Instructor: Reynaldo Ortíz-Minaya, Ph.D.
Email: r.ortiz-minaya@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Class Meets: Tues & Thurs 11am-12.15pm
General Note
If at any time during the course, you feel overwhelmed or you feel like you do not understand what we are doing in class, please come and see me as soon as possible. If you are unhappy with your grades, I would be happy to talk with you about what you need to do to improve your grade. However, my office hours are not a time for you to try to negotiate grades that have already been assigned. This is unfair to other students. If an illness prevents you from attending class, I encourage you to obtain notes from another student in the class. I also encourage you to contact me as soon as you can to learn of any updates in the course.
Course Bulletin Description:
"Examine critical research issues in Puerto Rican and Latinx studies. Introduce students to a variety of ways of thinking about “knowledge" and to specific ways of knowing and making arguments in Puerto Rican and Latinx studies using key humanistic, social science, and "interdisciplinary methodologies."
Course Description
How do we study U.S. Latino and Caribbean populations and cultures? Some read literature, watch a film, read a history book… and others conduct interviews, do field work to identify and describe social and cultural practices, or collect oral histories and traditions. Are you interested in learning how to use different sources and methods to learn more about ethnic communities in the United States? What is the contribution of ethnic studies to our knowledge about migrant and underrepresented populations and their cultural manifestations? This class is a basic introduction to cultural and social science research methods with a focus on Caribbean and Latino Studies. Course includes library workshops, and class visits by professors and students who will discuss how they use different methods in their research and teaching.
Furthermore, the course will introduce you to the research process, including how researchers select topics, formulate research questions, design research, and analyze and interpret data. It will explore differences in how these issues present themselves and are addressed in designs that are quantitative, qualitative or both.
Objectives of this course:
Learning Objectives:
Attendance/Participation (20% of Final Grade)
Participation grades are based on qualitative assessment of YOUR contribution to class discussions. You are expected to come to class having already read assigned course materials for that week and demonstrate familiarity with assigned readings and critical thinking ability. You will also have several opportunities to participate in other ways, such as through Blackboard. I also reserve the right to give any number of pop quizzes throughout the semester. These will be factored into your participation grade. You should have nothing to fear if you come to class prepared on a regular basis.
Class Participation
Please come to class prepared to participate in informed discussion of assigned readings and to engage actively in the in-class activities designed to help you apply what we are learning to a research project of interest to you. You will also be assigned to an on-call group which will be responsible for re-calling and discussing a particular reading. The reading for which your group is responsible will be listed on the syllabus and the day that reading is covered will be posted on blackboard. On those days, please come prepared for me to “call on” you to discuss the reading.
Expectations regarding work outside the classroom
This course is a 4-credit course, which means that in addition to the scheduled meeting times, students are expected to do at least 12-13 hours of course-related work outside of class each week during the semester. This includes time spent completing assigned readings and studying related tasks.
The Brooklyn College Center for Student Disability Services is back to working in-person on campus, though you can still reach out via email and phone. Please email them at testingcsds@brooklyn.cuny.edu for assistance.
Location: 138 Roosevelt Hall
Phone: 718.951.5538
FAX: 718.951.4442
Department Office Hours:
Note: Office hours during summer and winter intersession breaks varies.
Students should inform the professor if they have a disability or any other situation that may require Section 504/ADA accommodations. The faculty and staff will attempt to work out whatever arrangements are necessary.
Please provide your professor with your course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with your professor as soon as possible to ensure accommodations are met in a timely fashion.
In order to receive academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or who suspect that they might have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell or the Assistant Director, Josephine Patterson or their general email testingcsds@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Center for Student Disability Services (CSDS) Mission:
It is the mission of the Center for Student Disability Services (CSDS) to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to all campus facilities, curricula, and activities. The program’s objective focuses on providing students with reasonable disability-related accommodations and the opportunity to maximize their academic success at Brooklyn College. The goal is to ensure an inclusive environment while maintaining and enhancing the college’s academic excellence by providing students with disabilities the opportunity to achieve their highest possible academic potential.
Academic dishonesty of any type, including cheating and plagiarism, is unacceptable at Brooklyn College. Cheating is any misrepresentation in academic work. Plagiarism is the representation of another person’s work, words, or ideas as your own. Students should consult the Brooklyn College Student Handbook for a fuller, more specific discussion of related academic integrity standards.
Academic dishonesty is punishable by failure of the “…test, examination, term paper or other assignment on which cheating occurred” (Faculty Council, May 18, 1954).
In addition, disciplinary proceedings in cases of academic dishonesty may result in penalties of admonition, warning, censure, disciplinary probation, restitution, suspension, expulsion, complaint to civil authorities, or ejection (Adopted by Policy Council, May 8, 1991).
NOTE: If you have a question about how to cite correctly ask your teacher BEFORE submitting your work.
Numerical grade | Letter Grade |
---|---|
97-100 | A+ |
93-96 | A |
90-92 | A- |
87-89 | B+ |
83-86 | B |
80-82 | B- |
77-79 | C+ |
73-76 | C |
70-72 | C- |
67-69 | D+ |
63-66 | D |
60-62 | D- |
Below 60 | F |
To access some items you need to use your CUNYFirst login and others you will need to enter a password given to you by your professor.
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If an item has no icon, then you don't need to do anything to access it.
Off-campus access. Use your CUNYfirst Username and Password to log in (same credentials for logging into Blackboard).
Password protected item. You will be prompted to enter the password given to you by your Professor.
Open Access item. Free to use, no need to create an account to access.
Internet Archive Item. Need to create a free Internet Archive account to access items fully.
Items located on the NYTimes site, access with free CUNY account.
Items located on Wall Street Journal site, access with free CUNY account.
Need assistance with off-campus access? Go to the library's Library Remote Access page for assistance and instructions.
The Brooklyn College Library's electronic resources (e.g. journals, ebooks, databases, etc.) are available to registered students, faculty, and staff when off-campus, including while abroad.
IMPORTANT:
All CUNY members have free access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
NY Times: Anyone who initiates an account will have an active subscription for one year from the date she/he creates the account. If you already have an annual subscription to the NYTimes, you can cancel it and will receive a refund. However, if you only have a monthly subscription, the New York Times will not issue a refund for that month.
Newspaper Icons
Items located on the NYTimes site, access with free CUNY account.
Items located on Wall Street Journal site, access with free CUNY account.