTopics in Caribbean Literature: The Colonial CaribbeanContemporary Political Thought: Comparative Social MovementsIntellect in U.S. CultureTopics in Environmental HistoryRace, Ethnicity, and U.S. PoliticsCritical Theories: MarxistJazz and Film (+ Piano Styles)Crime & PunishmentAmerican Diplomatic HistoryPoetics of HistoryTopics in Urban Cultures: "New York Since 1945: A Social and Cultural History"American Lit to 1900Politics, History & The ArtsCharlie ParkerAmerican DramaAfrican American HistoryWealth & Poverty in Latin AmericaOrnette Coleman / Charles MingusPublic Scholarship in the Urban Context: The Artist as Public ScholarNarrating Race: Research Seminar in Race and American StudiesAmerican Literature Since 1900Policy Making in the American Political SystemGender, Race and the HolocaustPublic HistoryLaw & Public PolicyImmigration and Performance


Confronting Challenges in American EducationTopics in Literature: War StoriesOral History and MemoryCritical Theories: Hybridity and the African DiasporaPolicy Making in the American Political SystemStudies in American Literature (African American Prose)Topics in World History: Evolution of the Global SystemThe Social History of American Medicine Since 1800Problems in American GovernmentFeminist Theory: History and Theory of Women’s StudiesColloquium in the History of WomenTechnology, Culture & HistoryLiterature of JazzImmigration in the USAThe Making of Race in Latin America, 1492 to the PresentContemporary Political Thought: Social Movements and GlobalizationHistory of Urban EducationJazz and Race


I. 9. Checklist

42 Credits of Coursework: Introduction to American Studies (050:501) (3 credits) Research Seminar in American Studies (050:502) (3 credits) Major Interdisciplinary Field (18 credits): ________________________ Second Interdisciplinary Field (9 credits): ________________________ Disciplinary Field (9 credits): __________________________________ Upper-level Research Seminar:_________________________________ Upper-level Reading Seminar:_________________________________ Public Humanities Course:____________________________________ Foreign Language Proficiency (Pass / Fail) ________________________ Comprehensive Written Exam (Pass / Fail / Pass with Distinction)

________________________ Comprehensive Oral Exam (Pass / Fail / Pass with Distinction)

________________________

Dissertation Proposal; date defended ________________________ 18 Credits of Dissertation Research _________________________ Dissertation Defense ________________________


Section II: Exams

II. 1. Language Proficiency

Students will be required to demonstrate reading proficiency in one language other than English by taking an examination. This examination, which will be administered by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, must be taken before taking doctoral examinations. To budget your study time successfully, take the language exam well before your doctoral exams.

Students will translate one passage from an intermediate-level primary or secondary text from the international language of their choice (Spanish or French are commonly taken) into English into a blue book in 60 minutes.

International students may translate a test from the language of their choice into English.

What to know before you take the test:

Students are allowed to bring a dictionary. A dictionary that helps you translate idiomatic phrases can be helpful.

There is a $20 fee for language exams. The fee must be paid in cash prior to taking the exam.

Language exams are graded Pass / Fail and can be retaken.

Contact Camille Campbell, x5498 in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, 430 Conklin, to schedule an exam.

II. 2. Doctoral Examinations

After the completion of their course work and before beginning their dissertations, students must pass a written qualifying examination and an oral qualifying examination. Students will be expected to demonstrate a mastery of the specific areas of focus they have defined, based on their reading lists. They should also show a command of the key theoretical issues, debates, and landmark texts in American Studies. Students should express their judgments and opinions on the topics of the exams in addition to placing in a context what others have written. Examination readings should also prepare students for their dissertation.

Students are responsible for scheduling the dates of their written and oral examinations with their advisors.

The written examination is a take-home examination. Students will have a week to answer a question on each area of focus and its accompanying reading list for a total of


three questions. Each answer should be 2,500 to 4,000 words in length and footnoted. Two professors will grade each question.

A 90-minute oral examination will be administered within one week of the written examination. The examination committee will be composed of the three professors who administered the written qualifying examination.

Examinations will be graded fail, pass, and pass with distinction. If a student fails any one of the three written questions, or the oral examination, she or he can retake the failed question or the oral examination. A student who fails a retaken question may not continue in the program.

1) The professors administering the exam must select one professor to serve as the exam committee chair. The student sends to the chair of the examination committee lists of her readings for each area of concentration. Each list should be prefaced by a full title (example: “Topics in Urban Cultures: Chinese American Communities since 1945) and a paragraph stating the student’s conceptualization of the area of concentration. Key works on the reading list should be marked with an asterisk. In response, the exam committee should set written exam dates and oral exam dates in consultation with the student and communicate them to the program director and the program administrator by e-mail.

