Evaluation of the Program of Comparative Literature ... · Evaluation of the Program of Comparative...

Evaluation of the Program of Comparative Literature Bachelor’s Degree and Curricular Sequence

University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez Faculty of Arts and Sciences Department of Humanities

Evaluation Committee: Dr. Ana Kothe Dr. Roberta Orlandini Dr. Christopher Powers Dr. Lissette Rolón Collazo Dr. Beatriz Llenín Figueroa Nicole Talavera Arboniés (estudiante) Department Chair: Dr. Héctor Huyke Program Coordinator: Dr. Ana Kothe

Date Submitted to Department of Humanities: October 17, 2016

Evaluation of the Program of Comparative Literature 2010-2015

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Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Description of the Program .............................................................................................. 31.2 Synthesis of Goals and Objectives of the Program .......................................................... 41.2 General Description of the Process of Evaluation of the Program .................................. 41.3 Noteworthy Results of the Process ................................................................................... 51.4 Recommendations for Program Improvement ................................................................. 7

1.4.1 Current and Projected State of the Program ............................................................. 71.4.2 Proposed Actions ...................................................................................................... 7

2. Mission, Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................ 82.1.1 Administration of the Program ..................................................................................... 8

2.1.2. Mission ...................................................................................................................... 92.1.3 Goals ......................................................................................................................... 92.1.4 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 9

2.2 Alignment of the Goals and Objectives of the Program of with those of the UPRM ...... 92.3 Relation of Goals and Objectives with Student Learning .............................................. 11

3. Necessity and Justification of the Program ...................................................................... 113.1 Evidence that the Program Satisfies the Identified Needs ............................................. 113.2 Needs and Expectations that Justify the Continuation of the Program .......................... 12

4. Pertinence of the Program ................................................................................................. 144.1 Valuable Characteristics of the Program ........................................................................ 144.2 Impact of the Program on other Programs and Departments ......................................... 154.3 Relation with other Programs in the Discipline with the Program under Evaluation .... 154.4 Evidence of Interest in the Program on the Part of Groups or Agencies ....................... 164.5 Tendencies of Registration, Applicants and Inhabitation of the Program ..................... 16

5. Curriculum .......................................................................................................................... 165.1 Relation of the Curriculum to the Development of Student Outcomes ......................... 165.2 Amplitude, Profundity and Level of the Discipline ....................................................... 185.3 Syllabi in the Format of Certificación 130 ..................................................................... 195.4 Courses Incorporated, Modified or Eliminated .............................................................. 195.5 Modernization of Course Content ................................................................................. 195.6 Relation between Course Offerings and Student Needs ............................................... 195.7 Completion of the Program in the Allotted Time .......................................................... 195.8 Courses not offered in the Past Five Years .................................................................... 225.9 Synchronization and Modernization of the Course Descriptions ................................... 225.10 Percentage of Students who Complete Curriculum in the Allotted Time .................. 225.11 Effectiveness of Teaching Methods ........................................................................... 235.12 Complementary Activities Undertaken to Strengthen the Program ........................... 235.13 Curricular Changes ..................................................................................................... 23

6. Assessment of Results ......................................................................................................... 246.1 Structures, Processes and Strategies to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Program ...... 246.2 Results of Assessment .................................................................................................... 246.3 Curricular or “Instructional” Changes Based on the Results ......................................... 24

7. Students ................................................................................................................................ 25


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7.1 Effectiveness in Recruiting, Attracting and Retaining a Diverse and Qualified Student Population ...................................................................................................................... 257.2 Socio-demographic and Academic Profile of the Registered Students .......................... 277.3 Comparison of the Quantity of Registered Students with the Projected Registration ... 307.4 Comparison of the Demand for the Program with the Allotted Registration ................. 307.5 Rate of Passing Grades for Core and Major Courses of the Program ............................ 307.6 Comparison of the Quantity of Degrees Conferred with the Projected Quantity of Degrees .......................................................................................................................... 327.7 Graduation Rate of Students Admitted to the Program Graduating from High Schools 337.8 Rates of Persistence of the Students in the Program ...................................................... 337.9 Data that Provide Evidences of the Success of Graduates from the Program ................ 34

8. Faculty ............................................................................................................................... 358.1 Quality of the Faculty ..................................................................................................... 358.2 Non-Teaching Related Academic Contributions of the Faculty .................................... 36

9. Services and Administrative Support Personnel and Academic Counseling ............. 3710. Resources for Student Learning and Information ........................................................ 3811. Publicity and Service ....................................................................................................... 3912. Effectiveness and Operation of the Program ................................................................ 4013. Fiscal Aspects ................................................................................................................... 4114. Materials, Laboratories and Auxiliary Equipment ...................................................... 4115. Strengths and Limitations ............................................................................................... 4116. Development Plan ............................................................................................................ 42

16.1 Areas needing Attention ............................................................................................. 4216.2 Strategies and Activities to Carry Out ........................................................................ 4216.3 Resources .................................................................................................................... 4316.4 Means of Success ........................................................................................................ 4316.5 Date to Complete the Plan .......................................................................................... 43

17. Final Observations ........................................................................................................... 43


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I. Executive Summary

This report describes, examines, evaluates, critically assesses and justifies the Program of Comparative Literature, one of five academic programs in the Department of Humanities, which provides an invaluable service to the UPRM in offering an education in the liberal arts, the cornerstone of higher education since its foundations. The Comparative Literature Program offers a bachelor’s degree (BA) in comparative literature and provides courses in literature, cultural studies, and literary and cultural theories to all students. Its faculty includes specialists in diverse languages, local and global regions, genres, periods of world literature, and other cultural manifestations. Despite their diversity, the faculty shares a common concern for literary and cultural analysis as well as theoretical interpretation in several languages and across multiple media (i.e. written, audiovisual, oral, or digital). The BA’s course of study prepares majors with a thorough background in the major texts of the literary tradition and beyond. Furthermore, it promotes an extensive understanding of traditional and innovative critical and theoretical approaches. In addition to offering the BA, the program offers the Curricular Sequence in Comparative Literature that students from any major can complete to supplement and complement their major course of study. Moreover, 5000-level courses taught by our faculty serve graduate programs in the Spanish and English departments, as well as advanced bachelor's degree students. Undergraduate students with other majors can enrich their studies through the electives offered every semester in our program. Its administration is headed by the Department Chair (Dr. Héctor Huyke) and the Program Coordinator (Dr. Ana Kothe). The members of the program include four tenured faculty members and one-full time temporary faculty member: Dr. Ana Kothe, Dr. Lissette Rolón, Dr. Roberta Orlandini, Dr. Christopher Powers and Dr. Beatriz Llenín Figueroa. 1.1 Description of the Program The Program of Comparative Literature has as its object of study and teaching the diverse manifestations of literary creation and other cultural texts from varied traditions around the world. The program emphasizes a comparative point of view, whereby cultural texts are analyzed comparatively amongst themselves within a given language or across different languages, as well as within a given genre and medium or across different genres and media. It dedicates special attention to theoretical and philosophical postulates about literature and culture and their reflection in various literary works, as well as to the mutual relations between distinct literary texts and their socio-historical contexts. Comparative literature studies the sources and influences of literary texts (the philology of literature), the parallels between literary expressions of different styles and epochs (the study of genres and periods) and the critical analysis of literary texts (literary interpretation) and their relation to other cultural texts (cultural studies). The Program of Comparative Literature serves a unique function within the disciplinary offering of the UPRM, providing its students with a thorough grounding in a field of established and increasing importance within the liberal arts curricula in the global academy. The Program is the


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only space wherein students may explore the rich literary and cultural production of global cultures across languages and develop the important methodological skills of comparison, interpretation and critical analysis as well as a theoretical and aesthetic-philosophical approach to literature and culture. The knowledges developed and transmitted in the Program contribute uniquely to the critical thinking, advanced writing and composition skills and ethics essential to the desired outcomes of a university graduate, future contributor to society at large, and an active citizen of an increasingly complex global scenario. The course of study of the Program consists of 137 credits: 39 credits of major-area, core and elective courses; 36 of faculty requirements; 18 non-major area; 12 each of recommended and free electives. The curriculum is described in Section 5 and in the attached course of study sheet. 1.2 Synthesis of Goals and Objectives of the Program The Program of Comparative Literature has as its mission to offer a solid academic foundation in both the traditional and the most recent disciplinary articulations of comparative literature; to disseminate the skills of comparison, investigation, and literary and critical creation; to promote a commitment to social betterment and cultural diversity; and to foster the ethical conduct that promotes individual and collective well-being. To complete the program of study, each student must demonstrate a general knowledge of the field of comparative literature and the skills and talents it engenders: the capacity for critical reasoning and analysis and effective oral, written and advanced research skills; the ability for theoretical and applied interdisciplinary, comparative analysis in multiple languages; an appreciation for literary creation; an appreciation for cultural diversity, engagement with humanity’s well-being and the continuous development of ethical conduct; and a commitment to professional improvement and a preparation for graduate studies. Furthermore, the concrete outcomes graduating students of the Program are trained in include: to recognize, explicate and judge the literary canon, its contributions and limitations, as well as its exclusions; to identify, discuss and apply literary and non-literary theories used for comparative analyses; to plan, write and edit critical essays applying research skills and knowledge acquired; to organize and formulate oral presentations that analyze the material being studied as well as put into practice knowledge of technological resources; to compare and choose critical approaches for the design of a researched study in the field of Comparative Literature; to command a third language other than Spanish and English; and, to apply the critical, analytical communication skills and ethical judgment acquired in the Program to other contexts, disciplines and professions. 1.2 General Description of the Process of Evaluation of the Program The process of evaluating the program included the analysis of data regarding registration, retention, persistence, transfers and other relevant institutional data; of evaluations of students and professors; and of structures of teaching and administration. Most of the data was provided by the OIIP Office of Institutional Research and Planning. The composition of the evaluation was undertaken by the Coordinator and another member of the Program with the revision and


