Understanding Cultures: Latin America (UCLA)
KTS Telelink Delivery
Dr. Laura Yost
Section #: IN-120T-CRTA3
Meeting Times: MWF 12:00 p.m.- 12:50 p.m.
Meeting Rooms:
Linn Hall 203A (Main Campus) &
County Site Locations (As Applicable)
Instructor Contact Information
Office: 225 Cedar Hall (Main Campus, Cedar Rapids)
Office Hours:
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
Tuesdays
Thursdays
By appointment (as needed)
10 a.m.
11 a.m.
3 p.m.
Phone: 398-5899 (ext. 5984)
Webpage: http://www.kirkwood.edu/faculty/lyost
E-mail: lyost@kirkwood.edu
Due to the increasing amount of unsolicited e-mails and
heightened risk of viruses, all e-mails MUST be written in the
following format (UCLA: whatever you need). Examples –
UCLA: Help, UCLA: Question, UCLA: Student Concern, UCLA:
John Smith. Otherwise, e-mails will be deleted and will NOT be
read! (Accounts not accessed evenings and weekends.)
Your instructor (at a very young age) with her family at Monte
Alban, Mexico. The ruins (Zapotec & later Mixtec) are
famous for the 1932 discovery of a great treasure (with some
of the finest examples of pre-Spanish jewelry), and a handleveled central plaza plateau (300 meters x 200 meters).
Course Description
Credit Hours: 3 credits
Understanding Cultures: Latin America (UCLA) Examines human spatial and cultural
behavior in Latin America by exploring political, economic, religious and social institutions.
Theoretical readings are balanced with case studies to enable students to explore theoretical
perspectives in a cross-cultural context.
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Course Details
Class Session Standard Format:
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the first 5-10 minutes will be used for site microphone checks and class
announcements
the bulk of each meeting (45 minutes) will be for content delivery
the final 5 minutes will be specifically set aside for questions (although
questions are encouraged throughout the course of the class discussion)
Course Materials
Course “Text”: On-line reading source packet (provided via course website)
Miscellaneous Materials:
 At some point during the semester students may be asked to attend ONE film (in
national distribution) or rent ONE video (available at major outlets) in order to
complete an assignment
 Students should purchase, or have ready access to a stapler or paperclips, for
attaching multi-page assignments and work (if multiple pages are NOT joined, 3
points per assignment will be deducted from a student’s and/or group’s final
score)
Course Website: http://www.kirkwood.edu/faculty/lyost. Assignments throughout the
session will be given by the instructor for downloading and/or printing by the student from
this site.
Website Warnings: The site is best viewed using Internet Explorer; if a student has any
problems it is his/her responsibility to contact the instructor (in a timely manner = not half
an hour before class) for assistance. For example, if announced assignments do not appear
on your screen, if you have trouble printing, or if a document will not open, you must let the
instructor know. Not having work completed because of technology complications and/or
problems that the instructor did NOT know about does NOT count as an excuse. The
website is available for student convenience.
Printing Locations: For students who do not have access to a computer and/or printer
via their home, office, or work, the Kirkwood main campus provides facilities in the
following location (for other printing locations, refer to your site coordinator):
 For a complete list of main and off-campus computer labs visit:
 http://www.kirkwood.edu/computerlab
 Allsop Computer Lab (131 Nielsen Hall)
 Open Hours: Monday - Thursday (7:15 a.m.-10 p.m.)
Friday (7:15 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
Saturday (8 a.m.- 2 p.m.)
Sunday ( 3 p.m.- 8 p.m.)
Main campus internet-only computers are available in Linn Hall (second floor),
Greenhouse Café in Linn Hall, Nielsen Hall (all three floors), Jones Hall, and the Iowa
City Credit Center.