2) The committee draws up the exam, with each professor writing a question or questions to address the area of specialization for which they advised the student. While the student is required to answer one question for each area of specialization, at the committee’s discretion the student may have a choice of questions within each area. In drawing up the exams, the following plan has worked well to prevent overlap among questions: each committee member writes two questions and submits them to the chair. The chair, in consultation with the members, selects, one from each pair. In addition, the chair should write a preface to the exam that reminds the student to argue strongly, avoid duplication among answers, and footnote answers.

3) Two committee members will grade each question; one must be the professor who wrote the question. Committee members will decide on who grades what and will keep a record of the division of labor. The written exam and the oral exam each receive distinct final grades.

4) As the exam day approaches, the committee chair will send the questions to the program director and the program administrator, Sonia G. Espinet, in an e-mail attachment.

5) Administering the Written Exam:a) On the day of the examination, the program administrator will send the exam

questions to the student by e-mail by 9 am. The student should acknowledge reception of the message.

b) The answers to the questions are due back to the program administrator no more than seven days later by 9 am. Example: exam questions sent out on


Friday, October 8 at 9 am are due back by Friday, October 15 at 9 am. Each answer should be 2,500 to 4,000 words long and footnoted.

c) Upon receiving the answers, the program administrator immediately sends all three answers to all three committee members. Sending all three answers to all three members will eliminate the possibility of confusion over who gets what.

d) Committee members will grade the answers as soon as possible. For each question, professors are responsible for settling on one grade—fail, pass or pass with distinction-- that will be forwarded to the committee chair. The chair will then send the grades to the student, the program director and the program administrator.

e) The possibilities for a final grade for the written exam, a grade which takes into account the grades for each individual question, are fail, pass and pass with distinction. A student will fail if they receive a fail on one or more questions. To receive a pass, the student must earn a pass on all three questions. To earn a pass with distinction, the student must earn a pass with distinction on at least two of the three questions. A student who fails the exam may retake the failed question or questions one time.

6) Oral Examinationsa) Oral examinations will be administered approximately one week after the

submission of the written exams. The committee should settle on a grade for the oral immediately after administering it.

b) As with the written exam, the possible grades are fail, pass and pass with distinction. A student who fails the oral examination may retake the oral examination one time. A student who fails a retaken oral may not continue in the program.

7) After the oral exams, each committee members should send the student a memo commenting on the oral and written exam and how the student might build on both in the dissertation and other work. Each faculty member is free to emphasize the question they wrote or to range more widely.


II. 3. Writing and Grading Doctoral Exam Questions

Our American Studies program already has procedures and timetables for our doctoral exams. This section of the handbook is aimed at the knotty business of writing and grading exams—how to write an answer, what to look for in an answer, how to grade an answer, and what happens if a student fails. It aims to balance rigor and fairness so that students have every opportunity to do well and faculty have every opportunity to render a fair and decisive judgment.

While the written doctoral exams will always reflect the interests, reading lists, and intellectual approaches of a student and their committee, there are certain characteristics that should appear in all good exam questions. Above all, a successful answer will demonstrate the student's mastery of their readings in such a way that they can claim their own place in the scholarly debates that frame their exam questions.

A good answer is not a bibliography that simply lists many books and sums up their arguments. Instead, it works with a selection of key works, explores them in dialog with each other, and uses them to establish the state of debate and the student's own critical contributions in an area of concentration. The implications of different books for each other, the inferences that can be drawn from points of emphasis and gaps, and the contrasting uses of different methodologies are all important points to consider in a good exam question. A good answer can be written in a range of ways. It might begin with a big theme, and then weave in different sources. It could begin with a series of comparisons among works and then move to large conclusions. Regardless of structure, however, in a good essay a student advances an original argument within an interpretive framework of their own design.

An answer should be 2,500 to 4,000 words long and footnoted. Footnotes are part of the essay’s word count. For this reason, it is wise for the student to avoid lengthy “content footnotes.” The student’s task is to make the sharpest impression possible; to do that it is best to concentrate all arguments in the main body of the essay itself.

Finally, a good exam question should leave the committee members with no doubt that the student is ready to make her or his own contribution to scholarship in the dissertation. Of course, the kind of primary source research and analysis that are part of a dissertation are not to be expected in a written doctoral exam. It is also important to remember that the oral exam builds on the written exam. If the written answers raise interesting points that can then be expanded on or explored in the orals, so much the better.

However, committee members evaluating a student's answers on the written exam (and the oral exam) can and should consider whether the student's performance on the exam establishes confidence in the student’s ability to research and write a dissertation. If the committee, or only one member of the committee, has serious doubts it should take seriously the option of failing the student on the exam.