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input of the rest of the faculty and one student, all of whom examined the report and whose comments were integrated into the final version of this Program evaluation. The report was submitted to the Director of the Department of Humanities on October 17, 2016. 1.3 Noteworthy Results of the Process The following data demonstrate important aspects of the Program, all of which have improved markedly for the 2010-2015 period:

• 11% increase in average enrollment compared with previous five-year period • Increase of 18.5% in retention rate compared with previous five-year period • Increase of 16% in 2nd to 3rd year persistence rate compared with previous five-year

period • Increase of 7% in 4th year persistence rate compared with previous five-year period • 200% increase in average number of degrees conferred compared with previous period

measured • General GPA increase of .25 points compared with previous five-year period • Increase of .22 points high school GPA compared with previous five-year period • 2010-2015 average major GPA 3.74 • 2010-2015 average general GPA 3.55 • 2010-2015 average of 14.66 credits enrolled with 89.6 approved • 2010-2015 average retention rate is 90.5% • 2010-2015 average “On Time” graduation rate is 76.67% • 2010-2015 average program completion time at 146% (5.85 years) • Currently 47 students enrolled (36 major, 11 curricular sequence) • Graduates continue to enter top-level graduate programs in the United States and Puerto

Rico and in professions in the areas of law, education, cultural work and translation. As the statistics cited above indicate, over the past five years the Program has improved in all important areas related to growth and performance: academic performance, enrollment, graduation and retention. The process of evaluation has been important in identifying some of the reasons for this success in maintaining a higher average number of students in the Program, in improving retention and persistence, as well as the overall academic quality of students from the incoming cohorts to the major and general GPA’s of graduating students. We attribute the success in maintaining a higher average number of students to the Program, in part, to the continuation of recruitment strategies implemented since 2005. But more saliently, the profile of the program and its accomplishments, detailed in the report below, attract students of an extraordinary potential, who are mentored and counseled throughout their studies and who in turn contribute to the Program in a dynamic and dialogical interaction. The increase in enrollment is due primarily consistently larger entering first-year cohorts. It is also due in part to a greater awareness of the Program as an option attractive to students interested in Comparative Literature who may be unsatisfied with their first degree program choice and choose to transfer to the Comparative Literature Program. Furthermore, the yearly offering of a 3000-level, entry-level course, open to freshmen, “Literary Appreciation,” may have begun to also help in attracting interested transfer students to the Program at an earlier point in their university career.


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The overall increase in retention and persistence can be tied to the overall progress in academic quality of the students as such as well as to the continuous improvement of teaching, based in turn on the continuous improvement, experience and intellectual maturation of the faculty. One important factor to be emphasized is the personalized counseling, mentoring, involvement and coordination professors in the Program provide for students. Furthermore, several students have been research assistants (for Profs. Rolón and Powers), which has been connected to improved retention rates. This data-driven observation and measurement of student outcomes in this report has confirmed that the curricular design and changes introduced over the current and previous five-year periods have been successful and should be continued. The evaluation process has further underscored the continued outstanding achievement of the Program’s faculty in research, administration and cultural promotion at the level of both the Department and the University. The five members of the Program have played an active role in the administration of the Department, in cultural promotion and in an important University of Puerto Rico-wide initiative, the Colectivo Universitario para el Acceso, an action-Research Project to improve access and success in the UPR for public-housing students and other marginalized population in Puerto Rico. The faculty has been noteworthy in its research contributions to the field of Comparative Literature, maintaining an active agenda of publications and presentations in academic forums in Puerto Rico and beyond. Faculty in the Program have also had notable success in obtaining grants from prominent sources of external funding, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Fundación Carvajal, and the Fundación del Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. The combined intellectual productivity of the Program’s faculty members augments its academic profile, provides evidence of its role as a cutting-edge center of the most advanced academic research and investigation, procures resources for research and investigation in the humanities, and positions it to be able to teach the most current materials, methodologies, and knowledges in the field to the students in the classroom, and to contribute generally to the profession and add prestige to the University. The necessity for the creation of an additional tenure-track, full-time teaching position for the teaching of the courses in the curriculum has been asserted amongst members of the Program, since the one faculty-member under temporary contract has been teaching a full time load for seven semesters in order to cover the demand. This situation is in part due to the fact that each professor in the Program is also employed to teach other courses offered by the Department of Humanities, in the form of the course Introduction to Western Culture (HUMA 3111-3112) or language courses, aside from considerable investigation and administration commitments. Finally, according to the information available, the Program’s graduates over the last several years have entered advanced graduate degree Programs at renowned universities such as Notre Dame University, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Pennsylvania, the University of Illinois, as well as graduate programs in the UPR system and others in Puerto Rico. Several students have completed or are completing law degrees and have become lawyers. Others have worked in translation at firms such as Berlitz, while others have created and undertaken independent editorial projects; have been involved in the entertainment industry; have spearheaded an agro-ecological project; have published books of poetry, and have become writers and poets of renown inside and outside of Puerto Rico.


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1.4 Recommendations for Program Improvement

1.4.1 Current and Projected State of the Program

The Program of Comparative Literature at UPRM provides undergraduate students an excellent preparation in the discipline of Comparative Literature, as described above. It trains some of the best students at the UPRM and prepares them for advanced graduate studies. It teaches unique and important skills and knowledges unavailable in other programs in the UPR system. The Program’s faculty represent diverse areas of expertise, which allows the Program to offer a broad variety of electives to undergraduate and graduate students from many disciplines and colleges of the UPRM. The faculty are also extremely active in contributing to the UPRM, UPR and general academic community in research, academic innovation, administration, cultural promotion, and graduate program service. The Program’s alumni have consistently entered advanced graduate degree programs at renowned universities in the United States and Puerto Rico, or have pursued careers in professions such as law, education, culture and social service. Aside from maintaining a high academic performance, undergraduates in the progam have undertaken extracurricular achievements such as participating in conferences, serving as research assitants, studying abroad and participating in internships. The enrollment, retention, persistence, graduation and academic performance rates have all increased in the current five-year period compared to the previous five-year period. Enrollment in the Curricular Sequence has risen to 11 students and is expected to remain at approximately this level. The increases in academic performance, retention, persistence and graduation rates are expected to maintain themselves in the next five-year period. 1.4.2 Proposed Actions The Program should maintain the best practices and continuous improvement that have allowed it to thrive. These include the measures taken to improve recruitment, the ongoing review of curriculum and the modification of courses, the continuation of the personalized and institutionalized process of advisement in preparation for application to graduate programs, and the continued active involvement in research and administration on the part of the faculty. The Program should continue to emphasize the total preparation of the student to successfully complete the Program’s degree requirements, but also to be a competitive young scholar prepared for achievement in post-bachelor higher education. The necessity of creating an additional tenure-track, full-time teaching position should be asserted. Thus, among the proposed actions are:

• continue the recruitment process of entering majors; • continue the process of personalized advisement for existing majors and participants of

Comparative Literature Sequence; • continue the preparation for application to graduate studies in Comparative Literature for

exiting majors, and other related careers; • continue to offer the course “Literary Appreciation” as an entry-level option open to first-

year students annually; • undertake further promotion of the Curricular Sequence in Comparative Literature;


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• maintain more data about students, including entrance and exit interviews; and • assert the necessity of the creation of additional full-time tenure-track teaching position

2. Mission, Goals and Objectives 2.1 Program Data Program Title: Bachillerato de Artes en Literatura Comparada Authorized Degrees: Bachillerato de Artes en Literatura Comparada Commencement Date: 1968 Duration: Four years Authorizations and licencia: N/A Accreditations: N/A 2.1.1 Administration of the Program The Program of Comparative Literature is administered in conjunction by the Coordinator of the Program, the faculty members of Program of Comparative Literature and the Chair of the Department of Humanities. The administration of the program is displayed in the following organizational chart:


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2.1.2. Mission The Comparative Literature Program has as its mission to:

1. offer a solid academic foundation in the traditional studies of the field as well as in its most recent analytical innovations;

2. cultivate the skills of critical thinking, comparative analysis, investigation, and literary creation;

3. promote advanced interdisciplinary research in the field and prepare students for graduate study in multiple fields;

4. enable the integration of community work and appreciation for social and cultural diversity with the realization of the curriculum; and,

5. stimulate an ethical conduct that promotes individual and collective well-being. 2.1.3 Goals To complete the program of study each student must demonstrate:

1. a Bachelor’s-level knowledge of literary tradition and the field of comparative literature; 2. the capacity for critical reasoning and analysis, as well as effective oral, written and

advanced research skills; 3. the ability for theoretical and applied interdisciplinary, comparative analysis in multiple

languages; 4. an appreciation for literary creation; 5. an appreciation for cultural diversity, engagement with humanity’s well-being and the

continuous development of ethical conduct; and, 6. a commitment to professional improvement and a preparation for graduate studies.

