Program Syllabi - Crossing Borders: Gender and Social Change in Mesoamerica
All students are required to register for at least three courses, although most students take four. A "full load" is four courses. Each course is worth four semester credits.
Students are free to choose from the following courses. The POL/WST 359 course “Women, Gender, and Social Change” is a core course required for all students. You must request special permission from the Academic Director if you do not wish to take it.
- Women, Gender, and Social Change in Latin America (Political Science/Women's Studies 359)
- Latin American Liberation Theologies (Religion/Women's Studies 366)
- Internship (Business, Environmental Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Marketing, Political Science, Spanish, or Women's Studies 399)
- Independent Study (Business, Environmental Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Marketing, Political Science, Spanish, or Women's Studies 499)
- Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning II (Religion 200)
- Lifetime Activity: Latin Dance (Health and Physical Education 002)
SPANISH COURSES
Choose one to three of 17 different Spanish course options from beginning-advanced levels, including specialized topics such as literature, the arts, women's studies, Spanish for Heritage speakers, Spanish for business, etc. (See Spanish course options)
The Center for Global Education contracts its language instruction out to the Universal Center for Language and Social Communication in Cuernavaca. Universal is a highly respected institution among the many language schools in Cuernavaca. The school's primary focus is on oral competency and on having a solid grammatical base. Classes are small, usually ranging from two to no more than six students. For more information, see the Universal website.
The CGE Faculty Liaison maintains close contact with the Academic Director of Universal in order to monitor the progress of the students, integrate themes from the semester program into the students' Spanish classes, and provide support where needed.
Spanish Class Schedule
The first (or only) Spanish course that students take is taught for three hours a day (8:00-10:50am), five days per week (Monday-Friday) for four weeks during the beginning of the semester (Weeks 2-5).
Students who choose to take a second Spanish course will begin that second course during Week 6 and will have classes for three hours a day (8:00-10:50am), three days per week (Mon, Wed., and Fri.) for six weeks during the beginning of the semester (Weeks 6-11). Students who choose not to take a second Spanish course may complete an independent study or apply for an internship.
Pre-Test & Post-Test for Assessment Purposes
All students will take a written & oral pre-test at Universal during their first week in Cuernavaca and will then take an ungraded post-test at the end of the semester in order to assess their improvement. The pre-test will not serve as a placement exam but rather as an assessment measure and a way for the Spanish instructors to determine students' strengths and weaknesses. That information will then be used to: 1) tailor some of the class sessions to address problem areas, 2) recommend special tutoring for students who are behind others in the class; and 3) divide the group into smaller classes or sub-groups when there are several students registered for the same course.
Beginning Spanish I (SPA 111)
Beginning Spanish II (SPA 112)
Intermediate Spanish I (SPA 211)
Intermediate Spanish II (SPA 212)
Pre-Columbian, Colonial, & Contemporary Mexican Art (SPA/ART 231)
Topics: Spanish for Health Care Professionals (SPA 295A)
Topics: Spanish for Heritage Speakers (SPA 295F)
Topics: Spanish for Ministry (SPA 295G)
Conversation and Composition (SPA 311)
Conversations in Cultural Context (SPA 316)
Latin American Civilization and Culture (SPA 332)
Latin American Literature - 20th Century Voices (SPA 356)
Advanced Conversation and Composition (SPA 411)
Topics: Contemporary Mexican Literature (SPA 495D)
Topics in Business Spanish (SPA 495E)
Topics: Spanish for Heritage Speakers (SPA 495F)
Topics: Spanish for Ministry (SPA 495G)
Topics: Contemporary Latin American Women: Texts & Voices (SPA 495H)