 It is a student’s responsibility to print out assignments/required material
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When applicable, options beyond printing include reading the work online and/or taking notes as well as saving the document
Learning Outcomes, Objectives, & Course Competencies
Course Outcomes, Objectives, and Course Competencies
General
 Improve skills through assigned reading and writing work completion
 Develop critical thinking skills through various assessments
 Geographically identify Latin American nations
 List and date the major time periods of Latin American history
 Summarize hallmarks of the major time periods in Latin American history
 Highlight significant historical events, developments, and individuals in the
countries examined
 Understand key cultural elements throughout Latin America
Thematic
 Identify key course themes and sub-themes
 Explain how modern-day developments reflect key themes and sub-themes
 Evaluate modern-day developments using key themes and sub-themes
 Compare and contrast historic with modern-day developments using key themes and
sub-themes
 Critically analyze modern problems in Latin America
 Predict the future course of events in modern Latin America based upon thematic
knowledge gained in class
The learning outcomes, objectives, and competencies associated with given academic units,
their assessments, and reading assignments will be provided by the instructor in a timely
manner via the course website. (The instructor will announce when these are available online.)
Student Success Snapshots!
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UCLA Assignment/Project Assessments & Evaluation
Homework/assignments will either be HANDED OUT by the instructor/site coordinators or
PRINTED OUT by the student. The instructor will announce which type of delivery, as
well as provide the information on-line via the Assignment Calendar.
A student’s grade is based upon:
 Work completed and handed in throughout the term/session
 Assignments done individually or in groups
 Work done both out-of-class and in-class
Expected assessments are as follows:
 Out-of-class Assignments – mostly writing assignments based upon readings
 In-class Assignments – (announced & unannounced) quizzes, film question
responses, summary assignments, chronologies, quizzes, etc.
 Exams & Quizzes –formats to be announced
General Information I:
 Out-of-class homework assignments may be submitted via e-mail (to
lyost@kirkwood.edu) or handed in via site coordinators/campus mail – these are
often date & time stamped
 All out-of-class homework assignments are due by 5 p.m. on the assigned due
date, otherwise they are counted late (refer to Homework Policies & Procedures for
additional information)
 ALWAYS be sure to your NAME appears on ALL assignments! If not, points will be
taken off!
 Always be sure to write your e-mail heading according to class policy (UCLA: X),
otherwise the e-mail will be deleted
 Always be sure to have a back-up of your work – just in case there is a technical
glitch along the way!
 Remember, students are accountable for assigned work. If it is announced, and there
is some technical complication, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor
ASAP and/or before the assignment is due for assistance
General Information II:
 Please be sure to approach the instructor with any questions you have about the
material (confusing statements, unfamiliar vocabulary, etc.). Writing/stating that
you did not understand the material, were confused, or did not understand a
question is not acceptable
 The instructor is here to help you – so please stop by or e-mail any questions
that you have!!!!!!
 Expectations for student work include: following directions; answering the
question; using complete sentences; providing explanations/examples/details from
the reading, film, or other source material; responding in MORE than TWO-THREE
sentences
 Total points possible/assignment will be announced by the instructor and available
on the course website (refer to the Assignment Calendar)
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DO NOT HAND IN SOURCE MATERIAL with your responses! The instructor
knows where your information came from. ONLY hand in your work or that of your
group
For group work, all group members receive the same grade for their effort
For group work, all group work is handed back to the first student listed
For group work, if students who are not in class are listed as having participated in
an assignment, the ENTIRE group will receive a ZERO = this is considered
cheating and puts other groups/students at a disadvantage
Assignments can be hand-written or typed
In addition to being announced in class, homework assignments will be posted
under the Assignment Calendar option of the course website (be sure to refer to
the appropriate course/time section)
Homework Policies & Procedures:
 EACH STUDENT IS ALLOWED THREE LATE ASSIGNMENTS (these must
be handed in to the instructor within TWO WEEKS of the assignment due
date)
 EXAMS are the exception to the late rule; ALL exams must be handed in when
assigned because no LATE exams are accepted!
 All late work BEYOND the allowed THREE assignments will receive a ZERO!