2.1.4 Objectives Students of Comparative Literature will be able to:

1. recognize, explicate and judge the literary canon, its contributions and limitations, as well as its exclusions;

2. identify, discuss and apply literary and non-literary theories used for comparative analyses;

3. plan, write and edit critical essays applying research skills and knowledge acquired; 4. organize and formulate oral presentations that analyze the material being studied as well

as put into practice knowledge of technological resources; 5. compare and choose critical and theoretical approaches for the design of a research

project in the field of Comparative Literature; 6. command a third language other than Spanish and English; and, 7. apply the critical, analytical communication skills and ethical judgment acquired in the

program to other contexts, disciplines and professions. 2.2 Alignment of the Goals and Objectives of the Program with those of the UPRM


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The mission, goals and objectives of the Program of Comparative Literature are aligned with those of the UPRM. See Tables 1 and 2 below. Alignment of the Goals of the Program of Comparative Literature with the Mission of the UPRM:

UPRM Mission* Program Goals (See above) 1 2 3 4 5 6

1. develop educated citizens X X X X X X 2. develop cultivated citizens X X X X X X 3. develop capable citizens X X X X X X 4. develop critically thinking citizens X X X X X X 5. contribute to the educational, cultural, social, technological and economic

development of Puerto Rico X X X X X X

6. perform creative activities to meet society’s needs X X X X X X 7. perform research to meet society’s needs X X X X X X 8. perform service to meet society’s needs X X X X X X 9. provide students with skills and sensitivity to resolve problems X X X X X X 10. exemplify the values and attitudes that should prevail in a democratic society

that treasures and respects diversity. X X X X X X

*UPRM Mission “To provide excellent service to Puerto Rico and to the world: Forming educated, cultivated, capable, critical thinking citizens professionally prepared in the fields of agricultural sciences, engineering, arts, sciences, and business administration so they may contribute to the educational, cultural, social, technological and economic development. Performing creative work, research and service to meet society’s needs and to make available the results of these activities. We provide our students with the skills and sensitivity needed to effectively resolve problems and to exemplify the values and attitudes that should prevail in a democratic society that treasures and respects diversity.” (Strategic Plan 2012-2022 UPR-Mayaguez, p. 2) Alignment of the Objectives of the Program of Comparative Literature with those of the UPRM:

UPRM Graduate Profile* Comparative Literature Objectives (see above)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1. communicate effectively X X X X X X X 2. identify and resolve problems, think critically and synthesize the knowledge

of his or her discipline X X X X X X X

3. apply skills of mathematical reasoning, research methods and tools of information technology X X X X X X X

4. apply ethical standards X X X X X X X 5. recognize Puerto Rican heritage and interpret contemporary problems X X X X X X X 6. appreciate the essential values of a democratic society X X X X X X X 7. operate in a global context, relate to the social context and demonstrate

respect for other cultures X X X X X X X

8. develop an appreciation for arts and humanities X X X X X X X 9. recognize to the necessity to involve oneself in continuous learning X X X X X X X


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*UPRM Graduate Profile By graduation the student will be able to:

1. communicate effectively 2. identify and resolve problems, think critically and synthesize the knowledge of his or her

discipline 3. apply skills of mathematical reasoning, research methods and tools of information technology 4. apply ethical standards 5. recognize Puerto Rican heritage and interpret contemporary problems 6. appreciate the essential values of a democratic society 7. operate in a global context, relate to the social context and demonstrate respect for other cultures 8. develop an appreciation for arts and humanities 9. recognize to the necessity to involve oneself in continuous learning

2.3 Relation of Goals and Objectives with Student Learning The goals and objectives presented above were approved by the Program and the Department in the process of evaluation and assessment that began in the 2015-16 academic year. The experience of the Program has amply proven the applicability and currency of the current goals and objectives and reinforced their conformity to those of the Department of Humanities and the UPRM. The objectives of the attached syllabi of all the courses offered by the Program are further evidence of its alignment with its mission, goals and objectives. Data about grades, retention, persistence and graduation in the following sections provide still further relevant information. 3. Necessity and Justification of the Program

3.1 Evidence that the Program Satisfies the Identified Needs

The courses offered by the Program of Comparative Literature serve, per semester, approximately 200 students from the UPRM. Over the last ten years a range of 25 to 47 students have been enrolled in the BA degree program and curricular sequence. The Program fulfills a unique function in providing courses for the major in Comparative Literature, many of which are also available as elective options for students from the UPRM community in general. Students outside of the major who take classes in Comparative Literature, are enriched with a humanistic perspective that especially improves their critical thinking, written and oral presentation skills and ethics, thus providing an important complement to the scientific, engineering, agricultural science or other learning acquired in many elective students’ primary fields of study. In this way, the course offerings of the Department are useful not only for major students in a unique area – many of whom are very advanced students in the UPRM who enter cutting-edge, competitive degree programs at the graduate level–, but also to the UPRM student community at large. A further aspect of the curricular offering of the Comparative Literature Program is the 5000 graduate level course taught every semester, without which graduate students from the Graduate Program in Hispanic Studies could not complete their degree requirements. The faculty of the


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Program in Comparative Literature is uniquely prepared to offer this course, which complements the curriculum of the Hispanic Studies Department. Demand for the courses offered by the Program of Comparative Literature amply indicates that they serve the needs of students enrolled as majors in the Program, students in the Curricular Sequence, and students from other majors who choose them as electives. Furthermore, the courses offered by the Program serve special and irreducible needs in providing the only electives that provide content in comparative literary studies, an area that goes beyond the linguistically and/or national literature-based, specialized courses in literature offered by the English and Hispanic Studies Departments. The increased average enrollment and retention in the Program, both in the BA and the Curricular Sequence are in and of themselves indication of the demand for the BA and the Curricular Sequence in Comparative Literature. It is evident that a consistent population of students will continue to enroll in the Program due to its service in providing a quality education in an area of appeal for cultural enrichment and the attainment of crucial skills of critical thinking, written and oral expression, and ethics.

3.2 Needs and Expectations that Justify the Continuation of the Program The evidence that the expectations for the Program justify its continuation is amply demonstrated in the steady enrollment in the Program, the improving rates of retention and persistence, the statistics regarding grade point average, time of study and graduation that indicate academic excellence and the post-graduation success of the graduates. There are at present 47 students affiliated with the Program, 36 students pursuing the bachelor’s degree and 11 students in the Curricular Sequence. On average over the past five years, there have been 35 students in the bachelor’s degree program, an increase of 11 percent over the average of 31 for the previous five years. Other relevant data discussed in the following sections include:

• 11% increase in average enrollment compared with previous five-year period • increase of 18.5% in retention rate compared with previous five-year period • increase of 16% in 2nd to 3rd year persistence rate compared with previous five-year

period • increase of 7% in 4th year persistence rate compared with previous five-year period • 200% increase in average number of degrees conferred compared with previous period

measured • 2010-2015 average retention rate is 90.5% • 2010-2015 average “On Time” graduation rate is 76.67%

The following chart contains information regarding the historical demand for the major Program for the last ten years with details about transfers to the Program.

Añoacadémico Nuevoingreso

Matriculados Gradosconferidos

Ganadosentraslados

Perdidosentraslados

Ganancianeta

2005-2006 6 25 4 3 0 3

2006-2007 6 25 7 2 1 1

2007-2008 5 25 1 8 1 7

2008-2009 3 37 3 3 1 2


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2009-2010 9 41 2 2 1 1

2010-2011 10 40 12 4 4 0

2011-2012 8 34 2 4 2 2

2012-2013 4 33 4 4 3 1

2013-2014 3 29 6 3 2 1

2014-2015 7 29 6 4 3 1

2015-2016 10 36 -- -- -- --

While the OIIP does not have information that details numbers of students in the Curricular Sequence, a roster from the Registrar’s office indicates that the current number of students enrolled in this minor degree-like service that the Program provides is 11 (see appendix 4). Furthermore, the chart below indicates visually the steady progress and improvement in the rates of retention and persistence of students in the Program.

And the same chart with data labels is provided here for convenience:


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The steady and increasing enrollment, as well as the increasing rates of retention, persistence and graduation, justify not only the continuation of the Program, but also indicate its capacity to open more sections of 3000 level core courses and popular elective courses. The high quality and post-graduation achievements of the Program’s graduates is further testimony to its continued justification as part of the UPR system’s program offerings. Graduates continue to enter top-level graduate programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as professions in the areas of law, education, cultural work and translation. According to the information available, students who have graduated from the Program in the past five years have entered advanced graduate degree Programs at renowned universities such as Notre Dame University, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Pennsylvania, the University of Illinois, as well as graduate programs in the UPR system and others in Puerto Rico. Several students have completed or are completing law degrees and have become lawyers. Others have worked in translation at firms such as Berlitz, while others have created and undertaken independent editorial projects; have been involved in the entertainment industry; have spearheaded an agro-ecological project; have published books of poetry, and have become writers and poets of renown inside and outside of Puerto Rico

4. Pertinence of the Program 4.1 Valuable Characteristics of the Program The course offerings provided by the Program of Comparative Literature train students in skills irreplaceable for an education in the humanities: critical thinking, writing and compositional skills, wide-ranging cultural literacy and ethical behavior. They provide the only training in comparative literary and cultural interpretation at the UPRM, and the only consolidated program of training and preparation with specialized, individual attention to the Comparative Literature student in the region. They furthermore foment the critical application of foreign language skills and the broad, comparative view of human cultures that the UPRM goal of promoting a global understanding and appreciation of other cultures is based upon.


