Geographies of China
GCHN-SHU 250 / Fall 2026
Tuesdays and Thursdays
2:15–3:30 p.m. (CST/Shanghai)
Room S219
Travis Klingberg
Associate Professor of Practice in Environmental Studies, NYU Shanghai
Room N817
Office hours: Tue/Thu 3:45–4:15 p.m.
☯ Things may change. This syllabus is our roadmap, but we may need to make adjustments as we go. Google Classroom will always be the place to find the most up-to-date assignment deadlines.
Description
Our goal in this course is to map China. But rather than making maps through calculations or grids, we will be mapping China conceptually and theoretically. This is to say that in studying China’s regions, physical geography, political territories, cities, counties, and people, our goal is to develop skills for thinking about China spatially. With thousands of years of recorded history and a political system oriented to progress and national development, China is often imagined in terms of linear time. However, from ancient walled cities to the Mao-era work-unit system to the more recent migrations of rural labor, understanding how political, commercial, and social spaces are organized is essential for understanding China’s past and present. My hope for you in this course is that you will expand your knowledge of China, but more importantly develop new skills for thinking about China in this period of complexity and change.
Prerequisite: Passing grade in CCSF-SHU 101L Global Perspectives on Society.
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate the ability to analyze China in terms of regional difference, uneven geography, and beyond the national scale.
- Explain how China has been “territorialized,” and why understanding such processes helps denaturalize ideas about China’s geography.
- Explain how urban and rural spaces have been produced, and what impact this has had on social life in China.
- Demonstrate skills in thinking metageographically about the terms and concepts we use to understand China today.
- Identify problem statements and arguments, as well as supporting evidence, in analytical reading of academic literature.
- Demonstrate accurate, reflective self-assessment in assignments and final course grade assessment.
- Synthesize and apply course concepts in a research essay about a specific place in China, and present your findings in a poster presentation
Communication
Official course announcements will be posted to the Google Classroom Stream. Check that email notifications are enabled in Google Classroom.
For questions about specific assignments, please use the “Private comments” chat in specific Google Classroom assignments.
For logistical questions, please search the syllabus and/or Google Classroom first. If you cannot find the answer there, feel free to email. I am often, but not always, online, so please give me 24 hours to reply. For any message sent after 5 p.m. on Friday or over the weekend, expect a reply the following Monday.
To discuss course concepts, assignments, or individual concerns, you may book office hours directly on my Google office hours calendar. You may book back-to-back appointment slots if you feel you need more time. You may also leave constructive, anonymous feedback.
Instructional technology
You will need a laptop or tablet with a keyboard in class each day, though these devices will be used only at designated times. Please also bring a notebook and pen to class.
This course will rely on Google tools available through your NYU Google account (NYU Brightspace will not be used). The syllabus and class meeting materials are available on the course website.
All assignments, deadlines, submissions, and feedback will be available in Google Classroom. I encourage you to become familiar with the “View my work” view, clicable at the top left of the classwork tab.
We will use Google Docs exclusively for all writing in the course. All written work for this course must be typed directly into a Google Doc, using a template document if provided. Besides formatted citations, do not paste anything more than a few words into your documents.
If you have trouble with Google services, please contact IT at shanghai.it.help@nyu.edu.
Course materials
All readings for this course are provided via the links in the Schedule. You are expected to download and annotate your own copy of course materials before each week’s classes (See Preparation.)
If you have trouble downloading readings, check that you are on the NYU Shanghai network (via VPN if off-campus), and that you are logged into your NYU Google account. If you continue to have problems, please email me for help. Links are unruly things.
Course readings
Schedule
Class meetings are numbered by week and meeting: class 5.2 indicates week 5, class meeting 2. The university holiday schedule and legislative make-up days may affect some of our scheduled meeting times.
Checkboxes ☐ in the schedule indicate things to do outside of class: Readings are all due before each class week begins. Assignment due dates are listed here for reference, but official due dates are always those in Google Classroom. Reading Responses will be done in class, but are included in assignments as a reminder.
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| Part 1: Environment and Society | |||
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| Part 2: Place and Territory | |||
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| Part 3: Urban, Rural, Remote | |||
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Assessment
Assessment will be based on cycles of feedback and revision, rather than on accumulating points or graded assignments. This may require shifting your expectations from a quantitative measure to a qualitative measure of your academic work, but I’m confident you’ll find this approach supports your learning.
