Department of Modern and Classical Languages

Spring 2009

SPANISH 223

Department of Modern and Classical Languages

Wichita State University

Catalogue Description: General education further study course. Intensive reading of Latin-American and Spanish literary works. Also includes outside readings and reports. Course may be used to meet the LAS literature requirement.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 210 or three units of high school Spanish or departmental consent. You may find it helpful to have taken SPAN 220 and SPAN 225 before beginning this class.

Textbook: Jarvis, Lebredo, Mena-Ayllón. Aventuras literarias. 6th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.

Course Requirements / Policies

Attendance Policy: Consistent attendance is vital in a language class. Not only will you miss the day’s lecture (and possible exam questions), but you will also lose the opportunity to participate, which will be reflected in your participation grade. Please do NOT contact me if you are absent to see if anything important was done. I consider all of my classes to be important. I do not keep track of “excused” or “unexcused” absences so please use your absences wisely. The norm is that students should not be absent for more classes than the credit hours or the class (3 class periods = 3 credit hours). You should of course communicate with me if there are unusual circumstances in your life.

Missed assignments / tests: All assigned homework should be done before class in order to prepare for class activities. All work is due on time and there are NO make-ups for homework or quizzes. If you anticipate an absence, you may make arrangements to turn in materials before you leave (via email or leave written work in the MCLL office, Jardine 305). Each student will be given one “pass” that may be used for a homework assignment or a quiz. If you use this pass then you will receive full credit on the assignment. Please note that only one pass may be used per semester (i.e. no sharing). If you do not have any missing assignments then you may replace your lowest quiz/homework grade with the pass. You MUST turn in your pass in order for the grade to be registered in Blackboard.

Exam make-ups will be given on an emergency basis only at my discretion. Please make a copy of your assignment before you turn it in (or save to disk/etc.). It is also advisable to keep ALL copies of graded and returned assignments. Accidents / human error do occasional occur and this will be your only recourse if you believe an assignment has been “lost.”

Blackboard: I will use Blackboard throughout the semester for posting assignments/announcements, sending emails, posting grades, etc. The default email address for Blackboard is your Wichita State email (though you may change this). It is your responsibility to make sure the emails are forwarded to an account you actively use. If you are having trouble with technical issues, you may contact the computer helpdesk at 978.4357. Questions concerning Blackboard should be directed to: blackboard.help@ wichita.edu or call 978.7777.

The final grade will be distributed as follows:

Quizzes/Homework 15% Literary analysis 10%

Participation 10% Exams (2) 40%

Ensayo 5% Final Exam 20%

Final grade scale:

A = 90-100% B = 80-89%

C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = below 60%

Grade Components

·  Quizzes/Homework: I will periodically collect the daily homework assignments – typically at least once per week, but it is not limited to once per week. These homework checks, as well as the quizzes, will be unannounced. If you anticipate an absence then you may turn in the homework in advance (via email, the MCLL office, etc.) in case I do take the work up. There are no make-ups on homework or quizzes, but you do have a “pass” for one assignment.

·  Exams: Exams may include sections from the following components: identification of literary terms, identification of citations (from literary texts studied in class), short essay questions (paragraphs) and poetry analysis. The final exam is cumulative.

·  Participation: Students will receive two participation grades during the semester (one at midterm and one at the end of the semester). This grade will be based on the student's active participation in class. Shy people may need to work extra hard at this. Please do not confuse participation with attendance. While it is impossible to participate if you are absent, it is possible to attend class and not participate. See Blackboard for a description of participation grades.

·  Ensayo: Short essay. Grading criteria and assignment information will be posted in Blackboard.

·  Literary Analysis: Grading criteria and assignment information will be posted in Blackboard.

Department/University Policies

·  Academic Honesty: You are expected to prepare your assignments without any outside help (unless otherwise indicated by the instructor). Thus, you may not receive assistance from friends or family that may be native speakers and/or Spanish students on graded assignments. Likewise, receiving or giving aid during an exam or quiz will be considered a case of academic dishonesty. The first instance of any type of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade for the particular assignment (“0”) and a letter may be sent to the Chair of MCLL and/or the Dean’s office. Any subsequent issues will result in a failing grade for the course as well as a notification to the Dean.

·  Students with Disabilities: If you have any disability that may impact your ability to carry out assigned course work, please contact the Office of Disability Services (DS). DS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate for you. All information and documentation of your disability is confidential and will not be released by DS without your written permission. Any accommodations given in the classroom must originate from the DS office.