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The training of students graduating from the Program has permitted them to enter graduate programs or achieve professorial positions at such renowned universities as Notre Dame, College Park, University of Pennsylvania, the University of Illinois, the University of Puerto Rico system and others in Puerto Rico within the last several years. Professions undertaken by graduates include careers in academics, communications, law, translation, library service, among others. Further valuable characteristics of the Program include the service in training students who are majoring in other disciplines in critical thinking, global cultures, community development, and cultural theories (alongside the traditional liberal arts), all of which are crucial skills for any professional career. The Program also provides graduate level courses for Master’s students in Hispanic Studies and English. 4.2 Impact of the Program on other Programs and Departments The Program in Comparative Literature is organically enmeshed with the other programs of the Department of Humanities, in such a way that our elective courses are natural options for major students in Philosophy, French and Art Theory. Our courses are furthermore available as electives for students from a variety of major concentrations, who are enriched by the ample humanistic perspective they often lack in their major curricula. The 5000 level graduate course the Program offers is essential for graduate students from the Departments of Hispanic Studies and English. The electives offered by the Program provide a useful complementary training in critical thinking, writing skills and ethics for students from scientific and engineering majors. The rich interconnectedness between the humanities and natural sciences is amply evident, for example, in the course Mythology, in which students from natural sciences majors are often attentive to the natural basis of many myths. The relationship between the Program of Comparative Literature with other programs from the Department of Humanities is also harmonious and mutually enrichin. Major students in Comparative Literature must fulfill requirements in courses offered by the Program of Philosophy as well as third foreign language requirements (Italian, French or German). Our elective course offerings are preferred options by major students in other program concentrations of the Department of Humanities. There exists a course with double codification in Philosophy and Comparative Literature (LITE-FILO 5001-5002). Several talented and ambitious students have chosen to pursue a double bachelor’s degree with Comparative Literature and with either French or Philosophy, combinations that work well and that represent a collaborative and mutually enriching experience across disciplines. Faculty members of the Department have actively pursued cross-disciplinary and cross-departmental collaborations. The course LITE-FILO 5001-2 has been team-taught between Comparative Literature and Philosophy Faculty. Members of the Program have participated in leading roles in the development of many interdepartmental research initiatives and have also served as readers in thesis committees for students from Hispanic Studies and English. Many of the cultural activities organized by members of the Program serve to strengthen collaborative ties with other programs and departments. 4.3 Relation with other Programs in the Discipline with the Program under Evaluation


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There is only one other program in Puerto Rico in the discipline of Comparative Literature, at the UPRRP. Several graduates from the UPRM program finish a bachelor’s degree in the UPRM and then a master’s degree in Comparative Literature at the UPRRP. 4.4 Evidence of Interest in the Program on the Part of Groups or Agencies According to the information available, over the last several years, students of the Comparative Literature Program have entered graduate programs in universities in the United States such as Notre Dame, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Pennsylvania, University of Illinois, the University of Puerto Rico system, and other private universities in Puerto Rico Professions undertaken by graduates include careers in academics, communications, law, translation, library service, among others. Frequently, the Program Coordinator is contacted by private agencies in search of talented potential employees skilled in writing and composition. Students of the Comparative Literature program have participated in competitive summer internships, funding opportunities and semester abroad programs, at universities such as the University of Québec and Universidad Complutense. 4.5 Tendencies of Registration, Applicants and Inhabitation of the Program See section 3.2 above for this information. 5. Curriculum This section introduces the analysis of the different components of the curriculum with respect to its effectiveness in the achievement of the goals, objectives and outcomes of the graduate. 5.1 Relation of the Curriculum to the Development of Student Outcomes The Program of Comparative Literature has developed an excellent curriculum that corresponds directly to the student outcomes required by the Department of Humanities and the UPRM. (See Section 2 above). Students in the Program have finished it with a high level of success. The average major concentration GPA of students in the Comparative Literature Program for the period of 2010-2015 is 3.742. For this same period students graduating from the Program have accomplished a GPA of 3.55; compared to an average GPA of 3.3 in the previous period for which data is available (“Créditos & GPA General Promedio de los Egresados de Bachiller UPRM 1991 – 2006,” OIPI). A comparison of the two tables below furthermore indicates, for the years 2010-2015, the increase of approximately 2.92 in the average grades from the end of the first academic year to a general average of 3.55 upon graduation. The graphics also indicate that the graduation average GPA for the major during this same period is 3.742.


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The same chart with data labels:

The following charts indicate the improvement in GPA from the end of the first year to graduation.


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And with labels:

5.2 Amplitude, Profundity and Level of the Discipline The curriculum of the Program of Comparative Literature is broadly representative of the basic student learning considered necessary for a Bachelor’s degree in the discipline. It is designed to introduce students in the first year of study in the major degree course to the important texts, theoretical approaches and backgrounds necessary for the continued learning of comparative literary studies skills, with the courses Introduction to Comparative Literature, Parts 1 and 2 (LITE 3041-3042), Literary Theory (LITE 3025) and Mythology in Western Literature (LITE 3035). The second and third years of study require three two-semester courses, which correspond to the study of the major genres of literature (novel, poetry and drama) with the courses Evolution of the Novel, Parts 1 and 2, Comparative Drama Parts 1 and 2 and Comparative Poetry, Parts 1 and 2 (LITE 4011-4012, LITE 4021-4022, LITE 4051-4052, respectively). These


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4000 level courses introduce a greater degree of profundity in the application of skills of theoretical interpretation, critical reading and advanced analysis and writing through the experience of a broad variety of texts representative of literary periods from antiquity to the present. The twelve credits of recommended electives (courses in LITE or other literary courses) and the twelve credits of free electives (which students in the program tend to choose from LITE electives or in a curricular sequence) provide a further deepening of the varied theoretical, literary-historical and cultural studies and theories aspects of the discipline. The seminar, required in the fourth year, provides students with advanced research, proposal composition, writing, critical thinking and literary and cultural interpretation skills culminating in the composition of a Bachelor’s thesis. The four semesters of third language requirements assure that students develop the proficiency in various languages historically associated with the discipline of Comparative Literature. Finally, the humanities and general education requirements assure that students develop a Bachelor’s level expertise in Comparative Literature in the context of a well-rounded formation in the liberal arts towards producing a multi-faceted person competent in the critical thinking and ethical skills necessary for achievement in and meaningful contributions to society in the global world generally and in Puerto Rico in particular. All of these skills and aptitudes are crucial ones for any professional career. The curriculum thus thoroughly satisfies the requirements of amplitude, profundity and the level of excellence required for a Bachelor’s in Comparative Literature. 5.3 Syllabi in the Format of Certificación 130 All of the course syllabi are in conformity with Certificación 130. See the attached Appendix 2. 5.4 Courses Incorporated, Modified or Eliminated Prerequisites were changed to standardize all 5000 levels to 9 credits in INGL, LITE or ESPA. The course World Literature by Women (LITE 5035) was created. The course LITE 3005, Literary Appreciation, began to be taught annually. The course Magical Realism (LITE 5057), , was taught for the first time since 2000. The course Dante (LITE 5815) was inactivated. 5.5 Modernization of Course Content The syllabi of all courses are regularly updated every semester to reflect the modernization of the course content. Samples of syllabi used in the classroom (in addition to the official syllabi) are included as examples in Appendix 2. 5.6 Relation between Course Offerings and Student Needs See the preceding sections 5.1-5.5. 5.7 Completion of the Program in the Allotted Time Current average program completion time over the past five years is at 146% (5.85 years), as indicated in the following chart.


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The same chart with labels:

While currently a full 83.33% of students complete the Program within 150% of the allotted time, and 100% within 200% of the allotted time. This average for the entire 2010-2015 period is thus 76.67% of students graduating “On Time.”


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Finally, as an indicator of the effort level of active students in the Program from 2010-2015, we include this chart that indicates the average number of credits that students take per semester, which averages at 14.66 credits, with an average of 89.6 approved.


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The recommended time for degree completion is four academic years. Many Comparative Literature majors enter the program as internal or external transfers in the second or third year of their studies at the UPRM, thus extending their total years of study at the UPRM. Even so, the completion of the Program requirements from the moment of transfer has sometimes (16.67%) been carried out within the allotted time and satisfied by many majors’ course of studies. The high rate of internal and external transfers to the Program is due mainly to the fact that the discipline is not well known and thus not promoted by counselors at the high school level. Thus, many entering freshmen are not able to choose the Program when applying to the UPRM. As a result, the number of students that enter as transferring students in their second, third and even later years is proportionately high. This fact furthermore makes more likely the extension of the total years of study. The Program has designed its curriculum to accommodate this proportionally high number of transfer students, for example, making more flexible prerequisites for core and elective courses (note the changes made to 4000 level courses discussed below in Section 5.13). Furthermore, the efforts described in Section 5.12 below detail the means undertaken to promote consciousness of Comparative Literature as a major degree option amongst entering students, which has resulted in an increase in the number of these in recent years (discussed above in Section 2). These efforts should be continued and augmented (see Section 16 below). 5.8 Courses Not Offered in the Past Five Years All of the core curricular courses of the Program have been offered regularly in the past five years. Nearly all the elective courses have also been offered in this timeframe. The electives offered in the last five years have included Literary Appreciation (LITE 3005), Medieval Literature (LITE 4035), Renaissance Literature (LITE 4045), The Modern Short Story (LITE 4118), Contemporary Literary Criticism (LITE 5050), The Comic Spirit (LITE 4990) Magical Realism (LITE 5057) and the 5000 level Special Topics courses, LITE 5995 and 5996, which have covered the following themes: Atlantic Studies, Queer Theory, Women in Global Literature, and Islands and Archipelagos. The Workshop in Comparative Literature (LITE 4996) was offered in conjunction with a major international conference organized at the UPRM as a workshop in symposium conference building. Thus, nearly all of the core curricular courses and the great majority of electives have been offered in the last five years: with the exceptions of the electives Special Topics in Comparative Literature (LITE 4990), Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature (LITE 4115), Literary Criticism (LITE 4075), Postcolonial Literature (LITE 4076), Theory of the Novel (LITE 5035), and Romanticism (LITE 4081-2), although the content of these courses were partially covered in the special themes courses that were offered. 5.9 Synchronization and Modernization of the Course Descriptions Course descriptions are typically modernized and synchronized whenever a modification to the course is deemed necessary. 5.10 Percentage of Students Who Complete Curriculum in the Allotted Time See section 5.7.