A failure on one or more of three written questions means a failure on the exam; the same principle holds on the oral exam.

While two committee members grade each question and a consensus between grading professors is desirable, a special responsibility rests with the author of each question to determine whether the student has passed. If the author of a question doubts that a question has been satisfactorily answered, these doubts must be taken very seriously. Ultimately, the primary author of each question should have the final say on whether the student has passed.

If a student fails their written or oral exams, a retake should be scheduled. In that case, the committee must explain to the student why they failed, establish what they have to do to pass on a retake, and then schedule a retake for the question or questions that the student failed. In a retaken exam, the student should concentrate on the question or questions that they failed. There is no need to revisit the questions that a student passes.

All committee members should participate in a retaken exam, whether oral or written. Because the stakes of a retaken exam are so high, all members of the committee will vote on whether the student has failed or passed. A majority vote will rule in such cases.

A student who fails one or more questions on a retaken exam is automatically separated from the program. The student will then graduate with a masters.

Section III: Reading, Writing, and Research

III. 1. Reading Lists

Your reading lists should include texts assigned in your graduate seminars, but the majority of the texts should be specifically tailored to your fields.

The length of the reading lists will vary depending on the student’s fields. Samples of past reading lists are available in the program office. The reading lists should demonstrate both breadth and depth.

Students will modify and refine the broad interdisciplinary areas as they define their particular academic interests. Each field will be followed by a more specific thematic, chronological, or methodological designation. (for example: “Race, Ethnicity, and Modern Society: Asian American Literature and Politics 1880-1945”; or “Cultural History and Artistic Production: US Literature and Society since 1945”.)

It is helpful to read strategically. Focus on the bibliographies and footnotes of important texts, and find areas of confluence among texts in various fields. Finding other texts from those listed in bibliographies will help round out the reading lists. Whenever someone, upon hearing of the topic, says “You should read X, Y, or Z,” then those books—and the books arrived at from those books—should be included in the lists. The lists should be strategic—they should show how a student’s work fits into a “conversation” already in


progress about his or her topic. The lists are not so much generative, but expand upon a conversation that has been taking place, yet remains unresolved.

Strategies for Reading Lists:

Read with a pencil and take notes Read assignments 7-14 days ahead of deadlines Print articles at library rather than at home Master the review essay in seminars; this will help later with reading lists Some of this work is putting things together (metaphor) and some is taking things

apart (analysis) Reading lists are not intended to be literature reviews (a list that includes all book

on your topic), but to make a cogent and thoughtful argument within your fields Each field should be distinct from the other two. Exams must not repeat

information; the writing should not be duplicated from one exam to the other since distinct arguments are being made within each field.

Students should write a paragraph at the beginning of each list that will explicate the goals and scope of the list, and indicate with an asterisk those they think are the key texts. In preparation for the exams, it is recommended that student take notes that summarize the arguments and questions of each text for later reference.

Students should also write sample questions; these should be based on educated guesses of what sorts of questions your committee will ask based on your reading. Thus, you can anticipate the kinds of essays you should write.


III. 2. IRB Protocols

IRB approval is required before any research involving human subjects can be initiated. Oral History interviews are included and require IRB approval. Requirement of IRB review and approval prior to performing research on human subjects:

In accordance with action taken by the University's Board of Governors, all full-time and part-time members of the university faculty, staff, and student body who propose to undertake any research studies that involve human participants and/or the use of existing data collected from human beings are obliged to conform with procedures prescribed by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and set forth most recently as a Common Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects. The procedures apply to externally funded, internally funded, and non-funded studies, including course-related research projects at the undergraduate and graduate level, honors projects, masters’ theses, and dissertations. All applicable research projects must be reviewed and approved by the University's IRB before the research begins. Additionally, projects covered under one of the six allowable "exemption" categories require review and approval by a subcommittee of the IRB before the research begins.

Definition of Research: A systematic investigation (i.e., the gathering and analysis of information) designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge [Federal Policy 45 CFR 46.102(d)].

Definition of Human Subject: Living individual(s) about whom an investigator conducting research obtains: (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual; or (2) identifiable private information [Federal Policy 45 CFR 46.102(f)].

Students’ advisers can assist them with the IRB protocols.

See also the Human Subjects Certification Program: http://orsp.rutgers.edu/Humans/hscpletter.php

http://orsp.rutgers.edu/Humans/hscpletter.php


III. 3. Using Libraries

Your graduate research will be impossible without being adept at using area libraries, both in person and digitally.

Rutgers students can get library privileges at Columbia, NYU, NYPL, the NJ Historical Society, and other area libraries.

