First-year and sophomore students may begin with any of six core courses listed below. Students need not take two of the core courses consecutively during the same academic year. Students who need to fulfill the language requirement for the concentration should begin their study of Spanish in the first two years at Kenyon.
Students are required to take five courses which focus on Latino/a culture and society, outside of the language requirement. Courses should be chosen from at least two different departments. These courses should be chosen from the list of courses approved by the Latino/a Studies program committee and may include up to two relevant courses taken in study abroad programs.
Two courses must be chosen from the following:
Core Coursework
Three courses must be in related areas of study within American studies, English, history, MLL, psychology, sociology, women's and gender studies, or other programs and departments that offer courses about the histories and cultures of Latino/a communities, depending on the course offerings in any given academic year.
Related Areas Coursework:
One course must be an advanced seminar.
Seminar Coursework:
At least one year of study in Spanish language is required. Currently, this requirement can be met by taking the two-semester sequence of Spanish at Kenyon (SPAN 111Y-112Y). The equivalent of one year of approved college-level language instruction in Spanish at another accredited academic institution will also meet the requirement, as will some intensive summer programs, or a semester of language study abroad when paired with language immersion. In the case of transfer students, credit will be accepted for a year of Spanish language study with a grade of C+ or better pursued at another institution. If the student tests out of the College language requirement, the program committee will waive the language requirement. Students in the concentration are encouraged to continue language study for more than one year.
A minimum of 20 hours of service learning experience is required.
Three core courses will offer the service learning component of the concentration, and each will require at least 10 hours of service learning.
This community-based learning experience must be within a Latino/a community and must be arranged in consultation with the faculty using service learning. At least one course with service will occur once a year. Each faculty member will provide a set of guidelines with descriptions and expectations for both students and service providers.
Off-campus study in a Spanish-speaking country is not required, but it is highly recommended. Students should consult with the Latino/a Studies faculty and the director of the Center for Global Engagement for the numerous opportunities available to Kenyon students to study abroad. Students are encouraged to attend study abroad programs in countries representing most critically the U.S. Latino population including, but not limited to, Mexico and Central America, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Cuba. The Earlham Border Studies program also is recommended.