Things to know about the
University of Colima in
Manzanillo for IMBA students
For quicker navigation, please click one of the links below
Introduction
(Back to top)
For students in the IMBA program at UCA who want to attend the University of Colima, the following information may help students. Its author just finished a semester there. I (Steve Fryar) chose the University of Colima at Manzanillo after first visiting the campus of University of Veracruz at Xalapa and the Manzanillo campus on a spring fact finding trip. Since I chose to study at U de C (University of Colima), most of the information below is about that school, its campus at Manzanillo, and living in west central Mexico.
Location (Back to top)
The
University of Colima is at the city of Colima, about three and a half hours
drive southwest of Guadalajara, Mexico. The campus that houses the faculty of
Postgraduate Business Administration is not at Colima, however, but rather at
Manzanillo, approximately two hours drive north and west along the Pacific
coast.
About the City
(Back to top)
Founded
by Cortez, Manzanillo is one of the oldest ports in Mexico. Today it is one of
the largest and most modern seaports in Mexico and harbors ships from all over
the world. The city has a population of about 100,000. It is a popular seaside
resort city for both Mexicans and foreign tourists (particularly Canadians). It
is a full service city, with banking, shopping, high-class hotels, golf
courses, beaches, and other recreational opportunities. There are suburbs
scattered out 5 to 10 miles from the main part of town. The city itself is
divided up into sections each possessing its own central park, shopping areas
and taxi terminals. The sections of the city are as follows (from south to
north): Manzanillo, Las Brisas, Valle de las Garzas, Salahua, Santiago,
Miramar, Naranjo, and Central. The campus of U de C is located in Miramar,
adjacent to Naranjo. The new bus terminal is in Valle (at Barrio 1). Most of
the larger department stores, groceries, and banks are in Salahua. The other,
more traditional, open markets, street vendors, and small specialty stores are
downtown in Manzanillo. There are residential areas scattered through the city,
but the majority of available housing can be found in Valle. It is a beautiful
city, with a tropical climate, that retains strong Mexican culture in spite of
being an international port and tourist destination.
Climate and Weather (Back to top)
Students
arriving from the United States at any time of the year can expect mild to hot
temperatures with humidity. There are two seasons, the dry and rainy season.
Our winter is generally their dry season and our spring and summer are their
rainy season. Since most IMBA students will be scheduled to attend the spring
semester, from August to December, they can expect to find Manzanillo hot and
humid with occasional rain showers. Temperatures during this time of the year
usually range between 70 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity. It does
rain during this time of year. Rain showers are usually isolated downpours of
short duration.
Health and Safety Issues (Back
to top)
There
are several things that travelers need to be aware of while in Mexico. Crime is
not a major problem in Manzanillo.
Health
issues, on the other hand, may be something to consider. The water from the tap
is not safe to drink and even Mexicans drink bottled water. Bottled water is
big business, and is easy and inexpensive to obtain. Restaurants always serve
bottled water and use it to make ice. Students should be careful to stay
hydrated and wear plenty of sunscreen. Occasional mosquito-born disease
outbreaks occur (for example malaria and dengue). Use of mosquito repellant,
particularly at night, is recommended. You should avoid the beach at night, as
mosquitoes and biting flies are a major problem. Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is a seasonal pandemic problem.
Outbreaks are usually in the rainy season. Because it is highly contagious it
is monitored much the way the flu outbreaks are monitored in the United States.
Prevention includes good hygiene and use of medicated eye drops. U. S. State
Department guidelines for Mexico are a good place to check for more
information.
While uncommon, earthquakes do occur in Manzanillo and the state of Colima. The volcano at Colima (the capital) is one of two active volcanoes in Mexico and occasionally erupts, though it doesn’t cause damage. It is about 100 air miles from Manzanillo. The last major earthquake struck in Manzanillo a few years ago. Some of the damage remains today.