The New York Public Library has four research libraries with trained professionals who can assist you with finding what you need. These research libraries are:Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingFifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788(917) 275-6975New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498(917) 275-6975Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801(212) 491-2200Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL)188 Madison Avenue @ 34th Street, New York, NY 10016-4314(917) 275-6975

The Schwarzman Building (referred to as “The New York Public Library”) on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue also has specialized collections on art, maps, genealogy, photography, Percy Shelley, and so on.

This building contains the Rose Reading Room, a wi-fi equipped, majestic public space, measuring 78 feet by 297 feet—roughly the length of two city blocks—where patrons can read or study at long oak tables lit by elegant bronze lamps, beneath fifty-two foot tall ceilings decorated by dramatic murals of vibrant skies and billowing clouds. Many dissertations have been written in this room.

The library at Rutgers-Newark pays for thousands of journals, an alphabetical list of which can be found here: http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/cms/indexesMany of these have been digitized and will offer you a PDF that you can download and print.

Additionally, the Rutgers-Newark Institute of Jazz Studies (the 4th floor) IJS is the largest archive of jazz and jazz related materials in the world.

It includes over 100 distinct archival collections comprise personal papers as well as archives of record companies and jazz-related institutions and organizations spanning from 1920 to the present.

The Institute maintains over 100,000 commercial and non-commercial SOUND RECORDINGS. Two of the earliest formats, piano rolls and phonograph cylinders, are represented; but the bulk of the collection consists of 78 rpm discs, 45 rpm singles and

http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/cms/indexes

http://www.nypl.org/locations/sibl

http://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg

http://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa

http://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman


extended-play (EP) discs, 10-inch and 12-inch LP's, and CD's. The collection spans all eras of jazz and includes blues, ragtime, and other jazz-related and jazz-influenced music.

A collection of more than 30,000 PHOTOGRAPHS taken over nine decades serve as an internationally consulted resource of images for publications and broadcast documentaries.

A collection of ORAL HISTORY MATERIALS, most notably the Jazz Oral History Project of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) which was transferred to the Institute in 1979.

The collection of some 6000 BOOKS includes practically every book published on jazz, including rare early works.

Using Delivery Request, EZ-BORROW, and Interlibrary loan, the library can have any book you require delivered to the Dana Library normally within a week.

Finally, the library offers a powerful software tool called RefWorks. RefWorks is a Web-based bibliography and database manager that enables you to:

Organize your research Import references from many electronic databases Include citations while you write your paper Build a bibliography according to different stylesheets (APA, MLA, etc.) Create a bibliography in different document formats (Word, RTF, HTML, etc.)


III. 4. Conferences and Lectures

There are many lectures in New York and New Jersey relevant to American Studies at venues such as the NYMASA salon talks, the Newark History Society, the Gotham Center, etc.

It is valuable practice to present finished papers or papers in progress at local conferences such as NY Metro American Studies (NYMASA) where others in American Studies can hear about your research and you can hear about theirs.

Presenting at conferences and attending them is an important component of public scholarship and becoming a public intellectual. The organizations listed below can be useful in this endeavor. The American Studies program provides financial support for students who must travel to address a conference or a seminar. For details, see section IV.5.

ASA: http://www.theasa.net/The website of the American Studies Association. Keep an eye out for the annualconference, job opportunities and potential funding sources. Check out regional American Studies Associations as well - MAASA, GLASA, NYMASA, etc.

H-Net: http://www.h-net.org/A listserv for Humanities and the Social Sciences, including specialty lists like HAmStudy. Great source for calls for papers, upcoming conferences, publications, symposia, etc. There is also an H-Net Jobs listserv with recent Humanities postings all over the world.

UCD (University College Dublin) Clinton Institute For American Studies Summer School:http://www.ucdclinton.ie/index.html

Dartmouth Futures Of American Studies Institute (another Summer program):http://www.dartmouth.edu/~futures/

New Jersey Historical Societyhttp://www.jerseyhistory.org/

Gotham Center for New York City Historyhttp://www.gothamcenter.org/

Other events, opportunities, and resources are at the Rutgers Sakai Portal: https://sakai.rutgers.edu

Funding Sources

GradFund, the Resource Center for Graduate Student External Support is a service of the

https://sakai.rutgers.edu/

http://www.gothamcenter.org/

http://www.jerseyhistory.org/

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~futures/

http://www.ucdclinton.ie/index.html

http://www.h-net.org/

http://www.theasa.net/


Graduate School-New Brunswick. They assist graduate students with identifying and applying for external funding to enhance and support their graduate studies and research.

