Africana Studies August 18, 2025 Welcome Note Hello Students, Welcome to our Fall Semester 2025 AFRS 2000: Introduction to Africana Studies ONLINE course. As you already know, our online class starts this Monday, August 25, 2025. To familiarize yourself ahead of beginning of classes with the Canvas course shell, menu, syllabus and other learning tools, I will activate the course shell and menu on Canvas this Friday, August 23. Before Monday, however, I would like you to acquaint yourself with some basic information on the nature and structure of this course. As you may be aware, learning online is different from face-toface classroom experience, but it is only “different” and convenient and not necessarily better or worse. Yet, study has shown that online courses result in the overall intellectual growth of learners, writers, and researchers through embedded group discussion, critical thinking, and intense analysis. I hope that this is the type of outcome you expect from this course as well. Before we get started this Monday, please note the following very carefully: Although the course shell and menu will be published soon, Lecture Modules and Content for the First Week will be activated on Canvas along with other related information on Monday, August 25, 2025. While course syllabus will always be available on Canvas, course Modules and lecture outlines and prompts will be activated on a Weekly basis and will remain activated throughout the semester. Please note that all instructions for Quizzes, Group Discussions, Exams, Papers, and other Assignments can be found in COURSE DOCUMENTS menu under the banner on the Course Home page. Note that I will only be using your BGSU email account to communicate with you. If you have any concerns about this, you may want to contact the Technology Support Center (TSC) staff (129 Hayes Hall, phone -419-372-0999, tsc@bgsu.edu) to request if they would forward your BGSU mail to your preferred email address. Non-receipt of my group emails to the entire class via your BGSU email address will NOT be accepted as a valid excuse for late submission or completion of any assignment. Except for the required textbook, which you MUST purchase prior to the beginning of class, this course is “self- contained” online, meaning that everything needed for the course will happen within Canvas platform. You will discuss readings, respond to questions, take quizzes, Africana Studies 132 Shatzel Hall Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0237 Phone: (419) 372-7814 Fax: (419) 372-2571 www.bgsu.edu/departments/africana complete quizzes and exams, and virtual office hours totally online. Please contact the campus Verba platform ahead of time for information on your required textbook for this course. You need the latest version of this textbook latest by the end of the First Week of classes! As an online course, there will be no face-to-face on-campus meetings or office hours although we can hold virtual office hours “by appointment” only (meaning, I can schedule to be available for an online chat or e-mail exchange if you wish to communicate “real time”). Throughout the duration of the course, I will try to respond to your email messages within 24 hours. If you do not hear from me within that time, please resend your message. Phone call to my office will not be advisable since it may take longer for me to return your calls than email. You need to have access to Microsoft Office on your PC or MAC since all word- processing for the course needs to be done in MS Word format. You must have a High-Speed (cable or DSL) internet connection in every computer you intend to use for this course to avoid serious “freeze up” or connection issues with the canvas especially when doing tests. Required Class Text: • Azevedo, Mario. Africana Studies: A Survey of Africa and the African Diaspora, (Fourth Edition), Carolina Academic Press, Durham, 2019) ISBN: 978-1594607325 *Textbook will be supplemented with other readings and videos to be determined and provided by the instructor I look forward to a productive and rewarding Africana studies experience with you this fall. Stay safe Sincerely, Dr Apollos O. Nwauwa Professor of History & Africana Studies (Recipient of Professor of Service Excellence Award, 2023) Africana Studies 132 Shatzel Hall Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0237 Phone: (419) 372-7814 Fax: (419) 372-2571 www.bgsu.edu/departments/africana