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5.11 Effectiveness of Teaching Methods See section 6. 5.12 Complementary Activities Undertaken to Strengthen the Program Many complementary activities have been undertaken in recent years to strengthen the Program of Comparative Literature. Various activities have augmented the interest of incoming freshmen in the Program. These activities have included: the development of promotional literature and multimedia presentations for distribution to senior high school students; the activities of the Association of Students of Comparative Literature; the active participation in the Open Houses organized for senior high school students who have a high probability of entering the UPRM as freshmen; active participation in the Jornadas universitarias designed to promote awareness of the humanities as a major option for senior high school students; the active participation of Comparative Literature students in a broad array of extra-curricular activities that augment the profile of the Program in the university; and the active participation of Comparative Literature faculty in academic, administrative and cultural activities in the University, which likewise augments the profile of the Program. 5.13 Curricular Changes Possible changes that have been discussed include: 1) fusing the two-semester elective Romanticism (LITE 4081-2) into one semester and beginning the research courses, now into form of the two semester course and 2) offering Undergraduate Research (LITE 4991-2) (now undertaken in the last two semesters), earlier in the course of studies, such that students have the experience of a pure research course in the third or even second year, with the possibility of optimizing the development of research skills earlier in their university career. Furthermore, we cite the following testimonies, comprised of a series of curriculum-related suggestions, put forward for consideration by students currently enrolled in the Program, which can also be included in the program’s ongoing curricular review: “En la conversación que tuvimos, surgieron estos deseos:

• Extender la clase de teoría literaria

Ya sea incorporando un tipo de laboratorio o haciéndolo un curso de dos semestres, pensamos que se debe dar más tiempo a esta clase. Consideramos que es una de las más importantes del programa, pues las herramientas teóricas adquiridas son luego utilizadas en todas las demás.

• Tener un programa graduado en Literatura Comparada

Aunque no necesariamente sea una sugerencia para el programa de bachillerato, mis compañeras y yo queríamos compartir este interés.

• Tener los cursos de concentración (Novela, Drama, Poesía) disponibles todos los años


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Comentaron que en ocasiones les interesaba realizar intercambios, internados u otras actividades que requieren salir del recinto un semestre, pero tenían la preocupación de atrasarse.

• Añadir la clase de Cuento como de concentración, no solo electiva

Este género resulta tan importante e interesante como los demás. 6. Assessment of Results This section examines the plan and assessment mechanisms that the Program utilizes to determine success in the achievement of its mission, goals and objectives (institutional efficiency) and of student learning (student learning assessment). 6.1 Structures, Processes and Strategies to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Program

The structures and strategies for assessment in the Program of Comparative Literature are both formal and informal. The Program’s missions, goals and objectives have been discussed above in Section 2, where their relation to those of the UPRM are also analyzed in detail. The Program applies the mission, goals and objectives to a process of informal assessment in the individual practices of the professors, who implement strategies for the improvement of student learning in their classrooms on a regular basis and in consultation with the student population. As has been noted, the intimacy and open communication between all members of the Program permits an organic and efficient way of addressing any difficulties or situations of concern that may arise. Thus the assessment of institutional efficacy has largely been carried out in the communication between professors in and out of meetings, consultation with the Director of the Department and in the usual close communication between the Coordinator and the student population.

The following assessment tools are available for the assessment of student learning within the various areas of competency included in the Department Assessment Plan: senior theses, syllabi, portfolios, graduate surveys, exit interviews, curricular questionnaires, course questionnaires, and bachelor’s thesis presentations, among other tools. 6.2 Results of Assessment

The results of institutional efficacy and student learning assessment are various, in each case leading to specific actions regarding the aspect under assessment. At an institutional efficacy level, it was noted that 5000-level course requirements were unnecessarily restrictive. In terms of student learning, it was noted that different strategies, especially related to the use of informational technologies, could be integrated into the classroom experience. In addition, the necessity of creating an additional tenure-track, full-time teaching position has been asserted.

6.3 Curricular or “Instructional” Changes Based on the Results Changes were made to pre-requisites to 5000 level courses. The course Literary Appreciation (LITE 3005) has begun to be taught annually. The course Magical Realism (LITE 5057) was


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taught for the first time since 2000. The course World Literature by Women (LITE 5035) was created as a permanent course.

7. Students This section examines the reach of the policies and practices of recruitment, admission and retention, the tendencies and projection of enrollment, among other indicators of the Program’s success in achieving its mission, goals and objectives. 7.1 Effectiveness in Recruiting, Attracting and Retaining a Diverse and Qualified Student

Population There are 47 students affiliated with the Program at the present moment, 36 students pursuing the bachelor’s degree and 11 students in the Curricular Sequence. On average over the past five years, there have been 35 students in the bachelor’s degree program, an increase of 11 percent over the average of 31 for the previous five years. Other relevant data include:

• 11% increase in average enrollment compared with previous five-year period • 200% increase in graduation compared with previous five-year period • increase of 18.5% in retention rate compared with previous five-year period • increase of 16% in 2nd to 3rd year persistence rate compared with previous five-year

period • increase of 7% in 4th year persistence rate compared with previous five-year period

The evaluation process has been important in identifying the reasons for the continued success in attracting new students to the Program. Recruitment strategies since 2005 and the general positive reputation of the Program, which has been increasing amongst students in recent years, have helped to attract new students. The increase in enrollment is due primarily to success in the recruitment of entering first-year students, and in part to a greater awareness of the Program as an option attractive to students who may be unsatisfied with their first degree program choice and choose to transfer to the Comparative Literature Program. Various activities have augmented the interest of incoming freshmen in the Program, including: the development of promotional literature and multimedia presentations for distribution to senior high school students; the participation in promotional workshops, the Jornadas Universitarias, offered with the support of the College Board, the activities of the Association of Students of Comparative Literature; the active participation in the Open Houses organized for senior high school students who have a high probability of entering the UPRM as freshmen; participation in the Diálogos Universitarios en la Escuelas supported by the Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades; the active participation of Comparative Literature students in a broad array of extra-curricular activities that augment the profile of the Program in the university; and the active participation of Comparative Literature faculty in academic, administrative and cultural activities in the University, which likewise augments the profile of the Program. The academic caliber of the course of studies, the faculty’s intellectual and pedagogical strength, the Program’s efficient operation, and the general commitment of the students who choose the degree provide the best possible means for the retention of students in the Program.


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A further possible reason for improved retention is the involvement of undergraduate students as research assistants over the past two years for Professors Rolón and Powers. The experience of serving as research assistants has been shown to improve retention. We reproduce here the information from section 3.2 regarding the historical demand for the major Program during the last ten years, with details about transfers into the Program.

AñoacadémicoNuevoingreso Matriculados

Gradosconferidos

Ganadosen

traslados

Perdidosentraslados

Ganancianeta

2005-2006 6 25 4 3 0 3

2006-2007 6 25 7 2 1 1

2007-2008 5 25 1 8 1 7

2008-2009 3 37 3 3 1 2

2009-2010 9 41 2 2 1 1

2010-2011 10 40 12 4 4 0

2011-2012 8 34 2 4 2 2

2012-2013 4 33 4 4 3 1

2013-2014 3 29 6 3 2 1

2014-2015 7 29 6 4 3 1

2015-2016 10 36 -- -- -- --

The number of incoming students over the past 19 years is visualized in the following chart.

While the OIIP does not have information that details numbers of students in the Curricular Sequence, a roster from the Registrar’s office indicates that the current number of students enrolled in this minor degree-like service that the Program provides is currently at 11 (see appendix 4). Furthermore, the chart below (cited above in section 3.2) indicates visually the steady progress and improvement in the rates of retention and persistence of students in the Program.


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While the retention rates for the period 2010-2015 average at 90.5%, as the charts above provided by OIIP indicate, the average of retention rates for the period 2005-2010 is at 72%. According to statistics available for the years 1997-2007, the retention rate of students for this period was 67%. Thus, the Program’s average retention rate for the period 2010 -2015 is 18.5 % greater than the previous 5 year period, and a full 23.5% greater than the 1997-2007 period. Furthermore, as the P chart below indicates, the current retention rate for the total period is above the historical average of 80% (green line), from the Analisis Programas Académicas UPRM available on the OIIP website).

7.2 Socio-demographic and Academic Profile of the Registered Students Detailed socio-demographic data for the period 2010-2015 was not available. Data for previous years is included below. The High School GPA averages, included in these charts, indicate an increase from an average of 3.39 in the 2005-2010 period to 3.61 in the 2010-2015 period, an increase of .22 points.