External fellowships and grants recognize excellence, bring distinction to young scholars’ emerging careers, and provide vital resources to help our students to achieve their academic goals and to produce more robust and innovative research.

GradFund offers graduate students a number of web based resources including, our online funder database (http://chaser.rutgers.edu/database/), the Sakai Fellowship Guide (https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal/site/), GradFund Blog (http://rugradfund.blogspot.com/) and GradFund Wiki (http://gradfund.pbworks.com/).

About the Sakai GradFund Fellowship Guide

The GradFund site hosts information and tools to help graduate students prepare their applications for nationally competitive fellowship and grant applications.

To request access to the site, please send an email to [email protected] with your full name and graduate program.

In the resources section of this site, you will find materials to help you with your applications materials. The materials are organized as follows:

* Advice * Information on Grants and Fellowships * Proposal Writing Tools * Links to other University Fellowship Advising Offices * News, Articles, Blogs and Websites on Fellowships and Grants * Graduate Program Presentations

Other Resources:

Foundation Center: http://foundationcenter.org/newyork/

A fairly comprehensive list of Pre- and Post-Doctoral Fellowships can be found at the Rutgers Sakai Portal: https://sakai.rutgers.edu

https://sakai.rutgers.edu/

http://foundationcenter.org/newyork/

mailto:[email protected]

http://gradfund.pbworks.com/

http://rugradfund.blogspot.com/

https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal/site/

http://chaser.rutgers.edu/database/


III. 5. Manifesto for Ambivalent Graduate Students

1. Capture Research Accidents—frequently wrong paths can lead to surprises and insights.

2. Begin Anywhere—rather than experiencing the frustrating exercise of paralysis, try to begin anywhere and proceed up or down. Once you have something down on paper, it’s easier to revise.

3. Coffee Breaks, Train Rides, Waiting Around—ideas can often come when the mind is not focused on the question of a paper; take notes during these times of abstract business.

4. Use Every Minute—you are being paid to think, read, and write. Some form of these activities should consume your workaday world.

5. Repudiating is Hating—when writing criticism of a text or idea, it is often preferable to celebrate what was done well and to critique what was done poorly. There is no purpose to a wholly negative review.

6. Thinking a Thought Whole—a paper or thesis topic can begin with a small idea, but these ideas exist not in vacuums but within a wider “conversation” with what others have written.

7. When Teaching, Do Not Use the Socratic Method, Which is about Being a Bully—instead use empathic questioning, which will help you imagine “where the other person is coming from”. You will find debate about this, but it is important to be thoughtful about how and why you are teaching.

8. Research and Write Without Fear of Ghosts—ghosts are parents and other authority figures. Believe in and take responsibility for your own thoughts.

9. Embrace Ambivalence—a recent article in the Wall Street Journal says that being ambivalent can help you make better decisions because it makes you wrangle with a complex world: “Ambivalent people…tend to systematically evaluate all sides of an argument before coming to a decision. They scrutinize carefully the evidence that is presented to them, making lists of pros and cons, and rejecting overly simplified information.” (Wang, Shirley S. “Why So Many People Can't Make Decisions”, WSJ, Sept. 27, 2010).

10. Revision Literally Means To “Re-See”—put the thing away in a drawer and do something else and try to look at it in a fresh ways later on.

11. Collaboration—much valuable work comes not from the conference or classroom activity itself, but from the airport waiting, parties, hallway chats, lunches, and accidental meetings on the train.


12. There Is No Such Thing As Clear Thinking And Unclear Writing—if your writing is fuzzy, then the thinking behind it is, too.

13. Find Colleagues and Cohorts—your fellow graduate students experience similar academic, emotional, and intellectual problems and solutions. Everyone’s work can benefit from a mutual admiration society that encourages critical engagement with each other’s work.

14. Define Yourself—you will find a position within the discipline of American Studies by making at least a partially original argument within your chosen field or “conversation.” One of the first questions another academic will ask you is what “you’re writing about” or what “you’re working on.” You should be able to give an answer in two or three or four sentences. A interesting sample of recent and ongoing dissertations at another American Studies program can be found here: http://www.indiana.edu/~amst/graduates/dissertations.shtml

15. Be Tough—never receive any criticism about your work that’s worse than you’d give yourself. Anticipate these criticisms when you write.

http://www.indiana.edu/~amst/graduates/dissertations.shtml


Section IV: Financial Aid, Health and Human Resources

IV. 1. Financial Aid

Prospective full-time doctoral students are encouraged to apply for teaching assistantships when they submit their applications to the program. Teaching assistantships are our main way of funding our full-time students; duties for TAs vary from teaching in class alongside a professor to functioning as a researcher assistant, or graduate assistant. Upper-level doctoral students, who have completed their oral and written doctoral exams, may teach courses of their own instead of working as an assistant.

