FAQ – Dimensions of Culture
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question that is NOT answered here, please e-mail the DOC office at docinfo@ucsd.edu.
Yes, students may take DOC 1 the same quarter that they take Basic Writing (SDCC 1), since satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement is NOT a prerequisite for DOC 1.
No, students may not take DOC 1 the same quarter that they take English as a Second Language.
That depends. All incoming freshmen will take DOC 1, DOC 2, and DOC 3. Admitted transfer students generally do not take the DOC sequence, but should review their course recommendations provided by the Academic Advising Office during enrollment.
While we recommend that students take the DOC sequence in order – DOC 1 in the fall, DOC 2 in the winter, and DOC 3 in the spring – it is not a requirement to do so. For example, DOC 2 is not a prerequisite for DOC 3, so you may enroll in DOC 3 even if you were not able to take DOC 2 first. (You must have satisfied the Entry Level Writing Requirement 
before you can enroll in DOC 2 or DOC 3.) Students who were not able to complete the DOC sequence their freshmen year should do so in their sophomore year.
Rather than putting yourself on a Waitlist, you should look at all the sections which have openings, and go ahead and enroll in whichever one fits your schedule. The only way you will get into a class that you are waitlisted for is if someone who is in the class drops it, and since DOC classes are relatively small, the chances of that happening are slim. Keep in mind that you often won’t be able to create your "ideal" class schedule, and in order to take the classes you need you may be inconvenienced to some degree.
On the first day of lecture, you will be given a SYLLABUS which spells out the requirements of the course, including the readings and assignments. The syllabus for the current quarter is also accessible on the Handouts subpage of each particular DOC course.
Our lectures meet three times a week in large rooms that can accommodate the 200-300 students enrolled in each one. The lectures are taught by faculty members who have achieved Ph.D. degrees in their fields. Only 12-14 students are enrolled in each DOC discussion section, which are taught by graduate student Teaching Assistants. DOC 1 sections meet once a week, and sections for DOC 2 and DOC 3 meet twice a week.
See the current quarter’s section schedule on the course page. The names of the graduate student Teaching Assistants will be added to this schedule when they are assigned –within two weeks of the beginning of the quarter. Students should choose their DOC discussion section based on its day and time. Students who think they will wait to enroll in a specific TA’s section will find that all sections are full at the end of the initial enrollment period, and they may end up not getting in the class at all. After TA assignments have been posted, you can see your TA’s information on the "People" page of the DOC website.
The short answer is YES. But keep in mind that UCSD classes start on Thursday of "Week Zero" during Fall Quarter. DOC 1 sections start the following week, which is "Week One." So in the Fall Quarter, you will most likely go to DOC 1 lectures two or three times before your first DOC 1 discussion section meets. But in the Winter and Spring Quarters, discussion sections start on the Tuesday or Wednesday of the first week of classes.
The University is very strict about the final exam schedule, which is derived from the time of the regular lecture for the course.
See Final Exam Responsibilities .
See "People" for your TA’s office location and office hours. If you have another class during the posted office hours, email the TA and ask him/her for an appointment at another time that works for you both.
See "People" for your TA’s office location and office hours. If you have another class during the posted office hours, email the TA and ask him/her for an appointment at another time that works for you both. Keep in mind that your TA’s job is officially only half-time, so he/she may not get back to you right away. TAs are not required to be on campus or to respond to email every day.
We ask DOC students to sit in specific rows near their own TAs in lecture so that it will be easier for students to turn work in to TAs, and for the TAs to hand back graded work to students. It is also important that you sit in your TA’s designated area during every exam.
The first rows in the front of the DOC lecture hall are reserved for students who need to sit there because of vision or hearing issues. If this applies to you, you should notify your TA that you would like to sit in the reserved area of the lecture hall. You should still plan to check in with your TA before or after each lecture.
The DOC Program faculty put together custom textbooks of articles and chapters from different sources for their students. These "readers" are available exclusively from the publisher. The DOC office will email students with specific information on how to order the books before the start of each quarter. Check your @ucsd email, or see the Announcements subpage for your course, where all general messages will be posted.
First, make sure your name is marked prominently inside all your books, notebooks, calculator cases, etc. (You can use pencil if the book is one that you can sell after you’re finished with it.) This way if the item gets turned in to a campus office the staff can look you up on TritonLink to contact you. If found items have no unidentifiable markings, they can end up at Campus Lost & Found, which is located at the Police Station, (858) 534-4361. If you don’t want to buy a replacement book, you may use the DOC books which are on reserve at Geisel Library – but you are not allowed to check them out.
Email (using your @ucsd account) is the primary means of communication between UCSD staff and students. We have to pay long-distance phone charges to call numbers outside the 858 and 619 area codes, and this is not an option for us due to budget cuts.
Composition instruction at UCSD is offered by writing programs in the individual undergraduate colleges. The Dimensions of Culture Program is the writing program at Thurgood Marshall College. Students who have completed the DOC sequence have satisfied the University of California Writing Requirement. See the "History" page to print out copies of the DOC syllabi from past years.
DOC 100 is a "Special Topics" course that changes from quarter to quarter. It is NOT a required course for Thurgood Marshall College students. More information ...