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Añodeadmisión GPApromediodelaEscuelaSuperior

2005-2006 3.362006-2007 3.342007-2008 3.012008-2009 3.762009-2010 3.472010-2011 3.552011-2012 3.542012-2013 3.732013-2014 3.492014-2015 3.612015-2016 3.76

For previous years, data provided by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (“Datos estudiantes admitidos a Literatura Comparada 1999-2003,” and “Datos estudiantes admitidos a Literatura Comparada 2004-2009”), regarding the students’ academic profile (GPA exiting high school) and the students’ socio-demographic profile (highest level of parents’ education and family income) reveal the following averages in these three categories:

High school GPA

1999-2003 (22 students) 2004-2009 (31 students) Average GPA High School 3.23 3.35

Parents’ Highest Level of Education

1999-2003 (22 students) 2004-2009 (31 students)


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Primary/Secondary 14 19 Associate degree 4 8 Bachelor’s degree 10 12 Postgraduate studies 7 6 (3 MA, 3 PhD)

Family Income

(in thousands) 1999-2003 (22 students) 2004-2009 (31 students) -7.5 3

7-12.5 5 10-12.5 3 12.5-15 2 4 15-17.5 17.5-20 20-30 4 3 30-40 40-50 1 1 50+ 5 5

Aside from this statistical data, informal evidence suggests that the number of students entering as first year majors enjoy a higher academic caliber, especially entering with advanced credits in English and Spanish, and thus a higher chance of successfully completing the program in 150% of the allotted time. Other informal evidence, such as the experience of professors in reviewing transcripts of transferring students, also clearly indicates a tendency of the Program to attract students who have often obtained higher grades in courses related to literature and culture and lower grades in courses required by their original major. This situation frequently results in generally lower average GPA, but proven strengths in the type of course that reveals potential success in literary and cultural studies. Students who transfer to the Program habitually express their frustration with courses that are required of them for their initially chosen major concentration, but for which they find little motivation or inclination. While a higher GPA in all fields is a general indicator of the chance for success in any degree program, many transfer students to Comparative Literature demonstrate success in core courses based on their success in previously completed courses in related fields. Finally, as an indicator of the number of full-time students that are active in the Program from 2010-2015, we include the following chart, which shows the average number of credits that students are involved in, averaging at 14.66 credits with an average of 89.6 approved.


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7.3 Comparison of the Quantity of Registered Students with the Projected Registration

There are 47 students affiliated with the Program at its present moment, 36 students pursuing the bachelor’s degree and 11 students in the Curricular Sequence. On average over the past five years, there have been 35 students in the bachelor’s degree program, an increase of 11 percent over the average of 31 for the previous five years. See sections 3.2, 7.1, 7.8 for more detailed discussions of retention and persistence. It is expected that the current levels will be maintained at the average number of students –around 35-45– in coming years, within the number of students that the Program can accommodate. Continued expanded registration in the Program may require the addition of more sections of core courses.

7.4 Comparison of the Demand for the Program with the Allotted Registration

Allotted Registration (“cupo”) is currently at 10, which is consistent with an average of 7 new students admitted per year over the past five years (see section 3.2). In some of those years, there have been more than 10 applicants.

7.5 Rate of Passing Grades for Core and Major Courses of the Program The rate of passing grades for all core courses at the 3000 level is above 90 percent over the last ten years, as is indicated in these data from the OIIP website:


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While the further data that is available do not provide direct information about passing grades, the following chart indicates the percentage of credits approved in general for the last five years.

AñoacadémicoNúmeropromediodeloscréditosmatriculadosporestudianteporsemestre

Promediodecréditosaprobados

Tasadeaprobación(aprobados/matriculados)

2010-2011 14.55 12.63 86.78%2011-2012 14.95 13.11 87.68%2012-2013 15.46 14.07 91.03%2013-2014 14.19 13.20 93.06%2014-2015 14.16 12.68 89.55% Finally, we reproduce the graduation averages for major GPA as further relevant data.


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The total average of passing grades for the years indicated thus amounts to more than 90 percent for all courses. While the grades for these 3000-level courses (the only available through OIIP) are high-performing with few failing grades, informal evidence (based on communication between professors about the status of students in the Program and communications between the Coordinator and the students themselves), suggests that weaker students have more difficulty passing the 4000 level courses, which are more demanding in terms of the quantity and quality of written assignments. The experience of professors in the Program is that the 4000 level courses test the endurance and commitment of degree majors such that those students whose talents are not adequate to the rigorous, long-term process of the attainment of skills of critical reading and writing required for advanced undergraduate studies in Comparative Literature might not pass some or all of the 4000 level courses. In this process, the majority of students who are capable of successfully finishing the degree are identified, and tend to successfully complete the “Seminar” (LITE 4091-4093), which culminates in the capstone project of the Program, the Bachelor’s Thesis. Efforts in student learning improvement undertaken by the faculty in assessment projects have attempted to address the needs of students challenged at the 4000 level. One suggestion is to begin the research courses, now in the form of a two semester course Undergraduate Research (LITE 4991-2) undertaken in the last two semesters of studies, earlier in the course of studies, such that students have the experience of a pure research course in the third or even second year, with the possibility of optimizing the development of research skills earlier in their university career. Another suggestion is to expand the course Literary Theory to two semesters or add a laboratory. See section 5.13 above. 7.6 Comparison of the Quantity of Degrees Conferred with the Projected Quantity of Degrees

In the last five-years, 30 degrees have been conferred, for an average of 6 students per year. This indicates a full 200 percent increase in the last five years compared to the average for the previous period measured. Information available from the Office of Institutional Research and Planning provides evidence of the number of degrees conferred since 1992 until 2009, which is a total of 67 degrees in Comparative Literature during this time, the average of which rounds up to 3 students per year. The two following charts indicate the breakdown by year. Number of Graduates 2010-2015

Number of Graduates 1992-2010


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YEAR # DEGREES

CONFERRED

2008-2009 3 2007-2008 1 2006-2007 7 2005-2006 4 2004-2005 2 2003-2004 5 2002-2003 5 2002-2001 4 2000-2001 6 1999-2000 2 1998-1999 4 1997-1998 6 1996-1997 2 1995-1996 5 1994-1995 0 1993-1994 3 1992-1993 1

7.7 Graduation Rate of Students Admitted to the Program Graduating from High Schools

Detailed information is not available. Informal evidence suggests that students entering the Program directly from high school are those that best succeed in completing the Program in the allotted time period. Part of strategies and activities to be undertaken for assuring student success is to collect date about risk factors, to identify both problems and strategies for supporting student success.

7.8 Rates of Persistence of the Students in the Program The data available indicate a change in the average 2nd to 3rd year persistence rate from 57% in the 2005-2010 period to 73% in 2010-14 period, an increase of 16%. For the same periods in comparison, the 4th year persistence rate changed from 50% to 57%, an increase of 7%.


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7.9 Data that Provide Evidence of the Success of Graduates from the Program

There is no institutional statistical evidence regarding the success of graduates, which is an area that we think the UPRM can improve. The Program, however, takes care to maintain contact with graduates. Based on informal evidence within the last several years, the training of students graduating from the Program has permitted them to enter graduate programs at such renowned universities as Notre Dame, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Pennsylvania, the University of Illinois, as well as graduate programs in the UPR system and others in Puerto Rico. Several students have completed or are completing law degrees and have become lawyers. Others have worked in translation at firms such as Berlitz, while others have created and undertaken independent editorial projects; have been involved in the entertainment industry; have spearheaded an agro-ecological project; have published books of poetry, and have become writers and poets of renown inside and outside of Puerto Rico. The excellence of exiting students from the Program is also evidenced in the fact that every year for the past five years the prize for


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the Best Student of the Department of Humanities has gone to a student of Comparative Literature. The following commentaries from recent graduates of the program give a testimonial sense of the impact of the Program on students: Nivialis Toro López (2014 graduate) reported: “El programa de Literatura Comparada en el recinto es uno que verdaderamente cambia a una persona. Te quita las gríngolas, te enseña a ver el mundo con otros ojos -a través de las teorías literarias. En el programa descubrí mi potencial como mujer, como miembro de una comunidad y como académica. Literatura Comparada en el recinto fue el mapa que me ayudó a trazar el camino que aun hoy, con mucha satisfacción, recorro.” Denise Salas Pitre (2015 graduate) stated: “Puedo afirmar, sin duda alguna, que la literatura [comparada] me ha salvado porque encontré refugio y propósito en ella cuando carecía de ganas de vivir. Por medio de la literatura, siento que puedo conectarme con personas de todos los tiempos y espacios. Asimismo, puedo tener un espacio seguro para estar conmigo misma y retar mis pensamientos, a cuestionar todo lo que me llena y me rodea y aprender tanto de lo nuevo como de lo que ya fue (que sigue vivo por la literatura). Es decir, me ayuda a establecer un balance perfecto entre la colectividad e individualidad.”