Full-time students who do well in their work can expect receive the support of an American Studies teaching assistantship for four years. In rare cases a student might receive aid for a fifth year from the program, but don’t count on it. Graduate School dissertation fellowships can be a good source of funding for students in their final year of dissertation work, but you must compete for them. They are issued with the understanding that you will finish your dissertation while on the fellowship.For more on aid from the Graduate School, see: http://catalogs.rutgers.edu/generated/nwk-grad_current/pg30.html

We grant TA positions to the most promising doctoral students in American Studies. Our decisions are based on the applicant’s statement of purpose, academic record, letters of reference, and writing sample. Renewal of the TA position is contingent upon the graduate student performing at a high level in the courses she or he takes during the year and on his or her performance in the duties assigned to them as a teaching assistant.

Students will be evaluated regularly by faculty members after fall and spring semesters to identify their strengths and any need for improvement. In addition, a student who is awarded a teaching assistantship is expected to maintain a grade point average of at least 3.75. A student who falls below this average may, by a vote of the American Studies advisory council, lose their teaching assistantship. If they have earned sufficient credits and met all requirements they may, at the discretion of the Advisory Council, receive an MA.

Doctoral student on teaching assistantships will be awarded their MA degrees after they pass their doctoral exams. If they leave the program earlier for any reason, they are not guaranteed an MA.

Under the policies of the Graduate School at Rutgers-Newark, teaching assistants and graduate assistants may not assume additional salaried work either inside or outside the University during their assignment unless permission is received from the Dean's Office of the Graduate School.

A student serving as a teaching assistant or graduate assistant must be at Rutgers-Newark to perform their duties.

http://catalogs.rutgers.edu/generated/nwk-grad_current/pg30.html


For details on the rights and duties of teaching assistants, visit the Rutgers AAUP site for teaching and graduate assistants at: http://www.rutgersaaup.org/taga.htm

For help finding funding as a graduate student, visit the Resource Center for Graduate Student External Support at http://chaser.rutgers.edu/

IV. 1a. Processing Financial Aid

When you receive an offer of financial aid, please fill out, sign and return all forms and letters promptly.

To ensure timely processing of the tuition remission that is an important part of your aid package, register for courses as early as possible. Upon registration, you will receive a term bill. Bring the bill to Sonia immediately for processing. She will direct you through the rest of the procedure. If you are late with your registration or term bill submission, the university will fine you.

IV. 2. How to Get Healthcare

Information on the Student Health Insurance can be found here: https://riskmanagement.rutgers.edu/student-health-insurance

Full-Time students are automatically enrolled in the Health Services Plus Plan and have access to the Rutgers University Health Centers. (The mandatory fee is included in the College Fee on your tuition bill).

Information on benefits provided for teaching assistants and graduate assistants, including medical and dental plans, can be found at:http://uhr.rutgers.edu/teaching-assistants-graduate-assistants

As an eligible employee (this includes those with TA/GA positions), you can choose medical coverage from a selection of plans in two categories:

NJ DIRECT 15 (administered by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey) One of two Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)

HEALTH SERVICES http://health.newark.rutgers.edu/Location: 249 University Avenue, Blumenthal Hall, Room 104 Phone: (973) 353-5231Hours: M-F, 8:30am - 4:30pm

HUMAN RESOURCES NEWARK http://hr.newark.rutgers.edu/Location: 249 University Avenue, Blumenthal Hall, Room 202Phone: 973-353-5500

http://hr.newark.rutgers.edu/

http://health.newark.rutgers.edu/

http://uhr.rutgers.edu/teaching-assistants-graduate-assistants

https://riskmanagement.rutgers.edu/student-health-insurance

http://chaser.rutgers.edu/

http://www.rutgersaaup.org/taga.htm


Contacts: Judy Crespo & Irma Mendoza

Judith Crespo, Senior Benefits Specialist973-353-5234; [email protected]

Irma Mendoza, Human Resources Staff Associate973-353-5942; [email protected]

Guides employees with the administration of their health, dental, prescription and vision plan forms Resolves benefit related inquiries Conducts benefit orientations Coordinates benefit seminars Processes Temporary Disability applications Notarizes documents for university related business only




IV. 3. Communication

Much of your communication with the American Studies program will be through Sakai, a messaging and Web page system designed by Rutgers. Please establish a Rutgers e-mail address and use it for all correspondence with our program and Rutgers. The university sends important messages through the Rutgers e-mail system; if you do not have a Rutgers address you may miss important information.

