Jeff Liss, Coordinator of Humanities and Instructor of English

General Information

Please find information about the class you are registered for or want to take under my teaching schedule below. Be sure you are looking at the right section number and CRN and be sure you understand that some are eight-week accelerated courses that are recommended only for well prepared students. If you don't find the information you need, e-mail Jeff at jeffrey.liss@mail.ccsf.edu

For information about Course Equivalencies or to otherwise contact the instructor about his duties as Coordinator of Humanities, please see below the class descriptions.

Office Hours for Summer 2025

I will be available on Saturdays 11:00am - 12:00pm from June 14 to July 19.

Use this link to join the meeting

PLEASE BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE COURSE YOU'RE CHOOSING:

DOES IT MEET FOR 6, 8 OR 16 WEEKS? (If it's 6 or 8 weeks, are you confident taking an accelerated course?)

CAN YOU ATTEND THE REQUIRED LIVE ZOOM MEETINGS (if any)?

CAN YOU ATTEND THE REQUIRED LIVE IN-PERSON MEETINGS (if any)?

Teaching Schedule Summer 2025

Hum7.981 CRN 54274

This is an online six-week course (6/9/25 to 7/20/25) in the accelerated summer term. Mandatory Zoom meetings every Tuesday and Thursday (except for holidays, if any) from 12:10 to 2:00pm.

This accelerated course moves very fast, so students should prepare by being sure there is time in their schedule for the faster pace.

The course depends on students attending the Zoom meetings; please do not register for it if your schedule doesn't allow for you to attend. Interaction is expected and your camera will be on. Please also plan for dedicated time for the class (you should not be working or commuting during class time).

Required textbook: Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions. Prentice Hall (10th Edition, ISBN-13: 978-0134168975)

The class's Syllabus is available here.

Teaching Schedule Fall 2025

Engl C1000 (formerly Engl 1A) Section 982 CRN 73638

This is a hybrid eight-week Flex 2 course (10/27/25 to 12/19/25). One mandatory Zoom meeting every Wednesday (except for holidays, if any) from 12:10 to 2:15pm.

This accelerated course moves very fast, so students should prepare by being sure there is time in their schedule for the faster pace.

Required textbook

You must buy the following book (available in the CCSF Bookstore and elsewhere):

Hidden San Francisco by Chirs Carlsson (ISBN-13 978-0745340944)

Engl C1000 (formerly Engl 1A) Section 983 CRN 73643

This is an online sixteen-week course (9/2/25 to 12/19/25). One mandatory Zoom meeting every Tuesday (except for holidays, if any) from 12:10 to 2:15pm.

Required textbook

You must buy the following book (available in the CCSF Bookstore and elsewhere):

Hidden San Francisco by Chirs Carlsson (ISBN-13 978-0745340944)

Hum7.963 CRN 73960

This is a hybrid eight-week course (9/2/25 to 10/26/25) on the Flex 1 schedule (the first half of the semester). One mandatory classroom meeting every Wednesday (except for holidays, if any) from 9:10 to 11:00am in Creative Arts 312 (Ocean Campus).

This accelerated course moves very fast, so students should prepare by being sure there is time in their schedule for the faster pace.

Required textbook: Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions. Prentice Hall (10th Edition, ISBN-13: 978-0134168975)

Hum7.964 CRN 73961

This is a hybrid eight-week course (9/2/25 to 10/26/25) on the Flex 1 schedule (the first half of the semester). One mandatory classroom meeting every Wednesday (except for holidays, if any) from 12:10 to 2:00pm in Creative Arts 315 (Ocean Campus).

This accelerated course moves very fast, so students should prepare by being sure there is time in their schedule for the faster pace.

Required textbook: Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions. Prentice Hall (10th Edition, ISBN-13: 978-0134168975)

Instructor Introduction for Religion Students

Humanities 7 or 8: What's the difference?

Please see our listings in the college catalog for the descriptions of these two courses. Although they cover the same six of the major world religions (Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Daoism), they have key differences:

Humanities 7: Comparative Religions works from a textbook whereas in Humanities 8: Philosophies of Religion, we read excerpts from the sacred scriptures and commentaries on them. This makes Humanities 8 a bit more challenging in terms of the level of reading.
Humanities 7 takes on contemporary issues with religion somewhat more; Humanities 8 tends to be more about the founding of the religion as well as the interpretation and close reading of the text of the sacred scriptures.

Writing in Humanities 7 and 8

Both courses require two essays which may require research, except for six- or eight-week semesters, which will only require one essay.

Humanities courses expect to work in parallel with English Department composition courses, so the standards are the same.
Essays will not be graded as rigorously, however, so students with little experience in writing should feel comfortable trying out writing academic essays in this class. The instructor will provide guidance towards English Department standards.
Writing on Discussions will give students practice for writing essays.

Coordinator Duties and Course Equivalencies

Jeff serves as Coordinator of the Humanities program within the English Department. If you have Course Equivalency Forms for him to review and sign, send them to jliss@ccsf.edu (please do not use this e-mail address as a student in one of his classes). Remember that equivalency requests should have the following attached: a transcript, a description of the course from your former school's course catalog (or a syllabus), and a Course Equivalency form you can fill out with your counselor.

Keep in mind for Course Equivalencies that many courses under the larger umbrella of "Humanities" are not Jeff's responsibility. For example, forms for courses like Philosophy and Sociology should go to the Chair of Social Sciences to approve Course Equivalency.

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