Please keep this in mind because assignments towards the end of the semester are
typically worth more than those at the beginning
 The instructor keeps track of late work via a spreadsheet – it is the student’s
responsibility to remember what work he/she has handed in & when
 Not knowing policies & procedures (included in the syllabus or announced by
the instructor) does not mean an individual is unaccountable to them
Writing Guidelines:
 Expectations for student work include: following directions; answering the
question; using complete sentences; providing explanations/examples/details from
the reading, film, or other source material; responding in MORE than TWO-THREE
sentences
 Assignments that refer to statements made in another source, regardless of type,
need to be accurately cited (in most cases, indicating that the statement is quoted,
is sufficient)
 Written assignments need to demonstrate that a student has read the
material; thus, to do well he/she must be sure to include supporting details
or evidence from the reading
 ONE or TWO sentence answers will NOT receive full credit, and in most cases
will receive no higher than a C-range grade (please approach instructor with
ANY questions you have)
 Be sure to answer a question sufficiently – simply stating “yes” or “no” is not
enough
In-Class Assignments
In-class writing assignments will be given based upon material presented in class
through handouts, videos, movie clips, assigned readings, quizzes, etc.
 These may or may not be announced
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In-class assignments develop a student’s ability to make arguments based on
interpreting facts and context
General Information:
 In-class work means the work MUST be done in-class; students cannot leave
the room to go to the Library or Computer Lab
 In-class work, in the case when it is announced, takes into account student
preparedness. If you are NOT prepared when an in-class assignment is
scheduled, your grade will reflect that! Please come to class prepared
Policies & Procedures:
 STUDENTS CANNOT MAKE UP MISSED IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
 STUDENTS MUST BE IN CLASS TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR INCLASS ASSIGNMENTS (If you miss a class period scheduled for in-class
work and hand in the work at a later time/after-the-fact, you will receive a
ZERO)
 Regardless of the reason for absence, in-class film projects CANNOT be
made up
 In the case of in-class film projects, students CANNOT watch/make-up films
on their own time & hand in their work (this applies to rentals or borrowing
from the instructor); in the past the instructor allowed students to make-up
films in the library but DVDs were NOT returned so this policy was discontinued
 In-class assignments may NOT be announced in all instances
Out-of-Class Assignments
Out-of-class writing assignments will also be given; learning objectives, outcomes, and
directions will be provided by the instructor
Grade Information & Grading Scale
Due to federal privacy regulations, students in face-to-face classes/sections CANNOT
RECEIVE GRADING or ATTENDANCE information via e-mail or the phone. All such
information has to be handled by speaking with the instructor. If you have filled out FERPA
forms that allow your grade information to be discussed without direct contact, please
provide a copy to your instructor. (If you are interested in filling out FERPA forms, visit or
speak with someone in Enrollment Services – 216 Kirkwood Hall, 319-398-5635 OR
Learning Services – 133 Linn Hall, 319-398-5574).
The grading for this class is based strictly upon the percentages listed below; there will be
NO grading on a curve and NO extra credit. All grades will be rounded to the nearest
whole number.
A
AB+
B
BC+
= 93-100%
= 90-92%
= 87-89%
= 83-86%
= 80-82%
= 77-79%
C
CD+
D
DF
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= 73-76%
= 70-72%
= 67-69%
= 63-66%
= 60-62%
= 59% - below
There are three exams for this course scheduled throughout the semester (each of equal
weight). They will be announced by the instructor and posted on the course Homework
Checklist. The format and length of each exam will be announced by the instructor.
POINTS POSSIBLE:
 In-class work (general assignments) = 20 points/assignment
 In-class work (film assignments) = 25 points/film assignment
 Exams (in-class or take-home) = 100 points/exam
 Out-of-class work (general assignments) = 25 points/assignment
All final examinations are scheduled for the LAST CLASS PERIOD MEETING. The final
exam for THIS class is: Monday, May 7th from 12:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.)
 Open note exams require preparation and study; do not expect to do well during
an exam session if you come to class and look up all the answers
 Reading objectives to guide students in their textbook work are available on-line
 Classroom objectives to guide students in reviewing their in-class work are
available on-line
 ALL MISSED SCANTRON-FORMAT EXAMS WILL BE MADE UP AT
THE END OF THE TERM/SESSION (the instructor will announce the make-up
exam schedule during the final week of regular classes)
Attendance
There is no attendance policy for this course. If students do not attend class meetings they
are responsible for getting up to speed concerning missed information by referring to the
course website, speaking with classmates, or contacting the instructor. Not being class for
in-class assignments means those cannot be made up, unless the absence is excused.