Sonia G. Espinet, our program administrator, works heroically to keep everything running smoothly. Please respond promptly when she sends you a message. If you need to work through a university procedure with her—like getting a special permission number to enroll in a course—please ask her well in advance of all deadlines.

COMPUTING SERVICES http://ncs.newark.rutgers.edu/

Blackboard Blackboard 8 (http://blackboard.newark.rutgers.edu).Blackboard is a partnership between Newark Computing Services (NCS) and the Office of Academic Technology (OAT). It is a course management system used to extend the learning environment outside the classroom. Blackboard has many features that facilitate teaching, learning and interaction including…

Email AccountNewark Computing Services Web Mailhttps://ncs.newark.rutgers.edu/email/

COMPUTING SERVICES HELP DESK (NEWARK) Location: 360 Martin Luther King, Blvd., Hill Hall, Room 109Phone: 973-353-5083Email: [email protected]: https://ncs.newark.rutgers.edu/hd/

NetID https://netidmgmt.rutgers.edu/netid/index.htmMost computer services ask you to log in using a name and password. In order to simplify things at Rutgers, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) has adopted a single University-wide identifier, called the NetID. Most OIT services expect you to use this NetID when you log in.

https://netidmgmt.rutgers.edu/netid/index.htm

https://ncs.newark.rutgers.edu/hd/


https://ncs.newark.rutgers.edu/email/

http://oat.newark.rutgers.edu/

http://oat.newark.rutgers.edu/

http://www.ncs.rutgers.edu/

http://blackboard.newark.rutgers.edu/

http://ncs.newark.rutgers.edu/


IV. 4. Transportation to and from Newark

NJ TRANSIThttp://www.njtransit.com/

Trains leave frequently between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station. A one-way ticket costs $5.00 and the trip takes about 20 minutes

PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson) http://www.panynj.gov/path/

Trains leaves frequently between Newark Penn Station and various stations in New Jersey and New York City. A one-way ticket costs $1.75; travel times vary depending on distance of station from Newark.

FREE RUTGERS SHUTTLE VAN

After 4:00 PM, a free shuttle van leaves to and from Newark Penn Station every few minutes. They depart outside Penn Station and in front of Conklin Hall.

Real-time schedules appear on a monitor, called NextBus.

PARKING http://nwkparking.rutgers.edu/transportation.phpAll Parking registration and cashiering services are handled through Parking Commuter Services, located on the 2nd floor of Blumenthal Hall. For any questions regarding parking registration, fees, and fine payments please call (973)-353-1839.

Parking Permits http://parktran.rutgers.edu/permits.shtmlAnyone that needs to park in university parking areas must obtain a permit. The parking permit you will receive and the respective fee is determined by:• Your affiliation – i.e. student, faculty/staff, visitor, vendor• Your time spent on campus – i.e. commuter, resident, night commuter, temporary employee, faculty/staff

http://nwkparking.rutgers.edu/transportation.php

http://www.panynj.gov/path/

http://www.njtransit.com/


IV. 5. Travel Policy

Funding for Graduate Student Travel to Deliver Presentations

The Graduate Program in American Studies provides financial support for graduate students who present their work at conferences and seminars. In our allocations, we try to balance our desire to support as many students as possible with our recognition that small amounts of support don’t do enough to defray the costs of travel.

To make the process as fair as possible, we are instituting an application procedure for funding. The program director will be responsible for making allocations in light of applications. Submitting an application will not, by itself, guarantee funding. To submit the most effective application possible, keep in mind the rules and suggestions listed below.

Rules

Support will go only to those students who are giving papers.

Each student is eligible for one allocation of support, and no more, per academic year.

A conference paper can be presented for support one time only. For example: if you receive support from the program to present “Constructing the Metroscape” at the 2018 conference of the American Studies Association, you cannot apply for support to present the same paper at the 2019 conference of the Urban History Association.

For conferences held in Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City, and the New York metropolitan area, funds will be available for registration only.

We encourage you to limit your hotel stays to two nights in the U.S. and three nights at international conferences. However, we recognize that hotel costs and conference schedules vary widely. If you must stay longer, please explain why.

Your application should take the form of a memo identifying the conference, your presentation, and its panel and panel members where appropriate. Please explain the value of your attendance and the relevance of your presentation to your own scholarly growth. The memo should also break down the costs of your request into transportation, lodging and registration. Finally, the memo should state when you last received travel support from the program and state the amount.

Your application for support must be accompanied by documentation of your acceptance to the conference or seminar, such as a letter of acceptance or a conference program.

Applications for travel funding in the 2018-2019 academic year must be submitted by 10:00 am Wednesday, December 5, 2018.


Please submit a hard copy of your application memo, accompanied by hard documentation of your acceptance, to program administrator , Sonia G. Espinet, in 243 Conklin.