8. Faculty

This section evaluates the quality, diversity and adequacy of the Program’s faculty and its contributions to achieving the Program’s mission, goals and objectives. 8.1 Quality of the Faculty The Program of Comparative Literature has four full-time professors and one full-time professor under temporary contract. All of the professors hold doctorates from renowned universities in the United States. The faculty represents diverse areas of expertise that enable them to teach Comparative Literature’s wide-ranging curriculum. The professors’ areas of specialization both correspond to the curricular requirements of the Program and assure a familiarity with a variety of periods (Medieval, Renaissance, Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth and Twenty-First century modern and postmodern), literary genres (novel, poetry, drama, short story), and cultural media beyond literature (cinema and other audiovisual media), for students of the Program. The Program’s faculty also make possible the offering of a broad variety of electives available to undergraduate and graduate students from many disciplines and colleges of the UPRM. This is a result of the faculty’s further areas of research and specialization, which include: cinema and literature, contemporary Spanish literature, women’s literature, queer studies, postcolonial studies, Afrodiasporic studies, Atlantic Studies, Caribbean Studies, and Early modern literatures, among others. In addition, all of the professors’ background reflects a strong training in literary and cultural theory, philosophical aesthetics, and cultural studies, analytical and methodological approaches historically associated with the field of Comparative Literature. Such broad research and teaching capacities also ensure the Program’s faculty ability to offer subjects that serve the needs of a broad population of students from other programs in the


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university. Professors from the Program teach courses in Italian, as well as the Humanities basic course (HUMA 3111-3112), aside from the aforementioned 5000-level course primarily for graduate students from Hispanic Studies and English. Indeed, in any given semester, there are a range of 18 to 24 credits dedicated to teaching the offerings needed for the Program (two or more sections of two core 3000 level courses, one or two core 4000-level courses, one 4000-level elective, one 5000-level course and one or more sections of the Seminario, the capstone research project). The remaining credit hours of the professors, which are not dedicated to administrative service at the Department or University levels or to research, are devoted to teaching the Humanities basic course, Italian, or others. Additionally, the faculty in the Program have been invited to teach courses in Philosophy and German (FILO and ALEM). Moreover, the Program’s faculty has been extremely active in contributing to the Department of Humanities, the UPRM, the UPR system, and the general academic community in research, administration and cultural promotion. All professors in the Program are known for their commitment to teaching and mentorship of the students. They also maintain a high level of involvement in students’ extracurricular activities, such as those organized by the Association of Comparative Literature Students and those designed to promote the Program and the Department within high school communities.. The professors in the Program have actively and consistently participated in research, professional collaboration and professional improvement in the field of Comparative Literature, deepening their expertise in their areas of concentration and bringing fresh knowledge to the students in the classroom. The curriculum vitae attached to this evaluation provide ample data of this, contributing to the pedagogical and other goals of the program. These include publications in a wide variety of formats (books, translations, peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, interviews, reviews, articles etc.), many presentations in academic, professional and community conferences, congresses and symposia, participation in workshops and seminars, membership in professional organizations of the field, organization of conferences, lecture series, special events, short courses, cultural activities and community collaborations. All of these activities provide evidence that the faculty is and remains at the cutting edge of knowledge production and dissemination in the field, which redounds upon the quality of the teaching in the classroom and the learning experience of the students. The necessity of creating an additional tenure-track, full-time teaching position has been asserted amongst members of the Program, since the one faculty-member under temporary contract has been teaching a full time load for four semesters in order to cover the demand. This situation is in part due to the fact that each professor in the Program is also employed to teach other courses offered by the Department of Humanities, in the form of the course Introduction to Western Culture (HUMA 3111-3112) or language courses, as well as their heavy involvement in research and administration. 8.2 Non-Teaching Related Academic Contributions of the Faculty

The contributions of the faculty beyond the classroom are numerous and amply consistent with the level of productivity in research, administration, service, creative work and community service that corresponds to academic excellence.


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The evaluation process has further underscored the faculty’s continued, outsized, and active involvement in research, administration and cultural promotion at the level of the Department and the University. The five members of the program have played active leadership roles in administrative service at the Department and University levels, in cultural promotion, in independent knowledge-production and dissemination projects, and in UPR-wide projects for improving Puerto Rican students’ access to higher education, among others. The following are examples of these initiatives, respectively: faculty members have served as Department Chair, President of the Personnel Committee, President of the Curriculum Committee, and Coordinator of the Graduate Program Committee, among others; organized emblematic academic conferences, such as ¿Del otro la’o?: perspectivas sobre sexualidades queer (since 2006) and the Coloquio nacional sobre las mujeres (since 1997) and cultural events, such as Semana de las lenguas; been involved with the independent publisher Editora Educación Emergente, worked as Principal Investigator for the Colectivo Universitario para el Acceso. Furthermore, the faculty has been noteworthy in its research contributions to the field of Comparative Literature, maintaining an active agenda of publications and presentations in academic forums, thus augmenting its academic profile and providing evidence of its role as a cutting-edge center of the most advanced academic research and investigation. Members of the Program have organized important academic conferences every year, have presented in many local, national and international academic congresses, have published academic, journalistic and literary work in academic journals and in a various of media venues and have been involved in academic and literary editing publishing through the Editora Educación Emergente, a prominent small publisher. In addition, faculty in the Program have had notable success in obtaining grants from prominent sources of outside funding, thus adding to the prestige and profile of the Program as a leader in the procurement of resources for research and investigation in the humanities. Members of the Program have been recipients of and been the principal investigators for such funding as the socially important Proyecto Carvajal para la Democratización del Conocimiento and the prestigious federal National Endowment for the Humanities Faculty Awards Grant. See the attached curriculum vitae in Appendix 1 for more details on faculty activity in areas of research, service and teaching. 9. Services and Administrative Support Personnel and Academic Counseling This section examines the efforts realized by the Program from the moment of student recruitment to their exit, in order to provide pertinent, quality services for his or her thorough development, and to keep the graduated students connected with the program. The Department of Humanities and the Program of Comparative Literature provide administrative support and academic counseling for all of its students from the first year of studies up until the moment of graduation. Academic counseling of students is carried out by the Department Chair and Associate Chair, as well as by the Coordinator of the Program and the Academic Counsellor. Students thus have four venues within the Department to pursue


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counseling concerning their academic progress, their plan of studies, options for post-graduation careers or graduate studies and any other counseling necessities. The intimate and collaborative atmosphere between professors and the student population as well as the close contact between the Program Coordinator and the majority of students has permitted, in the last few years, that the great majority of counseling needs can be attended by the Program Coordinator in direct and ongoing consultation with the student. The Program Coordinator meets personally and at least annually with each student to ensure that their plan of studies is optimally designed for their best interests and that situations of potential conflict or difficulty are attended to, such as the coordination and planning necessary for students pursuing a double major or a minor concentration in another program alongside the Comparative Literature major, or the exigencies of planning a course of studies that include a semester or year of study abroad or by special permission at another campus of the UPR system. Needs unaddressed by the Program Coordinator are addressed by the Department Chair or Associate Chair. Entering first year students are advised about their course of studies at an orientation the Department carries out every August. Further mentorship for first year students can be obtained through the Office of the Dean of Students. To address the special needs of entering first-year students, the Program Coordinator maintains personal contact with first-year students to organize one-on-one counseling sessions. This leads to the current third and second year students avoiding glitches that might affect their course of studies upon entering their second and third year of studies (for example, having diligently begun the four required semesters of third language studies in their first year, thus opening up more options for the advanced literature courses in other programs that are required of the Program’s course of studies in the last year). The Program Coordinator, in recent years, has also energetically provided students in the Program, especially those in their third year of studies, with information related to the preparation for application to graduate studies. A majority of exiting students wish to pursue graduate studies in comparative literature and related fields, many in competitive programs in the United States, Europe or Latin America. The Coordinator regularly provides information to students about opportunities for extra-curricular activities such as internships, student conferences, literary competitions, summer programs, workshops, student publications, short courses, community service and cultural activities, participation in which can augment a student’s undergraduate portfolio. These mentoring initiatives have allowed students to undertake the necessary preparation for the application process to graduate programs in an informed way, thus optimizing their possibilities for post-graduation success. 10. Resources for Student Learning and Information This section examines the resources for learning and information (bibliographical and informational) that are available for the faculty and the students. The Department of Humanities and the UPRM have made available to professors and students in the Program all of the most common and necessary equipment and technologies available to facilitate student learning, and have provided the required resources especially important to


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professors and students in the field of Comparative Literature. These measures and resources include:

• The integration of electronic equipment (computers, projectors, etc.) in all of the classrooms used by professors and students in the Program;

• The renovation of the Computing Center to provide students of the Department with access to the most recent technology available to support student learning;

• The evaluation of library resources to provide students with the most current resources available (this has included the addition of databases such as JSTOR to the library’s databases, a resource of special importance to literary studies);

• The presence of a technology specialist in the Department, who has consistently and with expertise provided assistance to professors in all questions concerning the use of technology for classroom teaching;

• Access to integrated, online content management software designed for educational purposes, such as E-Courses (Moodle), which professors in the Program have amply applied in their courses to improve student learning.