We will use a 0 to 3 scale for assignment assessments (see the Assessment rubric below) because Google Classroom requires numerical marks. These marks do not correspond to letter grades, especially early in the semester and in the research essay drafting. For your revisable work, these marks are meant to indicate where your work stands at the moment, and how much revision may be necessary to meet the full assignment objectives: Expect to see 1s and 2s early on, and do your best to move them into 2s and 3s through revision.
Each assignment for this course will be assessed according to two broad criteria, (1) how well the assignment meets the objectives , and (2) how well the assignment demonstrates your understanding of the material . There is an additional, unstated objective for all assessments, that you are able to verbally explain and elaborate on both the process and the product of the assignment. If you cannot explain the thinking behind your work, it is not “yours” in the sense of accurately demonstrating your learning and mastery of concepts.
Course assignments move from more process-oriented work in early in the semester to product-oriented work (on the semester project) later. Aside from work done in class, most work for this course may be revised and resubmitted. The semester project is specifically designed to be revised based on feedback you receive.
If you have a question on my assessment of an assignment, I’m happy to meet in office hours to discuss the assessment and how to improve your work. This meeting must take place within one week of the assignment being returned to you so that we both can respond while the work is fresh, and you can revise it without falling behind.
Assessment rubric
| Mark | Assessment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Exemplary | This work could be used as a model for other students and courses. The work meets or exceeds the expectations of the assignment. Communication is clear and complete. Mastery of the concepts is evident, with no nontrivial errors. |
| 2 | Meets Expectations | Meets all assignment objectives. Understanding of the concepts is evident through correct work and clear, audience-appropriate explanations. Some revision or expansion is needed, but no significant gaps or errors are present. No additional instruction on the concepts is needed. |
| 1 | Revision Needed | Meets major assignment objectives or demonstrates understanding, but not both, or needs revision on both. Partial understanding of the concepts is evident, but there are significant gaps that remain. Needs further work, more review, and/or improved explanations. |
| 0 | Not Assessable | Does not meet assignment objectives and/or understanding of the concepts is not evident. The work is fragmentary or contains significant omissions. Review assignment instructions and resubmit. |
Engagement
This course requires your full engagement, meaning regular attendance, participation, preparation, and one in-class Synthesis Report.
Attendance
Attendance at all scheduled classes is expected. Please be seated and ready to begin on time, and be prepared to remain in class for the full session.
Absences & course grade effects: If you will be absent from class for any reason, I would appreciate hearing as soon as possible before class as this helps me better prepare. You never have to explain the reason, although there can be grade consequences from too many absences.
All absences will be unexcused except for university-approved absences that you notify me about at least 3 days in advance. You have a semester “budget” of 2 unexcused absences that you may use for any reason (illness, emergencies, mental health, travel). No explanation or documentation is required, and these ansences will not affect your course grade.
Additional unexcused absences (beyond the first 2) will reduce your final course grade by 2/3 of a letter grade. Six unexcused absences – the equivalent of 3 weeks of class – will indicate you have not met the minimum Engagement criteria and may result in a final course grade of F if other course grade criteria do not meet expectations.
There may be times when additional absences are truly necessary, so you may make arrangements at least 3 days in advance of an additional absence to submit a Missed Class Synthesis assignment. This assignment is due before the start of the next class meeting after an absence, and must meet expectations (a 2) to compensate for the additional absence. You may submit up to 2 Missed Class Syntheses in the course after you have used your 2 budget of free unexcused absences.
Missed classes: If you miss a class, be sure to complete the required readings on time. Then review the class meeting web page along with any handouts with a classmate. I am happy to follow up with you in office hours if you have questions after covering the missed material. Any missed in-class exercises or assignments, especially any signed up for in advance, cannot be made up. However, partial credit will be given for any written work completed on time.
Medical absences: For the sake of privacy and discretion, please do not send me medical documentation, as this not required to follow these attendance guidelines. Medical absences are handled the same way as any other: Your budget of unexcused absences can cover up to a week of illness, and you may submit up to 2 Missed Class Syntheses for 2 additional absences. Please consult the Moses Center for possible accomodations for longer medical absences (see Excused Absences below).
Partial attendance: Our class time is short and collaborative. Arriving late, taking repeated or extended breaks, or leaving during group work (or before class is done) disrupts the flow of discussion. After an initial emailed reminder, every two additional instances of partial attendance will count as an additional unexcused absence that may count against your course grade.
Late enrollment: If you join the course late, you should complete one Missed Class Synthesis covering all of the readings due for the classes you missed. All missed assignments must be be completed within 1 week of joining the roster.
