Home    Student Resources    Links    Email
 

343: Mexican American History

 

Assignments:

Assignments to be posted

 

Syllabus:

 

Professor Juan R. García                                     

Office Location: Room 227, Social Sciences Building

Office Phone Number:  621-1586

E-Mail: Jugarcia@U.Arizona. Edu

Office Hours: Tuesday  9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.; Wednesday  3:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.; Friday  10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M.; and by appointment.

 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

 

Matt Meier & Feliciano Ribera, Mexican Americans/American Mexicans

Manuel Gonzales & Cynthia Gonzales, En Aquel Entonces

Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street

David Gutierrez, Walls and Mirrors

Vicki Ruiz, From Out of the Shadows

Thomas Sheridan, Los Tucsonenses

And other readings assigned during the semester.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

 

            Mexican American History 343 is an upper division course that surveys some of the major events, personalities, and issues that have shaped the society, culture, history, and identity of the Mexican American people. Mexican Americans are a diverse people whose heritage is grounded in a variety of cultures and historical experiences. To cover this diversity, the instructor uses an interdisciplinary approach in presenting the material. The emphasis in the class will be in understanding ideas, issues, personalities, and events that have shaped and defined Mexican American culture, history, and identity in the U.S.  

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

            The final grade in this course will be based upon three requirements. There are two major examinations: a midterm and a final.  Each of these exams will be worth 1/3 of your final grade. Study sheets will be provided prior to each examination. The examinations consist of objective questions and essays.

            Any student who does not take the midterm on the date it is scheduled, may take a make-up examination on Thursday, May 2, 2002, @ 10:00 A.M. in Room 227. You must have the permission of the instructor to take this make-up test.  That permission must be gained within one week after the scheduled mid-term examination date. In order for you to be eligible to take a make-up midterm examination, you must provide me with a valid excuse for having failed to take the midterm on the date scheduled. You simply cannot decide on the day of the examination that you do not feel like taking an exam or that you are not fully prepared to take the exam. Valid excuses include severe illness or a death in your immediate family. In either case you are required to provide proof to support your excuse. Failure to secure the instructor's permission or to take the make-up examination at the scheduled time and date will result in a grade of "0" for the mid-term.

            The final examination is scheduled for Thursday, May 9, 2002 from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. The exam will be held in the classroom in which the class lectures are given.  Any student who does not take the final at its scheduled time and date, regardless of reason or circumstance, will receive a "0" for the examination.  No make-up test will be administered for anyone failing to take the final. Arrive on time on examination dates.  You will not be allowed to take the examination after the first student has left the room.

            One-third of the course grade is based upon grades earned for active participation in all group discussions of assigned readings, quizzes, attendance, other assignments, and book reviews. Requirements for the book reviews and due dates will be distributed in class. Missing a discussion group does not exempt a student from submitting any work due.  Failure to complete any work, submit an assignment, or take a make-up quiz within three days after the due date will result in an automatic "0" for that assignment. All assignments submitted after the due date will be assessed a penalty of five points for each day that it is late. There is no make-up assignment for a missed discussion, or for an assignment that is not turned in within the time specified above. It is the responsibility of the student to ascertain if any work was assigned during their absence.

            Expectations for the course and the goals will be provided to you during the first complete week of class. Although not written into this syllabus, these goals and expectations are a central part of the course requirement, and should be treated as such.  Failure to adhere to or meet the expectations and goals of the course may result in a student being dropped from the class by the instructor.

 

 

 LECTURES:

            Slides, videos, overhead transparencies, and multimedia presentations will supplement lectures.  You will be provided with a great deal of information.  An important part of a university education is  learning how to extract, understand, and assess sources and information. Some of the material is conceptually difficult, so be careful not to fall behind.  Please see me if you have a problem.  Effective study and learning skills are essential to success in this class, and so is keeping current with the readings and assignments. Examinations will be based on information presented in class, in discussion groups, and material from the required readings.

 

ATTENDANCE:

            Attendance at all discussion sessions and lectures is required. Attendance will be taken in the discussion groups and randomly during the semester. Excessive absenteeism from, or tardiness to, class will result in a lowering of the final grade or being dropped from the course. Points will be lost for poor attendance, and added for good attendance.  Refer to the grading scheme below.

 

CONDUCT:

            Any actions involving cheating or plagiarism will be dealt with in accordance with the University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity.  This code prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication.  Do your own work. Please do not come to class unless you are prepared to listen and to participate.  As a courtesy to your fellow students, and me do not eat, drink, read newspapers, make or receive phone calls and pages, converse with others during class time, or engage in any activity that may disrupt the class or distract students. All pagers and phones must be turned off during the class period. Please arrive for class on time, and do not begin packing up your materials before the end of the class.  Both actions are disruptive and discourteous to your classmates and me.

 

 GRADING:

            Absolute grading is used in this class.  In other words, there is no curve for this course, and you are not competing with your fellow students.  The advantage to you in using this system is that you know, at any time in the course, exactly what you have to do to get a certain grade.  What follows is a summary of the grading scale:

A = 91 - 100

B = 81 -  90

C = 71 -  80

D = 61 -  70

E =  0 -  60

Points for attendance:

  80 to 100% = +2 points

 60 to 80%  =  0 points

 40 to 60%  = -2 points

                                                          20 to 40%  = Dropped from course   

            Attendance points will be added or deducted from the 1/3 of your grade involving assignments, book reviews, discussions, etc.               

     Grades from assignments and feedback from your instructor will keep you apprised of your progress in the class.  Please do not ask me to provide you with progress reports on your grade at any time during the semester. I do not provide information about grades via e-mail. Do not ask me what grade you need to earn on an examination or assignment in order to receive a better final grade in the course. I am a historian, not a prognosticator. Besides, projecting final grades always leads to problems.

            If you are having difficulty, please see the instructor immediately. Waiting until the last minute to discuss concerns or seek additional help is detrimental to you, the student. It is your responsibility to approach the instructor about such matters.  If you have special needs, please see the instructor within the first week of class.  Every effort will be made to accommodate your needs. It is also your responsibility to keep apprised of any assignments, information, or changes to the syllabus that may occur during an absence.

            No incompletes (I) will be awarded as a grade for the course, and no extra credit assignments will be permitted.

Important: This syllabus is subject to change or revision by the Instructor. Any changes and revisions will be communicated orally to students in class.

turned in within the time specified by the instructor. It