Course Overview

WELCOME TO LATI 180!

COURSE FORMAT

This course will follow a seminar-type format focused on dialogue and engagement with different sources of inspiration from Latin America. Ahead of each meeting, you will be expected to review assigned materials and complete and gather related sources to bring to class to share. Meetings will be hybrid in person and online synchronous via zoom. In place of formal lectures, we will collectively build a study guide from assigned materials and workshop ideas for applying course concepts into real-world scenarios for your class projects.

Please note: There are some asynchronous activities integrated into the course; however, fully remote asynchronous attendance - meaning regularly watching recordings in place of attending class (in person or synchronously via zoom) - is not advised. Please contact me directly if due to extraneous circumstances you are unable to regularly attend scheduled class meetings to ensure you understand criteria and guidelines ahead of submitting any graded assignments.

Please follow the steps below to orient yourself with this course.

Step 1: Read the Course Syllabus carefully

The syllabus is broken up into three separate documents outlining 1) Course Requirements, 2) Course Policies, and 3) Course Schedule (for a .PDF of combined documents, see "Syllabus" link in menu bar). The documents include course objectives, explanations of assignments and assessment breakdown, grading policies, and instructor contact information.

We will have time to go over any questions regarding the course format and requirements during our first meeting. However, we plan on spend most of our time jumping into course themes and getting to know each other. Please download the syllabus and read over it carefully before our first meeting.

Step 2: Get Familiar With Navigating Canvas Modules

All assigned materials are available open-access along with guidelines on corresponding dates on Canvas modules. Make sure to review tabs ahead of time and allocate 1-2 hours reviewing assigned materials for each meeting to get the most out of our class discussions.

Weekly Workflow: Module "User Guide"

Assigned Materials (due before scheduled class meetings)

This class includes a wide range of sources for you to consider the complexities of reparations across a variety of very different contexts, including academic texts, documentaries, podcasts, human rights reports, and blogs, among others. During the first few weeks, we’ll cover a lot of material to give an overview of key themes in reparations politics. This will help you identify topics for deeper exploration on your own for class assignments. All assigned materials are listed in the Course Schedule and available on the corresponding tabs on Canvas Modules.

Some helpful things to keep in mind:

No prior knowledge of historical background in Latin America or reparations is required. We’ll provide context as needed.
You don’t need to memorize details but should engage with the material, letting it challenge your thinking and raise questions for class discussions.
Guidelines will help focus on possible connections across the different materials (as well as help mitigate your workload by highlighting relevant segments and where you might briefly skim to get some general ideas).
Plan to review the materials before scheduled meetings and come with ideas or questions to share.

Note: Assigned materials are “homework,” meaning you should plan to dedicate an average 1.5 hours outside of class, before scheduled meetings. Review corresponding sessions materials tabs ahead of time to plan ahead.

Weekly Portfolio - Document Participation & Attendance (submitted by the end of each week)

Your ability to contribute to our learning community requires regular class attendance and active participation and is therefore a critical component of the class. Your participation grade will largely be determined by your portfolio entries. This is not an assignment but rather an “in-class” activity to document your work and generate reflection.

Portfolios offer a system of accountability while also allowing for a fair and uniform system to accommodate for different needs throughout the term. Portfolios are confidential and meant to generate reflection and dialogue in class -- you are encouraged but not required to share your ideas in class to receive a participation grade.

You will have two portfolio prompts due each week:*

Portfolio – _Part 1: Given in class (or corresponding with asynchronous activities - planned on Weeks 2,4,6 & 8). Note asynchronous activities will correspond with Tuesday’s meetings on Canvas modules but may be completed any time before Thursday’s meetings.
Portfolio – _Part 2: given during class. This is a short free write activity (5-6 mins.) to connect materials and generate dialogue.

At the end of each week, you will be responsible for combining Portfolio Part 1 and Portfolio Part 2 and uploading them to canvas to document your attendance and participation for the week. Think of portfolios as (extremely) low stakes quizzes, with Thursday class discussions serving as a space to share reflections (as well as an immediate answer key) to elaborate for graded assignments.

*“Make-up attendance”: All meetings will be recorded. If, due to extraneous circumstances, you are unable to attend a scheduled meeting, you may complete an in-class portfolio entry as you watch the recording of the meeting. All other asynchronous portfolios can be completed any time before the end of the week the activity was assigned.

Class Project - Memory & Reparations Exhibit

Over the quarter, you will research and analyze a reparations-related topic, focusing on a real-world case study of your choice (from any context, including local or outside Latin America). Your individual work will include curating at least one artifact—with a caption and artist statement—grounded in research that combines a mix of different types of sources: background/tertiary, primary (e.g., testimonies, archival materials), and scholarly frameworks.

You will develop the project over incremental stages:

Stage 1. Project Planning: Entails a short summary synthesizing sources to contextualize reparations efforts and identify key issues, submitted via a planning worksheet that includes additional sections to identify different types of sources (primary, scholarly, etc.) for further research and analysis.
Stage 2. Research & Analysis: Your research and analysis will be submitted as a structured annotated bibliography, divided into separate sections following different types of sources that will inform your exhibit.
Stage 3. Conceptualization: Building on your research, you will elaborate a “Reparations Dossier” to document your research and planning for your individual submission to your exhibition hall. It is both a record of your individual research process and a space to refine ideas as you finalize the project.
Stage 4. Exhibit Curation: While your research and artifact will be completed individually, you will also work in groups todesign and curate a shared exhibition hall (in-person or virtual). Group work will center on developing a thematic framework—visual, written, audio, conceptual, timeline, etc.—that orients visitors, draws connections across pieces, and invites critical reflection on reparations.
Stage 5. Outreach & Public Engagement: For your final project, you will choose between creating educational programming or an outreach product to complement your exhibit. This product should reflect your chosen purpose and audience and have the aim of fostering reflection, dialogue, and action.

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Step 3. Review Resources for Support and Learning

There are a variety of resources available to students at UC San Diego, which are designed to address needs and enhance the student experience (Please see separate tab on "Getting Started" Module to learn about different services and programs available to you and/or feel free to reach out to us at anytime for resources and support).

Step 4: Get in Touch with Questions or Concerns

Maintain an open line of communication: If you are experiencing difficulties with course materials or completing the assignments, please be in touch with the instructor. If you need special accommodations, please contact the OSD office with the relevant medical information to obtain said accommodations. If you are experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression, please take breaks but also do not wait to the last day of classes to let us know that you need help (see late policy at bottom of Course Policies document for guidelines for requesting an extension).

I am here to support all students to ensure a positive and transformative learning experience. In order to do so, I need to know about any specific issues or barriers you are facing.

For any personal questions or concerns whatsoever, please feel free to visit me during office hours or schedule an appointment.
- I will be holding regular office hours in person on Thursdays from 12:30-1:30pm and virtually Wednesdays 10am-11pm (or by appointment arranged via email at akennemore@ucsd.edu).
- Please sign-up for office hours 24-hours ahead of time to reserve a spot: https://calendly.com/akennemore-ucsd

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