Participation
Class meetings will be highly interactive and depend on your regular, active participation. Your participation will be assessed through class exercises, the Weekly Summary, and my own notes.
To minimize class disruptions, silence mobile devices and store them in a bag off your desk. Put away your work for other courses, and close messaging, social media, or other distracting apps or browser tabs. Disruptions after a verbal reminder will mean a partial absence, and repeated disruptions can impact your course grade (see above).
Drinks in closed containers and small, quick snacks are ok, but please no meals in class.
Preparation
Successful classes depend on your full preparation. The most important part of this is to complete the reading(s) assigned for each week. You are expected to download and save your own local copy of the readings and come to class with your readings annotated – see the Reading Strategies guide.
Please also be ready to begin on time, phone away, messaging apps closed, course website loaded, and your copy of the reading(s) open.
Synthesis Report
Most weeks, one class meeting will begin with a quick, 5-minute Synthesis Report from 1 or more students on their synthesizing ideas about the readings and class discussion. You will need to sign up for a time to deliver your report, and submit the written part of the assignment the day before class.
Collaboration & reflection
A significant part of this course asks you to regularly reflect on your learning in the course and to collaborate with others through a peer feedback process.
Reflections
I am interested in how your learning progresses this semester, and will assign three course reflections during the semester in the form of a short surveys. And as part of the peer feedback process, you’ll also be asked to write a “Dear Reader” letter in which you’ll reflect on your research essay and start a conversation about how to improve it.
Conferences
There will be 2 required individual conferences over the semester to reflect on the course and your learning. You’ll have an option to meet mid-semester as well.
Peer feedback
Your verbal and written feedback on other students’ work will be an important part of your course grade. There will be multiple formats for peer feedback, but the highlight is the detailed written feedback you will provde on peers’ essay drafts in the form of “Dear Author” letters.
Reading responses
The first class meeting each week will begin with a 10 minute written response to a prompt about the readings due that week. We will use these Reading Responses as warm up for the week and a starting point for discussions. These responses also serve as ongoing assessments of your recall and understanding of weekly reading.
China Gazetteer project
The semester project for this course will be a research-based essay and poster based loosely on the model of local gazetteers in China (difangzhi 地方志). Inspired by long-established practices of collecting and publishing local facts and history, this project will showcase the analytical and theoretical skills developed this semester. Instead of taking administrative “containers” (counties, provinces, the nation) as our structure we will focus on the paths, routes, borders, and topography that mark China both conceptually and materially.
Research Essay — The main written assignment for the semester is the China Gazetteer Research Essay (2000 words, or about 7 pages). The essay serves as an integrative assignment where you can apply what you’ve learned in the course, and begin taking that knowledge in new directions of your own. The essay will be developed through 4 milestone assignments, a topic proposal, an annotated bibliography, a draft, and a final essay. Peer feedback and an in-class writing workshop will support the draft revision process. Note that the final essay will fully count toward the course grade only if the three previous milestone assignments are submitted, and the final version is revised based on feedback from a complete review process (peers and instructor).
Mini-Poster & Presentation — The final week of the semester will be an enjoyable week of poster presentations and discussion around the Gazetteer project. Class meetings will take the form of a poster session, with brief introductions and a Q&A. The assignment ahead of this week is to create an A3-sized mini-poster that concisely summarizes and illustrates your essay.
Course grade
Your final course grade will be determined together, through a criteria-based review of your completed work at the end of the semester. Your grade will be based on the following grade components:
Process components (40%)
Engagement (20%)
Collaboration & Reflection (20%)
Product components (60%)
Reading Responses (20%)
Semester Project (40%)
We will each propose a tentative course grade by (1) assessing the specific criteria in the Course Grade Criteria Worksheet, (2) determining an average mark for each course grade component, and (3) determining a final course grade according to the Course Grade Rubric. We will then discuss the criteria and Course Grade Rubric together in our Ending Conference. If the course grade process is ever unclear to you, I am happy to meet to clarify the process and review your progress in the course.
It is important to me that you are a part of this course grade process. However, it remains my responsibility to make the final grade decision and to ensure this process is guided by transparent standards and evidence from the semester’s assessments. If we cannot reach an agreement on your final course grade in the Ending Conference, you have 2 options you may pursue by emailing me within 48 hours of our conference. First, if you would like me to reassess any assignments still within the 1 week return window (usually only the final essay), please review your work and explain what specific aspects or questions you would like me to reassess. Completed, past assignments cannot be reassessed and past assessments cannot be changed (see Assignment submission. Second, if I made a mistake in either the course grade worksheet or in applying of the course grade rubric, please explain where you believe I was in error and I will check my work. Alternatively, you may appeal your final grade to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Steve Iams, at sei2@nyu.edu within 30 days of the grade posting to Albert.
