<p>I have heard many complaints about the Spanish department. Can someone please explain? Is it the professors? If so any specific ones? Is it the level of difficulty or type of coursework? </p>
<p>More importantly, which other college in the consortium would you suggest I take Spanish courses at instead?</p>
<p>[SPAN</a> 29, James Maraniss](<a href=“http://www3.amherst.edu/~scrutiny/class_ratings.php?dept_code=SPAN&class_number=29&class_name=Jorge%20Luis%20Borges&prof=James%20Maraniss]SPAN”>http://www3.amherst.edu/~scrutiny/class_ratings.php?dept_code=SPAN&class_number=29&class_name=Jorge%20Luis%20Borges&prof=James%20Maraniss)</p>
<p>[SPAN</a> 7, David Arbesu-Fernandez](<a href=“http://www3.amherst.edu/~scrutiny/class_ratings.php?dept_code=SPAN&class_number=7&class_name=Adv%20Spanish%20Composition&prof=David%20Arbesu-Fernandez]SPAN”>http://www3.amherst.edu/~scrutiny/class_ratings.php?dept_code=SPAN&class_number=7&class_name=Adv%20Spanish%20Composition&prof=David%20Arbesu-Fernandez)</p>
<p>[SPAN</a> 37, Lucia Suarez](<a href=“http://www3.amherst.edu/~scrutiny/class_ratings.php?dept_code=SPAN&class_number=37&class_name=Latino%20Autobiography&prof=Lucia%20Suarez]SPAN”>http://www3.amherst.edu/~scrutiny/class_ratings.php?dept_code=SPAN&class_number=37&class_name=Latino%20Autobiography&prof=Lucia%20Suarez)</p>
<p>I’m looking at the Course Catalog, and these are three professors who teach a number of courses within the department. Kind of disheartening. ;)</p>
<p>dang those are some pretty bad reviews!</p>
<p>D just graduated as a Spanish major. The main complaint is universal - not enough money so some wonderful profs are not getting tenure, and they leave. Therefore, a lot of turnover. As a Spanish teacher myself, I sat in on a couple of her classes and I had no complaints, and I even asked the prof if I might use her handout for my students, which she graciously acknowledged. The most famous and illustrious Spanish prof, Prof. Stavans, is gone a lot on sabbatical as he is published and accomplished and does some wonderful work outside the college which brings up the department’s reputation.</p>