Copying other student's work in any way, cheating on exams or any assignments, and any other form of academic dishonesty, no matter how minute or extensive, will result in an automatic grade of "F" for the course and automatic referral to the Dean's office for possible disciplinary action by the university.
The Caribbean is one of the most beautiful and interesting areas in the world due to its extraordinary history involving the clash of worlds after the conquest by Europe. Comprising of hundreds of islands big and small the area shares a common history within empire and slavery unique to Latin America. Today the area is one of the primary tourist destinations in the world because of its natural beauty and nearly perfect climate although most tourists do not know or understand the area's rich history and traditions. To understand and fully appreciate the Caribbean we will survey the cultural, social, economic, and political history of the islands of the Caribbean basin including the circum-Caribbean. We will pay particular attention to Cuba and the Cuban revolution as well as to United States influence in the area in the Twentieth Century. We will use a variety of documents in addition to the texts below to enhance our learning of the area.
1. COURSE-SPECIFIC:
The Caribbean was the location of the first encounter, conquest, and colonization of Native American peoples by Europeans after 1492. After the annihilation of native populations, however, Europeans began an extraordinary slave trade the reults of which later came to define Caribbean society. After the United States and Brazil, the Caribbean is the largest center of slavery in the new world. In later centuries the Caribbean became a center of bitter rivalries between European imperial powers and ultimately the "American Lake" of the United States. The Caribbean's strategic location in relation to Atlantic Ocean trade routes, and its tropical climate and fertile soils were key factors in shaping these imperial rivalries and the colonial and postcolonial societies that emerged in the region. The vast experience of African slavery, the later "indentured" migration of hundreds of thousands of Asians to some colonies, and the migration of similar numbers of Europeans (especially to the Hispanic Caribbean), have shaped deeply yet unevenly the nature of Caribbean societies since the sixteenth century, giving the Caribbean a complex multi-ethnic yet also heavily "Western" multi-cultural landscape.2. HUMANITIES BASE-SPECIFIC:
· Students will begin to develop and formulate their own conception of what it means to be human.
· Students will understand how the humanities disciplines ultimately constitute an integrated pursuit of the same goals.
· Faculty and students will form a community of learners through the examination of selected texts and common themes.
· Students will develop a more critical understanding of Western culture and will be introduced to the richness of non-Western civilizations.
· Students will develop general level competencies in reading, writing, and information literacy in conjunction with the Competency Program.
1. GENERAL:
Reading all the assignments by the beginning of the assigned week,
regular attendance to lectures, three document reviews, a term paper
project, a midterm exam, and a comprehensive final exam. All
students are strongly
encouraged to ask questions throughout the lectures, and ACTIVELY
PARTICIPATE
IN DISCUSSION--DISCUSSION participation is worth 10% of the final grade
which WILL often make the difference between one grade and another.
Due dates are cast in stone! There will be no make up exams and late assignments, including assignments not turned in at the beginning of class the day they are due because of absence, will not be accepted resulting in a failing grade for that assignment/exam. Only in the case of extreme family or personal emergency, with prior discussion and a written doctor's letter, will I even begin to consider a deviation from this policy.
2. ATTENDANCE:
Students are required to attend classes regularly and not miss more
than THREE classes during the semester. Please remember
that
the lectures, discussion, and the readings are the core of this course.
Every two class periods missed after the first THREE,
for
example absences five and six, will result in an automatic full
grade
reduction for the final grade. THE MAXIMUM THREE
MISSED CLASSES INCLUDES ANY AND ALL REASONS INCLUDING SICK DAYS,
PERSONAL
DAYS, HOSPITALIZATION, TRAVEL, ETC. DO NOT CALL ME TO TELL ME
YOU ARE SICK BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MATTER. Only in the case
of extreme personal emergency, with prior notification,
discussion,
and a written doctor's letter, will I even begin to consider a
deviation
from this policy. In 99% of cases, however, I will not deviate
from
this policy.
3. CLASS EVALUATION:
DISCUSSION/DOCUMENT REVIEWS 10% ( 50 points)
TERM PAPER
PROJECT
20%
(100
points)
MIDTERM
EXAM
30%
(200
points)
FINAL
EXAM
40%
(150
points)
_________________________________________________
TOTAL
100%
(500
points)
The grading scale is:
| A | Excellent | 93-100% |
| A- | 90-92% | |
| B+ | 87-89% | |
| B | Good | 83-86% |
| B- | 80-82% | |
| C+ | 77-79% | |
| C | Fair | 73-76% |
| C- | 70-72% | |
| D | Poor/Passing | 60-69% |
| F | Failing | less than 59% |
STUDENT PROGRESS WILL BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION!
4. TERM PAPER PROJECT:
Each student will write a 12 to 15 page research paper focusing on
some important aspect of the History of the Caribbean through a
concrete
historical analysis.
MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW
An alternative to the traditional research paper is to take the research paper and make it into a WEBPAGE PRESENTATION FOR EXTRA CREDIT. See the section in my webpage entitled STUDENT WEB PROJECTS for examples.