Course grades will be given according to the standard university grade point scale (see the Grades subsection in the Undergraduate Bulletin).
Course grade rubric
To help guide our course grade discussion, and to help you calibrate your efforts to your desired grade, the following table summarizes the expected outcomes for process- and product-oriented components in the Course Grade Criteria Worksheet.
AVG refers to the average mark for the two grade categories, process (40% based on Engagement and Collaboration & Reflection) and product (60% based on Reading Responses and the Semester Project). The ~ indicates slight leeway (±0.1).
| Grade | AVG | Process (40%) | AVG | Product (60%) | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3.0 | Exemplary: all 3s, all deadlines met, ≤2 absences. | ~3.0 | Exemplary. Your project/responses demonstrated mastery in analysis and polish. | You mastered the content and were an exemplary participant in the course. |
| A- | ~2.5 | Meets expectations: mostly 2s on engagement, all deadlines met, 3 absences or missed a peer review | ~3.0 | Exemplary project/responses. | Your responses and project were exemplary, but your process could be improved. |
| B+ | 3.0 | Exemplary: all 3s, all deadlines met within grace period, 3 absences. | ~2.5 | Meets expectations. Your project was solid (2), but did not reach the nuance required for a 3. | Your responses and project were good, and your process showed your commitment to the course outcomes |
| B | ~2.0 | Average ~2.0. Meets expectations. all deadlines met within grace period, You earned mostly 2s on engagement. present but passive or 4 absences. | ~2.5 | Meets expectations. Your project and responses were competent (2). | Both your process and product met course expectations. |
| B- | <1.5 | Revision needed: You have frequent 1s or 0s on the worksheet. all deadlines met within grace period. 4 absences. | ~2.0 | Meets expectations. Even if your Project is Exemplary, your Process score caps you here. | Your responses and project were good, but you missed key parts of the process |
| C+ | ~3.0 | Exemplary: You were highly engaged and reliable. work submitted within late period. 5 absences or disruptive behavior. | <1.5 | Revision needed. Your project/responses had significant gaps. | Your responses and project missed the mark, but you were committed to the process of the course. |
| C | <2.0 | Meets expectations. You earned 2s, but engagement was passive. work submitted within late period. 5 absences or disruptive behavior. | <1.5 | Revision needed. Your project/responses had significant gaps. | You met process expectations overall, but could improve engagement. Your responses and project needed improvement. |
| C- | <1.5 | Revision needed: You were frequently disengaged or late. work submitted within late period. 6 absences or disruptive behavior. | <1.5 | Revision needed: Your project/responses had significant gaps. | You struggled on both process and product. You did not demonstrate expected mastery, and your engagement was insufficient. |
| D+ | ~1.0 | Revision needed: Attendance may have been fine, or spotty. missing assignments. 6 absences or disruptive behavior. | <1.0 | Minimally assessable: Major assignments submitted but missing key sections (e.g., no bibliography, unfinished conclusion). | Your submitted work was too fragmentary to fully assess. |
| D | ~1.0 | Revision needed. Missing assignments. >6 absences. | <0.5 | Minimally assessable. Missing assignments. Minimal evidence of understanding. | Evidence of learning is thin. Only the most minimum requirements were met. |
| F | <0.5 | Not assessable. Chronic absenteeism or disappeared from course. >7 absences or disruptive behavior. | ~0 | Average 0. Not assessable. Work not submitted or an academic integrity violation (plagiarized, generated by AI). | There is not enough evidence of learning to award credit for the course. |
Guidelines
Assignment submission
All work for this course must be submitted in Google Classroom by 5 p.m. on the due date. No emailed submissions will be accepted. All course work must be submitted by the final Friday of scheduled classes.
Meeting all course deadlines is an expected part of an exemplary semester. However, I recognize you have a lot going on and need to manage occasional surprises, so there will be an automatic grace period of 48 hours after most deadlines. Exceptions include time-sensitive assignments required for class meetings, and the final course deadline.
Late assignments may be submitted up to 7 days after the deadline. In order to keep us all on track and focused on current work, late assignments will not be accepted after this period.
Revised assignments must be resubmitted within 2 weeks from the day the assignment is returned with feedback.