We will make one round of allocations of support per year as soon as possible after the submission deadline.

Once the American Studies program awards you support, you have a choice between taking the support in the form of either a travel advance (where the university, less than a week before you depart, grants you up to $100/day) or a travel expense reimbursement (in which you make all travel-related purchases with personal funds and then get reimbursed by the university after you return.) Both the advance and the reimbursement require receipts and documentation for all expenditures.

The advantage of the travel advance is that you get your money a few days before you leave, so nothing has to come out of your pocket. There is a bureaucratic complication, however, with taking your support in the form of an advance: you must go through a special application procedure with Sonia to claim your advance before you depart. Also, if you have any leftover money from the advance, you must repay it.

With a travel reimbursement, once you get an award from American Studies you put up the money and make the trip. After you return from the convention or seminar, you file for a reimbursement. This requires one less bureaucratic step than the advance.

Travel advance: Once the program awards you a grant of support, consult with Sonia on

submitting your request for your travel advance. You should submit your application for an advance at least one month before you depart.

You will be issued a check for your advance 4-5 days prior to your travel. Within one week of your return, submit receipts for all expenditures and

proof of your participation in the conference. Travel advances are considered a personal charge to the individual requesting the

advance; if you do not provide full receipts and documentation for how you spent the advance in accordance with university regulations at http://www.rutravel.rutgers.edu/, you will be asked to repay it. If you have any leftover money from an advance, it must be repaid to Rutgers.

Travel reimbursement Within one week of your return, submit to Sonia a list of your expenses, all

relevant receipts, and proof of your conference participation. You will be issued a check for the amount awarded to you by the American

Studies Program. Spending that is undocumented or improper will not be reimbursed

In the past, the program provided $300 for domestic conferences and $500 for international conferences. We cannot maintain those levels of expenditure, so think of


them as outer limits and stay within them. We cannot guarantee funding at the full level that you apply for, but we will make every effort to spread the money around as fairly and productively as possible.

The program director, Jason Cortes, will make decisions on grants of support. Sonia G. Espinet, program administrator, will process all grants and reimbursements. See her for details on processing once you obtain a grant of support.

Suggestions

Be strategic when you apply for travel support. Try out a paper at local seminars or conferences that you can reach on your own before you introduce your work on the national stage. The travel costs will be minimal. To make the most of your financial support, take advantage of the scheduling patterns of national conferences; they usually alternate among regions. Find out when a relevant national conference is headed to a city within easy travel distance, then plan in advance to present there.

If you use program support for your airfare, see Sonia G. Espinet about booking a flight through a travel agency connected to Rutgers. It could reduce the cost of your airfare.

The strongest applications for funding will be those where: the student has polished the paper through presentations at Rutgers-Newark or regional conferences; the subject of the paper aligns closely with the student’s interests; and the conference or seminar will reach a national audience. A request for support to deliver a paper at a meeting of the Modern Language Association in Boston will be looked on more favorably than a request for support to address a state-level organization in Hawaii.

Seek out sources of support beyond the American Studies Program. Some national associations (the Organization of American Historians, for example) award travel grants to graduate students who are presenting. Others limit registration fees for students or waive the fees in exchange for work at the conference.

Signs of reasonable frugality in a request will strengthen the application. For example: take the Bolt bus to Washington, DC, not the ACELA. Share a room in an inexpensive hotel or a youth hostel; don’t rent a single room in a five-star hotel. In the end, the more we moderate our expenditures the more money we will have to spread around.


IV. 6. Statement on Plagiarism

The Rutgers-Newark Academic Integrity Summary:

"Academic freedom is a fundamental right in any institution of higher learning. Honesty and integrity are necessary preconditions to this freedom. Academic integrity requires that all academic work be wholly the product of an identified individual or individuals. Joint efforts are legitimate only when the assistance of others is explicitly acknowledged. Ethical conduct is the obligation of every member of the university community, and breaches of academic integrity constitute serious offenses" (Academic Integrity Policy, p. 1).

Be aware that the penalties for plagiarism in graduate school are usually more severe than the penalties for plagiarism in undergraduate work.

You may not submit an assignment in more than one course. For example: if you write an essay on Ralph Ellison, you may not submit the same essay in your course on African American literature and your course on American novels in the twentieth century. However, if you have a special interest in Ellison, in consultation with your professors you could write two entirely different essays on Ellison for the two courses.

Penalties for violations can be read here:http://catalogs.rutgers.edu/genergerated/nwk-ug_0608/pg23618.html

http://catalogs.rutgers.edu/genergerated/nwk-ug_0608/pg23618.html

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