Professors in the Program have, furthermore, encouraged in the content of their class assignments (such as research projects, term papers and essay assignments) the use of the UPRM General Library’s many databases of particular importance to literary and cultural studies. These databases include the following:

• JSTOR • ProQuest: Academic Research Lib. • Gale: Literature Resource Center • Wilson Web: Humanities Full Text • Wilson Web: Essay and General Literature • EBSCO Host E-Journals • Gale: MLA International Biblio. • Gale: Literature Resources • HAPI Online • HLAS Online

Student work has demonstrated the use of these resources in the completion of course assignments at the 3000 and 4000 levels, according to the testimonies of professors in the Program. Furthermore, professors in the Program have dedicated contact hours to training in the advanced use of library databases in literary studies, especially in the “Seminar” (4991-4992), a course designed to promote research skills toward the completion of the Bachelor’s thesis and to prepare students for advanced literary research at a graduate level. In this, the professors in the Program have collaborated with the many skilled researchers amongst the General Library staff to coordinate workshops in the use of library database resources for literary studies. The faculty in the Program have organized MLA Style workshops in 2016 after the publication of the Eight Edition of the MLA Style Guide, thus assuring that students are up-to-date with the most current required stylistic information for academic publishing and scholarly work in the field. 11. Publicity and Service


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This section examines the accomplishments of the Program in integrating itself effectively with the communities in its environment. The curriculum vitae of the faculty of the Program of Comparative Literature evidence an ample commitment to the integration of the program’s activities with the needs of the community (see CVs of the faculty in Appendix 1). These activities have included the organization of a broad range of cultural and academic activities that have served the university, local and international academic communities. These have included the fourth, fifth, and sixth ¿Del otro la’o?: perspectivas sobre sexualidades queer, the eleventh Coloquio nacional sobre las mujeres, the Semana de las lenguas, publications in the national press and active participation in the cultural activities of the Department. Furthermore, one faculty member is the principal investigator of the university-wide community participation initiative Colectivo Universitario para el Acceso. Refer to the faculty CVs (Appendix 1) for further details. Furthermore, members’ participation in the Jornadas universitarias and open houses, promotional visits to local schools, the activities of the Association of Students of Comparative Literature and the department webpage, have all added to promoting knowledge of the Program to a wide variety of students, high school teachers and administrators, youth and others who might be interested in studying within the Program. Finally, the ample participation of faculty members in national and international professional academic conferences, as well as their multiple publications, are further examples of the Program’s contributions to the international academic community. Refer to the faculty CVs (Appendix 1) for further details. Students in the Program have furthermore been active in various community projects, such as QUOTE Students collaborating in the design of this evaluation have noted the following: QUOTE 12. Effectiveness and Operation of the Program

This section examines the structure as well as the impact of the policies, procedures and administrative practices for the successful functioning of the Program. The Program’s coordination is shared between the Coordinator and the Department’s administrative personnel. This division of labor works very well. The majority of important decisions are undertaken by the members of the Program in Comparative Literature, who meet regularly and maintain frequent contact through email and in person. Announcements of importance and other information are regularly sent to the Program’s email list of students and faculty. The Association of Students of Comparative Literature FaceBook page has also become an important medium of communication. All professors participate actively. Students are regularly consulted for input regarding the Program. The intimacy, collaboration and solidarity that characterize the Program have contributed to its highly efficient operation, and it requires no special changes or revision.


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13. Fiscal Aspects

The Department of Humanities allocates funds for the Program’s functioning as it does for that of the other four programs in the Department. Faculty in the Program have also had notable success in obtaining research grants from prominent sources of outside funding such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Fundación Carvajal, and the Fundación del Banco Popular. Other individual initiatives of the Program’s faculty members have obtained outside funding for academic, cultural and professional enrichment activities. The necessity of the creation of an additional full-time teaching position for the teaching of the courses in the curriculum has been asserted amongst members of the Program, since the one faculty-member under temporary contract has been teaching a full time load for seven semesters in order to cover the demand. This situation is in part due to the fact that each professor in the Program is also employed to teach other courses offered by the Department of Humanities, in the form of the course Introduction to Western Culture (HUMA 3111-3112) or language courses as well as is heavily involved in research and administration 14. Materials, Laboratories and Auxiliary Equipment Department installations, equipment and other auxiliary resources have been fully updated in the last five years. These updates correspond to the needs of the Program for teaching and research, whose success has been testified to through informal assessment. See section 10 above for further details. 15. Strengths and Limitations The Program of Comparative Literature at UPRM provides undergraduate students an excellent preparation in the discipline of Comparative Literature, as described above. It trains some of the best students at the UPRM and prepares them for advanced graduate studies. It teaches unique and important skills and knowledges unavailable in other programs in the UPR system. The Program’s faculty represent diverse areas of expertise, which allows the Program to offer a broad variety of electives to undergraduate and graduate students from many disciplines and colleges of the UPRM. The faculty are also extremely active in contributing to the UPRM, UPR and general academic community in research, academic innovation, administration, cultural promotion, and graduate program service. The Program’s alumni have consistently entered advanced graduate degree programs at renowned universities in the United States and Puerto Rico, or have pursued careers in professions such as law, education, culture and social service. Aside from maintaining a high academic performance, undergraduates in the progam have undertaken extracurricular achievements such as participating in conferences, serving as research assitants, studying abroad and participating in internships. The enrollment, retention, persistence, graduation and academic performance rates have all increased in the current five-year period compared to the previous five-year period. The Program’s strength in producing students of excellent quality is also testified by the fact that every single student awarded the yearly Best Student of the Department of Humanities prize, a recognition publicly announced during graduation ceremonies, has been a student from the


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Comparative Literature Program. Finally, it can be added that the intimacy, collaboration, open communication, trust and solidarity characteristic of the Program is one of its greatest strengths, contributing to the efficiency of its operation and thus making possible the optimal conditions for the best promotion of student learning. The Program’s areas of possible improvement are the ongoing need of first year students’ recruitment, preparing students for the process of application to graduate programs, preparing students for other post-graduate possibilities, maintaining contact with graduated students, involving undergraduates in initiatives of publication and research, and maintaining more data about students at the level of the Program. 16. Development Plan

This section requires the elaboration of a specific plan to execute the actions that arise as a result of the findings. 16.1 Areas Needing Attention

Areas needing attention are:

• continuing strengthening recruitment at the high school level to thus increase the number

of students entering the Program in the first year • keep better data about undergraduates • involving undergraduates in initiatives of publication and research • beginning research training leading up to the bachelor’s thesis earlier in the course of

study • the necessity of creating an additional tenure-track, full-time teaching position for the

teaching of the courses in the curriculum

16.2 Strategies and Activities to Carry Out Among the proposed strategies and activities are:

• continue the process of recruitment for the major and the curricular sequence; • continue the process of personalized advisement for existing majors and participants of

Comparative Literature Sequence; • continue the preparation for application to graduate studies in Comparative Literature for

exiting majors, and other related careers (yearly workshop on the topic); • continue to offer the course “Literary Appreciation” as an entry-level option open to first-

year students annually; • undertake further promotion of the Curricular Sequence in Comparative Literature; • maintain more data about students, including entrance and exit interviews, to identify

both risk factors to achievement and means of correction; • institutionalizing contact with graduates, to maintain better data about post-graduation

success; • review the curriculum and compare research teaching with other similar programs; and


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• assert the necessity of the creation of additional full-time tenure-track teaching position

16.3 Resources The resources necessary for the development plan include, above all, the faculty and students themselves. Other resources include the Department website and already-existing promotional materials. Institutional support for program promotion include the annual open house, College Board support for the Jornadas Universitarias and that of the Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades for the Diálogos Universitarios en la escuelas. Additionally, the Department of Humanities has reformed recently an ad-hoc Promotion Committee at its Departmental Retreat in September 2016, which will explore other strategies for promotion as well as an ad-hoc Investigation Team, which will pursue collecting more data about students’ university career experience and which will work together with the Department’s programs.

16.4 Means of Success The means of success for the development plan are:

• maintaining the current average level of enrollment, retention, persistence, graduation and academic performance in the Program;

• maintaining 25-50 students of quality enrolled in the Program at any given time; • develop and maintain undergraduate data to support their success in the Program; • involve more undergraduates in initiatives of publication and research; • successfully preparing all Program students who wish to pursue graduate studies for the

applicant process and for other post-graduation possibilities; • increased contact with students graduating over the next five years

16.5 Date to Complete the Plan Five years (2020).

17. Final Observations This evaluation clearly demonstrates that the Program of Comparative Literature at UPRM has fulfilled and continues to fulfill its mission, goals and objectives. It performs a unique and irreplaceable role in the education of students in the UPRM: no other program or department can provide the services the Program of Comparative Literature provides. It has a faculty dedicated to its mission, to its students and to the university community, as well as to the innovation of the discipline in both a local and international context. It has succeeded in increasing the number of registered students, rates of retention and persistence, graduation and academic performance and in extending its services to the whole of the university community. Its faculty contributes actively to the production of knowledge within the field. All possible academic and or administrative steps should be oriented to its optimization so that it can continue its valuable service to the academic and general community.


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To conclude we include the following general testimonies from students currently enrolled in the program: Ada Rodríguez Bermúdez: “Estar en el programa de Literatura Comparada lo ha significado todo para mí, ya que me ha enseñado a ver el mundo que tenía delante de mí, y a comprenderlo en maneras que estaban más allá de mi imaginación y mi horizonte de expectativas.” Aymara Corchado: “Para mí ha sido una experiencia inolvidable, realmente no tenía idea de que el programa existía antes de ingresar a la Universidad y no tenía ninguna idea de lo que quería estudiar. Cuando me entere del programa sentí que era justo lo que necesitaba y hoy día no me arrepiento de haber escogido un programa tan increíble, el cual ha abierto tantas oportunidades para mi futuro.” Roselyn Pérez: “Para mí, este programa me ha cambiado la vida. No tenía idea que estudiar hasta que descubrí la literatura: un universo lleno de imaginación, lenguaje, historia y ciencias sociales; un todo en uno. En un mundo en donde la tecnología es lo predominante, el amor y pasión hacia la lectura jamás desaparecerá, y esto es lo que el programa en su totalidad me ha hecho ver al proveer las herramientas necesarias para seguir hacia adelante en el futuro.” Nicole Talavera Arboniés: “Al trasladarme al programa de Literatura Comparada del RUM, no tenía muy claras las razones por las cuales me cambiaba de concentración. Sin embargo, tengo muy presentes las razones por las que me quedé. Es uno de los pocos programas del recinto donde el estudiante es invitado a cuestionar, a encontrar su voz, a pensar en otras formas de ver, entender y cambiar su realidad. Al tener un carácter interdisciplinario, siempre habrá múltiples acercamientos y perspectivas que ayudan al estudiante a comprender que, aunque no hay respuestas absolutas, hay infinitas maneras de aprehender el mundo.”

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