I am happy to discuss your assessed assignments within 1 week of their return in Google Classroom. After this, I need to consider the assessment “complete,” unless a revised assignment is resubmitted within the 2 week revision period. To keep us all focused on current work, assignments cannot be reassessed once complete.
Excused absences
You may arrange excused absences according to university policy for religious observances, certain university events, or extended illness (see below). Please email the following information to me at least 3 days in advance of any absence you ask to excuse: the date(s), an explanation of your obligations, the specific academic accommodation(s) requested (e.g., an extension on an assignment, an alternate test date, etc.), and your plan to make up any missed classes and assignments (see Missed classes). Excused absences must be arranged before, not after, an absence.
Observance of Religious and Spiritual Holidays — NYU’s Policy on Academic Accommodations for Religious Holidays and Observances states that students may, without penalty, excuse themselves from academic obligations and otherwise receive a reasonable accommodation when required for religious and spiritual holidays and observances. See the Global Spiritual Life Calendar of Holidays and Observances, or contact religiousaccommodations@nyu.edu for assistance.
Competitions, Conferences, Presentations — You are permitted to be absent from classes to participate in competitions, conferences, and presentations, either at home or out of town, as approved by the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. Review the Undergraduate Bulletin for the conditions you must meet to obtain approval for this kind of absence.
Extended Illness — If you become seriously ill, hospitalized and/or miss more than a week of classes due to medical reasons, please notify me as soon as possible, and contact your academic advisor to discuss the possibility for a medical accommodation. You may also contact the Moses Center for Accessibility and Inclusive Culture. Please do not send me doctors’ notes or other medical documentation, both for your privacy and because these are not required for these syllabus policies. Please note that without the Moses accommodation all absences, even health related, count against the course absence policy.
Academic Integrity
Breaches of academic integrity such as plagiarism or cheating could result in failure of an assignment, failure of the course, or other sanctions, as determined by the Academic Affairs office. Please review NYU Shanghai’s “Standards of Conduct” in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
AI Use
Any tool that reduces or removes your cognitive effort in learning is prohibited in this course. This includes tools that to write for you, brainstorm ideas, summarize readings, “polish” your sentences, or translate text between languages. AI tools can provide an illusion of learning, with speedy, effortless, and easily-digested output. But authentic learning, like mastering a musical instrument or competitive sport, takes practice, new skills, resilience, and meeting manageable challenges.
AI tools are everywhere these days, and it is okay to use limited, mechanical support, such as suggesting spelling or grammar changes, formatting citations, or searching for related literature. By all means use computers to speed technical work, just be vigilant that this does not take over the work of thinking for yourself.
Any work that you cannot explain or elaborate, that doesn’t match your other writing samples and class participation, or that was pasted in final form directly into a document may be returned to you, as it would not accurately reflect your learning and therefore be unassessable. In this case, please arrange a time to discuss your work with me.
All use of AI must be declared and explained in a note submitted with your assignment. Before you start using any AI tool for an assignment, check to be sure it is allowed. If a tool or action does not appear in the table below, or if you are unsure, please email me first to check.
The consequences of disregarding these guidelines, depending on severity and quantity, could be a warning, a 0 for an assignment, an academic flag, or referral for an academic integrity violation.