 Students are not allowed to bring their children to class – this disrupts the learning
environment for other students
 Scheduled days during the Spring 2006 semester when Understanding Cultures
sections will NOT be meeting: (January 15th, January 16th, February 9th, March 12thMarch 16th) – please note these days may not correspond with the section you are
enrolled in
Absence/Missed Class Policies & Procedures:
 To count as an excused absence, medical absences MUST have a doctor’s note or
other form of verifiable proof from a medical facility/practitioner
 To count as an excused absence, work-related absences MUST have a note from a
supervisor/overseer
 Not being in class when an assignment, project, group work is announced or
explained is NOT an excuse for not handing in work; the student in still responsible
for its completion
 Refer to the Assignment Calendar for information on assignment type, possible
points, due dates, etc. and contact the instructor in case of absences to learn what
was announced, covered in class, etc.
 If a student arrives late to an exam, he/she only has the remaining time
assigned for the completion of the exam (no extensions are given)
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If a student misses an exam, he/she will make it up at the end of the semester during
finals week (this will be announced by the instructor). It is the responsibility of the
student to approach the instructor when he/she has missed an exam
Learning Environment Expectations
Kirkwood Community College is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all
students, faculty, staff, and visitors. There may arise on, on occasion, circumstance in
which a student’s conduct within the college interferes or disrupts effective instruction or
the smooth operation of the college. Such interference must be handled immediately. An
instructor may dismiss a student from class for misconduct . . . If an instructor dismisses a
student from any class, the instructor will notify the appropriate dean in writing of the
problem, the action taken by the instructor and the instructor’s recommendation.
Page 42, “General Student Conduct Policy,” Student Handbook
 If a student disrupts the classroom, he/she will be asked to stop the behavior
 If a student is warned a third time about the behavior, he/she will be asked to leave
the classroom
 The student will then be unable to attend the class until he/she has spoken with the
instructor and the departmental dean about the behavior in question
Productive Classroom Learning Environment
We believe that the best learning takes place in an environment where faculty and students
exhibit trust and mutual respect.
Students promote trust by preparing honest and thoughtful work, and by expecting
evaluation based on performance. Faculty promote trust by setting clear guidelines for
assignments and evaluations, honest feedback, and by assigning bias-free grades.
Students show respect by being prepared and attending class on time, by paying attention,
contributing to discussions, listening respectfully to others’ points of view, meeting
deadlines, and by striving for their best performance. Faculty show respect by their
timeliness and prepared, by taking students seriously, by valuing their goals and aspirations,
and by providing honest feedback.
In a productive learning environment, faculty and students work cooperatively, recognize
and respect differences, model the values of character and citizenship, and become lifelong
learners.
Class Attendance Policy and College Sponsored Events
Class Attendance Policy: Learning is central to our work at Kirkwood Community College.
Faculty design educational experiences to facilitate learning, and students learn by engaging
in those experiences. Attendance and engagement in all scheduled classes is regarded as
integral to learning and is expected of all students.
Kirkwood faculty members identify expectations for learning and attendance in their course
syllabi. Students are accountable for the learning outcomes for each session, including those
sessions that have been missed. Assessments of learning that occur during an absence may
or may not be made up, depending on the policies of the instructor and the nature of the
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absence. Absences that result from participation in college sponsored activities* will be
accommodated, subject to the guidelines listed below. For all other absences, authorization
of an excuse is the province of the individual faculty member and subject to the standard
appeal process.
College Sponsored Activities:
Students involved in activities where they are required to represent the college, i.e. collegesponsored activities, must give written notice to the faculty member at least one week in
advance of the absence unless last minute schedule changes make this notice impossible. If
regular season athletic schedules have been developed, student participants must present
written notice of anticipated absences within the first week of the semester. Failure to
provide timely written notice may result in the loss of this opportunity.
