This section is intended to define my assumptions and expectations for students enrolled in this course. Frequently these are not spelled out resulting in misunderstandings and confusion. I hope that this section will alleviate those difficulties and provide you with an understanding of what is expected and at the same time assure me that you know what you are getting into. Please read these guidelines carefully. At the end of this section you will be asked to e-mail your acknowledgement that you have, indeed, read and understood these guidelines.

This course has been designed with the following set of assumptions and expectations in mind:

• You enter this course without a background in Latin American history but you have some interest in the area.
• This is not the only thing you are doing this semester.
• You are taking other courses, probably are working over twenty hours a week, and you have fairly extensive family and social responsibilities.
• Nonetheless, this is a college course and you are expected to invest at least 3 hours in study for every hour of class.
• Regular attendance is critical. Class lectures provide the critical theoretical context for your learning and class discussion is essential for clarifying your ideas and resolving doubts.
• Classes are organic entities and easily disrupted. It is important that your personal schedule permit you to regularly arrive on time and stay the full time. Certainly emergencies arise but if your personal schedule prevents you from regularly arriving on time and/or requires you to leave early, you should not be enrolled in this course.
  • The same applies to cell phones which should be turned off as you enter the class. Such behavior not only hinders your own learning but prejudices that of fellow students. If that occurs quietly ask those responsible for the distractions to stop. If that fails to resolve the problem, please let me know.
• Every student has the right to learn as well as the responsibility not to deprive others of their right to learn.
• Every student is accountable for their actions.

If you meet these basic conditions -- have adequate study time, will attend regularly and arrive on time then you have met the minimum requirements for successfully completing this course.

If these pose a problem in any way (working more than normal or having more than the usual family obligations or a compelling urge to hit the beach), you should carefully calculate the cost of trying to work this course into your existing schedule.

If you have special needs please let me know immediately so that arrangements can be made.

While I assume that you know little if anything about Latin America successfully completely the course will require your active involvment in the learning process. This is a history course and as such is not intended to reward passive memorization of text materials or class lectures. Despite the survey nature of this course, the material covered will be examined within the context of an active, learning community environment. There will be no multiple-guess exams. All evaluations will be narrative in form and the exams, in particular, are designed to foster integrated learning. As a class we will do the work of historians.

This course assumes that you are capable of motivating yourself to do the work. Some of the work will involve group activities -- particularly the analysis of primary sources. It is critical therefore that you be present regularly and be prepared to participate in group discussions in a serious and sharing fashion. If you find the active nature of this course unsettling you might wish to seek out a course whose learning atmosphere/texture is more compatible with your learning style.

While this is a survey it assumes that you come prepared to handle the reading, which is not overly extensive, and that you can write well enough to successfully articulate your ideas. You need to be able to write clearly and persuasively. There is assistance available for students with writing difficulties but you will have to take the initiative. I am willing to work cooperatively with the writing center around issues such as deadlines.

I expect that you will become conversant with electronic communication quickly. Every enrolled student at CSU has an assigned email address usually ([given name initial].[family name]@csuohio.edu) - e.g. d.ramos@csuohio.edu. Since the official syllabus and supplementary material are available only on the internet, it is very important that you check the course website frequently.

On-campus labs, the university library and many other Cleveland area libraries have public access computers available with Internet connections. If you own (or have access to) a personal computer with a modem, you can gain free access to CSU computers by contacting the Office for Computer Facilities on the eleventh floor of Rhodes Tower.

If any of these essential skills are particularly weak, you must be prepared to devote extra time and effort to their remediation in order to accomplish fully what the course requires of you.

I have a set of responsibilites as well.

• It is my responsibility to present the course material in a professional manner.
• I am accessible either in my office during office hours, by phone (216.687.3925) where you can leave a phone message or especially by e-mail. I will respond to emails within 24 hours.
• Just as i expect you to enter class promptly so shall i. Generally i will be ten minutes early to set up equipment and to answer questions.
• I am certainly happy (thrilled even) to answer questions or to help you with your course work.
• I expect you to approach the course seriously and I will do the same.
• I expect you to deal with your classmates respectfully and so will i.
• I am open to suggestions concerning the course.
• If i ask you to do a substantial amount of work, so will i.
• I will try to make the course as transparent as possible so that you know what and why something happens.

The basic expectations expressed above are not particularly demanding. Enrollment in this course assumes a reasonable interest in the material but no prior knowledge about Latin America. It also assumes that you will attend regularly and arrive on time and that you will allocate sufficient time to master the material and to enjoy this learning experience.

If you share these expectations and assumptions, welcome aboard! I believe that you will enjoy the experience. If not, you might more profitably look elsewhere for the educational challenge you seek.

Please e-mail me to indicate that you have read and understand these guidelines. On the subject line please write
Accepted: YOUR NAME (example, Accepted: Monica dos Santos).
You need not add any additional comments.
Send your message to d.ramos@csuohio.edu (all you have to do is click on this blue address for immediate access to e-mail)

This page is based on Prof. Lee Makela's Assumption and Expectations.