| Tool/action | Policy | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling and grammar check (e.g., Google Docs, basic Grammarly) |
● Allowed | These tools fix surface-level errors (spelling, punctuation) but retain your original sentence structure and voice. |
| Literature search (e.g., ResearchRabbit) |
● Allowed | Finding relevant research literature can be time-consuming and difficult. Tools that aid the use of databases are worth using. |
| Citation generators (e.g., Zotero) |
● Allowed | Formatting citations is a technical skill, not a cognitive one. Make the machines do it! |
| AI as quizmaster (e.g., “ask me 5 questions about this reading”) | ● Allowed | As long as you are the one providing the answers, the AI is acting as a tutor, not a ghostwriter. |
| AI “polishing” or rewriting (e.g., “make this sound more academic,” Grammarly rewriting, etc.) |
● Not Allowed | This erases your voice and masks your actual writing ability. I cannot assess or help you improve if I cannot see your real writing. |
| Translation (e.g., AI or other machine translation) |
● Not Allowed | You must read and write in English to the best of your ability. Automated translation prevents improved reading skills and obscures your voice and ability. |
| Idea generation (e.g., “give me 5 paper topics about China”) |
● Not Allowed | Finding and developing a research topic is part of the work of the course. You may talk to peers or the professor to brainstorm, and skim material on the Internet and in databases, but you may not use a bot to skip over the process. |
| Automated synthesis or summary (e.g.,“summarize this PDF”) |
● Not Allowed | Learning to synthesize complex texts yourself is a core skill of this course. If the AI does this, you are not meeting basic course requirements. |
| Creating your work for you | ● Not Allowed | Getting AI to write or generate work that you submit as your own, in any form, is a violation of academic integrity. Absolute no-go. |
Inclusion & misconduct
I am committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive learning environment, and I support efforts to end structural and other forms of discrimination. NYU Shanghai follows policies that protect individuals from discrimination and harassment:
Disability Disclosure Statement — NYU Shanghai is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and participation for students with disabilities. It is NYU Shanghai’s policy that no student with a qualified disability be excluded from participating in any NYU Shanghai program or activity, denied the benefits of any NYU Shanghai program or activity, or otherwise subjected to discrimination with regard to any NYU Shanghai program or activity. Any student who needs a reasonable accommodation based on a qualified disability should register with the Moses Center for Accessibility and Inclusive Culture for assistance. Students can register online through the Moses Center and can contact the Academic Accommodations Team at shanghai.academicaccommodations@nyu.edu with questions or for assistance.
Title IX Statement — Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs. It protects victims of sexual or gender-based bullying and harassment and survivors of gender-based violence. Protection from the discrimination on the basis of sex includes protection from being retaliated against for filing a complaint of discrimination or harassment. NYU Shanghai is committed to complying with Title IX and enforcing University policies prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. Samuel Hodge (sh189@nyu.edu) serves as the University’s Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator is a resource for any questions or concerns about sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence, or sexual misconduct and is available to discuss your rights and judicial options. University policies define prohibited conduct, provide informal and formal procedures for filing a complaint and a prompt and equitable resolution of complaints. Related links: Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy, Procedures for Complaints Against Students, Procedures for Complaints Against Employees, Resource Guide for Students.
Getting help
Academic Resource Center (ARC)
The Academic Resource Center (ARC) offers a wide range of academic support services for students enrolled in NYU Shanghai courses. Writing & Speaking Learning Assistants can provide assistance with specific questions related to English writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Check the Learning Assistants’ tutoring schedule for drop-in times (no appointment needed). The ARC also offers a variety of academic skills workshops to help you develop effective study strategies and enhance your interpersonal skills.
Library Services
Librarians with expertise in your research topic are available to meet either in person or online by appointment or by email to help you navigate the research process, from developing a research question and formulating a research strategy, to selecting databases, requesting materials, and citing your sources. Visit the Library website for the catalog and more information.
Health & Wellness
For medical and counseling support, drop by or make an appointment with the Student Health Center:
Academic Building, Room 605
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
shanghai.health@nyu.edu
In China: 021-2059-5353
Outside China: +86 21-2059-5353
For emergencies, call NYU Shanghai Public Safety: 021-2059-5500
For urgent mental health needs, call the Wellness Exchange hotline (24 hours a day):
In China: 021-2059-9999
In US/New York: 212-443-9999
Course grade worksheet
Geographies of China, Fall 2026
| Exemplary (A-range grades) | Meets Expectations (B-range grades) | Revision Needed (C-range grades) | Not Assessable (D-range grades) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. ENGAGEMENT (20%) | ||||
| Attendance1 | □ ≤2 | □ | □ | □ |
| Participation2 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Preparation | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Synthesis Report | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| (Missed Class Synthesis) | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 2. COLLABORATION & REFLECTION (20%) | ||||
| Reflections | □ 3 | □ | □ 2 | □ 1 |
| Conferences | □ 2 | □ 1 | □ 0 | |
| Peer Feedback (10%) | ||||
| Research Essay Draft | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Poster Presentation 1 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Poster Presentation 2 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 3. READING RESPONSES (20%) | ||||
| (Best 10 of 12) | ||||
| RR 1 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 2 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 3 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 4 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 5 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 6 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 7 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 8 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 9 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| RR 10 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| GAZETTEER PROJECT (40%) | ||||
| Topic Idea | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Annotated Bibliography | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Research Essay Draft | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Research Essay Final3 | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Mini-Poster | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| Presentation | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Footnotes
Unexcused absences may set maximum course grade. Please review Attendance.↩︎
Weekly Summaries, Class Exercises.↩︎
Requires 3 previous assignments and draft revision.↩︎