Instructor: Jason R. Suarez
Email: jrsuarez@pipeline.sbcc.edu
Contacts and Communications
Hello, my name is Jason Suárez and I am excited to be your instructor this semester in History
133: The History of Latin America. There are three ways you can contact me this semester
should you have any questions about the course.
- First, you contact me via email (jrsuarez@pipeline.sbcc.edu) or Canvas. Your communication is extremely important to me so I will do my best to reply within 24 hours. To ensure that I see your message among my email, please use the class name and number HIST 133 in your subject line.
- Second, you can visit me during my virtual office hours which in essence are an online synchronous (live and real time) conference. This link will be made available in Canvas.
- Third, you can schedule an appointment via email for a virtual office meeting.
For those enrolled in this course outside of the state of California please be aware of time zone differences.
Course Description
This course examines the evolution of Latin America, from the origin of indigenous cultures to
the present. This evolution is analyzed from a cultural, political, economic and diplomatic perspective.
Required Books/Materials
There are no required textbooks or materials for this course. All the reading content and materials
will be provided to you through the Canvas course site.
Course Format
This course is conducted in an asynchronous online learning environment for 16 weeks. To
access the course content students must have the following.
- Regular access to the Internet and a computer (either a PC with Windows and a Pentium processor or a Macintosh with at least system 9.0)
- A recent version of a web browser such as Microsoft Explorer, Opera, Firefox or Chrome.
- An Internet Service Provider (dial up access will not be sufficient for online courses).
- An email address (SBCC provides an email address for all students).
- PDF reader software such as Adobe Reader. You can download a free version of this program at https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/acrobat/pdf-reader.html.
- Computer literacy and experience with computer communication is recommended
- Access to Microsoft Word. You can download a free Microsoft Word compatibleprogram by visiting http://www.openoffice.org.
Student Learning Outcomes
Every course that is taught at a Community College has student learning outcomes (SLOs) and all
instructors are required to review the courses SLOs with their students. First, let us define what an
SLO is.
| “Learning Outcomes are the goals that describe how a student will be different because of a learning experience. More specifically, learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that students take with them from a learning experience.” – Lind Suskie (2009) |
Upon completion of History 133: The History of Latin America, students will be able to
- Incorporate evidence derived from primary and secondary sources to support a thesis.
- Evaluate historical evidence for bias and for relevance to major historical issues and
controversies. - Identify change over time, cross-cultural connections and links between past and present
in Latin American civilization from pre-History to the present.
Course Objectives
- Identify and discuss key names and concepts in Latin American history.
- Locate and discuss key geographical sites in Latin American history.
- Analyze causes and effects of key historical events in Latin American history.
- Analyze and criticize/defend positions taken by authors, writers and others in Latin
American history. - Analyze the relationship between past historical events and current events in Latin
American history
Canvas
Canvas is the Course Management System (CMS) used in this online course and supported by the Distance Education Office at Santa Barbara City College. Make sure your Canvas login works. Do not panic if you do not see class content immediately as I will not publish it until the first day of class. Please be aware that having the correct Canvas username and password is what’s important at this point. The Distance Education Office has made the following resource available to you if you are new to Canvas.
Canvas Help Website
Assessment Measures
Assessment measures are used to determine what a student has learned during and after a course is completed. Student acquisition of knowledge in History 133 will be assessed in four ways:
- Midterm/Final Essays (60% of the grade): Writing an effective college level essay requires that students have knowledge of the subject matter and that students have the ability to organize that knowledge into a coherent set of arguments. An effective essay has a clear introduction, a solid body of evidence and argumentation, and a firm conclusion based on what was written. To ensure that you are exposed to wide range of assessment measures, students enrolled in History 133 will complete two essay in which major social, economic, political and cultural patterns will be reconstructed through the analysis and evaluation of historical sources.
- Quizzes (20% of the grade): Students will complete online quizzes in which historical periods, themes, and ideas will be analyzed and evaluated to determine the accuracy of their presentation.
