Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Culture and History of Spain (Face-to-Face)

SPAN 3510-01

Course: SPAN 3510-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: FLPH
CRN: 30726

Course Description

This course gives an overview of the historical and cultural development of Spain. Students will study important moments, figures, periods, and movements from the pre-historical period through the twentieth century. Prerequisite(s): SPAN 2020 or SPAN 3000 or SPAN 3210 or SPAN 3212 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C-.

Required Texts

- España y su civilización, 6a edición. Ugarte, Ugarte, McNerney   [Text available via Canvas Inclusive Access]

Learning Outcomes

  • Via historical/cultural readings and assignments, students will demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of the historical characteristics and influences that inform modern-day Spanish culture. 

  • Via historical/cultural readings and assignments, students will demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of the origin and development of complex ideologies that have led to various civil conflicts and wars throughout the history of Spain. 

  • Via historical/cultural readings and assignments, students will demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of the geography, languages, cultures, and political structures that inform modern-day Spanish society. 

  • Via historical/cultural readings and assignments, students will improve their vocabulary, pronunciation, and written and oral Spanish language proficiency through the study of new cultural concepts and important artistic figures. 

Course Requirements

Throughout the semester, students are responsible for completing the following assignments:

1. Written Exams      30%   

2. Daily Homework   25%

3. Quizzes                20%     

4. Participation         15%    

5. Oral Exam            10%
 

Written Exams: On Exams 1 and 2  there will be multiple choice, identifications, short answers, sentence completion, etc. The information will come from daily readings, assignments, lecture, in-class discussions, and video/audio resources. One week before an exam, students will receive a study guide that will outline the material to be covered and the exam format. 
 
Daily Homework: For each class, there will be a reading assignment with corresponding questions to answer and submit via Canvas. Daily reading assignments must be submitted by 1:59pm - one minute before the class starts - on the day they are due. Reading assignments are submitted just before the class in which the content will be discussed so that students can fully engage in classroom discussion and offer informed perspectives on the topic of the day. If an assignment is not submitted on time, it will result in a zero for that assignment.

Quizzes: There will be short quizzes that will cover the material from the readings, in-class discussions, lecture, etc. There are two types of quizzes: 1) Reading Quizzes - these will be given randomly with no indication of when. This type of quiz simply ensures that students are reading, comprehending, and keeping up with the assigned material. They usually are comprised of 5 questions (fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, sentence completion, etc.). 2) General Quizzes - these are planned quizzes that students will know about at least one week ahead of time. There will be a minimum of 5 quizzes total. If a student is not present the day of a reading or general quiz and does not present an official letter excusing their absence, it will result in a zero.

Participation: You are expected to participate actively and consistently in the course all semester. You can earn a good participation grade by actively engaging with your professor, conversing in Spanish with your classmate(s) during group work, asking and answering relevant questions related to the course content, and actively participating during general class discussions. Students will complete a self-evaluation of their participation both at midterm and at the end of the semester.

Oral Exam: The Oral Exam will be conducted at the end of the semester. You will receive the topic and all possible questions ahead of time in order to practice. The topic will come from the final unit of study and will center on the historical and cultural significance of a world-famous Spanish painting. Students will complete the oral exam with a partner but will be graded individually.

Course Outline

The course will be divided thematically and chronologically beginning with the pre-historical period through the twentieth century. Each chapter will belong to one of four units:

Introducción: España y las Españas: Diversidad geográfica y cultural + Organización del Estado 

Unit 1: La prehistoria hasta la Edad Media 
  • Ch. 1: España desde sus orígenes hasta la Reconquista 
  • Ch. 3: El arte prehistórico, la arquitectura y la escultura

Unit 2: El Siglo de Oro
  • Ch. 4: La España Imperial de los siglos XVI y XVII
  • Ch. 7: Artistas y músicos del Siglo de Oro 

Unit 3: Siglos de luces y reformas: XVIII y XIX
  • Ch. 8: La España de los Borbones: siglos XVIII y XIX
  • Ch. 10: Pintura y música de los siglos XVIII y XIX

Unit 4: Siglo XX
  • Ch. 11: Desde Alfonso XIII hasta Francisco Franco 
  • Documentary: The Dictator's Playbook (Francisco Franco) 
  • Ch. 13: Arte y música del siglo XX 
  • Ch. 14: Del franquismo a la democracia 

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all class sessions and actively participate in all hours of language instruction. You must be exposed to Spanish and use Spanish in order to learn the language. For that reason, attendance will be taken on a daily basis. You are allowed THREE unexcused absences during the entire semester with no effect to your overall average. Additional absences (beyond three) are considered excessive and will be penalized by deducting 1% point per additional absence from your final grade. For example, if you finish the course with a 90% but have missed class 4 times, your final grade will be 89%. Note: while the first three absences may not affect your overall average, they can still have a negative impact on your participation grade.

Three late arrivals and/or early departures from class will be counted as one absence. While I do not require documentation to excuse the first three absences, I do ask for formal documentation if, due to your absence, you have missed an assignment deadline.

Furthermore, there is a category dedicated to regular attendance and punctuality on the participation grade. 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

All assignments must be submitted by the day and time indicated. No assignments will be accepted after the due date and time without a formal written excuse (ex: a health emergency, accommodations through the Disability Resource Center, etc.). If you are planning to miss a day of class for whatever reason, please make arrangements to submit all necessary assignments ahead of schedule if, due to your planned absence, you will be unable to submit on the actual due date.

If you have a family, medical, or personal emergency that makes completing an assignment by the due date and time impossible, please be sure to reach out to me via email as soon as you are able. 

Use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Translation Tools

The use of AI (ex: ChatGPT and others) and translation tools and services is strictly prohibited in this class. Any assignment submission deemed unacceptable due to the use of these tools will result in a zero with NO opportunity for resubmission. All work assigned in this course is appropriate for the 3000-level. As such, all assignments must be the student's own work without ANY help from these tools. 

Grading Scale

The following grading scale will be used for posting final grades:

 A   93-100
 A-  90-92
 B+ 87-89
 B   83-86
 B-  80-82
 C+ 77-79
 C   73-76
 C-  70-72
 D+ 67-69
 D   63-66
 D-  60-62
 F    59 and below

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.