Faculty shall accord students the opportunity to independently make up course work or
work of equal value, for the day(s) the event was scheduled and to take a scheduled exam at
an alternate time. The faculty member shall determine alternate exam times and due dates
for missed coursework. These assigned dates may be prior to the dates of the absence.
Organizers (coaches, faculty and staff) of college sponsored activities shall 1) assist
students in planning class schedules to minimize the number of absences; 2) inform students
of their responsibilities as described above; and 3) provide written communications to
faculty announcing and verifying the need for student class absence. Written notices should
be provided at the beginning of the semester if the schedule is known, or as soon as possible
after the need for a student absence is determined.
* College sponsored activities (excluding practices) include such events as athletic
competitions, student academic competitions and conferences, musical and drama
performances, and class field trips. Questions on whether an activity is a college-sponsored
event for purposes of this policy should be directed to the Vice-President of Instruction. If
anticipated absences for a semester appear to be extraordinarily numerous or difficult to
accommodate, a faculty member may appeal the need for the full accommodation to the VP
of Instruction.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Students with disabilities who need accommodations to achieve course objectives should file
an accommodation application with the Developmental Education Department, Linn Hall
133 as soon as possible.
Plagiarism Policy
According to Webster, to plagiarize is "to steal or pass off the ideas or words of another as
one's own . . . to use created productions without crediting the source . . . to commit literary
theft . . . to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source."
Kirkwood students are responsible for authenticating any assignment submitted to an
instructor. If asked, you must be able to produce proof that the assignment you submit is
actually your own work. Therefore, we recommend that you engage in a verifiable working
process on assignments. Keep copies of all drafts of your work, making photocopies of
research materials, write summaries of research materials, hang onto Writing Center
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receipts, keep logs or journals of your work on assignments and papers, learn to save drafts
or versions of assignments under individual file names on computer or diskette, etc.
The inability to authenticate your work, should an instructor request it, is sufficient grounds
for failing the assignment.
In addition to requiring a student to authenticate his/her work, Kirkwood Community
College instructors may employ various other means of ascertaining authenticity - such as
engaging in Internet searches, creating quizzes based on student work, requiring students to
explain their work and/or process orally, etc.
Plagiarism/Cheating Policy (Supplemental)
Students are allowed to discuss work assigned for individual completion. Work must be in a
student’s OWN words, unless cited properly. However, students are NOT allowed to turn in
work that is the same, copied from another student’s, or highly similar (with some words
changed, sentences rearranged, etc.). ALL forms of this type of work are considered
cheating and will receive a ZERO; they cannot be made up
Kirkwood Cell Phone Policy
In the interests of preserving an effective learning environment, as free of as many
disruptions as possible, all cellular telephones and pagers shall either be turned off or `
placed in a non-audible mode while in the classroom.
 If the exams are in-class, all cell phones MUST be turned off during exams; if
not, that is considered cheating and the student will FAIL the exam = THIS
HAS HAPPENED!
 If there is an emergency situation that requires a cell phone be turned on, you MUST
notify the instructor ahead of time
Drop Date
Students dropping a class during the first two weeks of a term may receive a full or
partial tuition refund. Details of the refund schedule are available from Enrollment Services
in 216 Kirkwood Hall.
 For detailed discussion of drop dates and policies, please read the Kirkwood Student
Handbook.
 The last day to drop this class is Tuesday, April 12th
Resources For Success
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Student Development – 123 Linn Hall, 398-5471
International Resource Center – 134 Linn Hall, 398-5579
Student Advocacy – 123 Linn Hall, 398-5584
Learning Services – 133 Linn Hall, 398-5574
Advising – 139 Linn Hall, 398-5540
Personal Achievement – 133 Linn Hall, 398-5574
Skill Center – 147 Linn Hall
Tutor Program – 133 Linn Hall, 398-5425
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Services to Students with Disabilities – 133 Linn Hall
Returning Adult Students – 398-5578 or 398-5471
Writing Center – 115 Linn Hall, 398-5411 ext. 5055
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