- Discussion Board Posts (20% of the grade): Creating a community of learners through academic and social involvement in the classroom encourages students to be active participants in the learning process and promotes their persistence in the pursuit of their educational goals, whether it be completing a certificate program, attaining an Associate of Arts/Science degree, or transferring to a four-year institution. To emphasize this aspect of your academic training, students will collaboratively address a variety of historical questions through a discussion board format.
No Make-up Exams/Activities
Under no circumstances except for a documented medical reason will make-up exams/activities
be administered.
Student Grade Record
All assessments are graded on the 100% scale. Please be sure to retain all materials returned. The
following is the course grade distribution.
| A = 4.0 | 90-100% |
| B = 3.0 | 80-89% |
| C = 2.0 | 70-79% |
| D = 1.0 | 60-69% |
| F = 0 | 59% and below |
Course Inactivity
If you have become inactive in the course this means you have stopped attending History 133. Inactive means that you are missing assignment deadlines, or you are not logging into Canvas regularly. Keep in mind that your online presence, participation, and assignments are indicators of your attendance in this course. If you do not plan on completing the History 133, be sure to drop the class before the deadline. It is a student’s responsibility to do so if course completion is not intended.
Online Rules of Conduct
It is important to recognize that the online classroom is in fact a classroom, and certain behaviors are expected when you communicate with both your peers and your instructor. For general communication be
sure to implement the following guidelines:
- Use your SBCC email account.
- Treat your instructor and classmates with respect in email or any other communication.
- All college level communication should have correct spelling and grammar (this includes
discussion boards). - Use standard fonts such as Ariel, Calibri or Times new Roman and use a size 10 or 12 pt. font
- Avoid using the caps lock feature AS IT CAN BE INTERPRETTED AS YELLING.
- Be careful with personal information (both yours and other’s).
- Do not send confidential information via e-mail.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is of the utmost importance in this class. Presenting another person’s work as your own, what academics call “plagiarism,” is a serious breach of academic integrity regardless of your intentions or the severity of the case. This can include:
- Turning in someone else’s work as your own.
- Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit.
- Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks.
- Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation.
- Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
- Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work,
whether you give credit or not. - Cutting and pasting directly from Artificial Intelligence without paraphrasing and citing the content. Note: Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E are gaining interest among students for brainstorming, problem-solving, and creative engagement. While they can support your work, they’re not a substitute for working directly with your instructor. If you plan to use AI tools for an assignment, please contact me ahead of the deadline so we can discuss what’s appropriate.
For more information see https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism and the Standards of Student Conduct: https://catalog.sbcc.edu/student-responsibilities/
Student Resources
Your success is the number one priority at Santa Barbara City College. College resources to help you succeed include computer loan programs, tutoring, student health, and services for designated groups, such as veterans and students with disabilities. Most if not all of these resources can be accessed virtually. For a comprehensive list of Academic Resources and Support Programs, visit: https://catalog.sbcc.edu/student-support-services/
Disability Accommodations
Disability Services and Programs for Students (DSPS) coordinates all academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities at Santa Barbara City College. If you have or think you might have a disability that impacts your educational experience in this class, contact DSPS to determine your eligibility for accommodations. DSPS can be reached by phone or email. The phone number is 805-
730-4164 or send email to dspshelp@sbcc.edu.
If you have already registered with DSPS, please submit your accommodation requests via the ‘DSPS Online Services Student Portal’ as soon as possible. This needs to be done each semester. If you have any questions or concerns about your accommodations, make an appointment with a DSPS Counselor. Please complete this process in a timely manner to allow adequate time to provide accommodations.
Title IX Reporting Obligation
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination—including sexual violence—in educational programs and activities. We are committed to helping you attain your educational goals free of harassment and discrimination. You should know that faculty members have certain obligations under the federal law. If you reveal gender-based or sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking or intimate partner violence to any instructor, we are required by law to report the problem. However, psychologists are not required to report your incident. To speak confidentially with a psychologist, contact the Student and Wellness Services (https://www.sbcc.edu/healthservices/)
Proposed Topics and Readings
The instructor reserves the right to alter or deviate from the proposed topics and reading schedule. Students will be notified in advance should changes be made. The most current schedule will always be available on Canvas. Check Canvas regularly for specific due dates.
