SPAN 4520

I agree with everything that was said above. He treats this course like it's a grad class. He's a wonderful person but not a great teacher. Don't take this course unless you are very interested and willing to put in work!

Professor Padron is very knowledgeable about the subject, but unfortunately his enthusiasm does not translate to his students. The readings are difficult, often written in old Spanish, and require multiple readings to understand. His lectures are dry and most students are on their computers the entire class. The class requires weekly discussion posts on the readings, occasional pop quizzes in class, a midterm paper and midterm exam on Collab as well as a final research paper (around 10 pages) and a final exam on Collab. The Collab exams are very demanding and detailed on the readings, covering specific names and dates that were not stressed in class. He graded the papers harshly. While he is always available for office hours, and is genuinely a kind person, Padron is not a good professor. He fails to make the material comprehensive and accessible for students who often are learning about it for the first time. I would caution against taking this class unless you are very very interested in Spanish colonialism in Asia and know that you will dedicate the time and energy to this demanding course.