Transportation (Back to top)
Planes (Back to top)
Major
airlines fly from the United States to Mexico City and Guadalajara. Transfer
passengers, changing airlines flights at Mexico City, should be aware that
baggage must be claimed and rechecked. Flight arrangements will vary according
to your budget and time constraints. One recommended travel plan is to fly from
the United Sates directly to Guadalajara and then bus to Manzanillo. There is
an international airport in Manzanillo but I have not personally visited it.
Flights to this airport tend to be expensive.
Buses (Back
to top)
Mexico
has a wonderful mass transit system via buses. The luxury buses (including
lines such as ETN, Primera Plus, and La Linea) are clean, comfortable, safe,
and relatively cheap. These “gran lujo” or “ejecutivo” class buses include a
sack lunch and drink for passengers and are equipped with bathrooms. Bus
schedules and routes service even the smallest towns in Mexico. More local city
buses provide cheap transportation in and around town. These buses have their
destinations clearly marked on the front windshield. Typical fares in
Manzanillo from downtown to the school campus (about two hours one way) costs
around a dollar. Although the distance for this trip isn’t that great, it takes
a lot of time because of all of the stops along the way. If you plan to take a
city bus, give yourself plenty of time. Bus stops are clearly signed along
sidewalks and in front of plazas (though a bus may stop at any place if the
driver chooses to do so).
Taxis (Back
to top)
Taxis
are available throughout the city. You can hail an unoccupied taxi at major
street corners and bus stops. A typical taxi ride taking thirty to forty
minutes (depending on distance) can cost five to ten dollars U.S. Relative to
buses, taxis are therefore quite expensive, but faster and more direct. Fares
for taxis are calculated according to distance tables, rather than time, in
Manzanillo. You need to know what the taxi ride should cost before you
ride.
Other Means (Back to top)
Some students will have cars and carpooling is fairly common. It would be considerate to offer some compensation to those regularly offering you rides. Gasoline is rather expensive in Mexico.
Driving in Mexico (Back to top)
It
is possible for an American citizen to drive in Mexico. If you are driving your
own vehicle, good insurance is a must. You should check with your insurance
company for coverage, or buy insurance from a local Mexican company. You should
be aware of driving habits of Mexican motorists. Many drive aggressively and
selectively ignore some traffic signals and signage. Pedestrians do not have
the right-of-way.
Speed
within Manzanillo is controlled largely by “topes” (speed bumps). Left turns
for cars are executed in the same way a large truck would make the turn, i.e.
from a far right lane. Distance, as well as speed, is measured in kilometers
rather than miles as Mexico uses the metric system. You should be aware of
conversions of these systems before you travel.
Housing (Back to top)
There
is housing throughout Manzanillo, but the majority of it is in the section of
town called Valle de las Garzas. Here, there are many small one or two bedroom
houses both to rent and to buy. Rent for a house about this size is around one
to two hundred a month. Other costs associated with a house include gas,
electricity, and water. These are paid at various places in the city, one of
which is the Comercial Mexicana. There are a few things you should look for
when you consider renting a house. Check to see if there is a working boiler or
hot water tank. If there is not you will have no hot water (a convenience most
Americans are not used to giving up). Also, you should try to find a house that
has had a telephone installed. LAN line phones are rather expensive to install
(it can cost about one hundred U.S.), but if once a phone has been put in a
home, the line stays. You would have to buy a telephone unit, and pay for
service (discussed later in communications section). Sharing a house, and the expenses, is fairly common. There are
realtors in Manzanillo, but the best way to find out about properties is
through word of mouth and looking around for rental properties in person. I
suggest that you try to make arrangements ahead of time through U de C or
through students in the masters program there.
Shopping (Back to top)
There
are two major shopping centers in Manzanillo: Soriana, located in “La Central”
at Salahua, and La Comercial Mexicana also in Salahua a little further north.
Soriana, much like a Wal-Mart in the U.S., carries food and household goods
including furniture, sporting goods, and electronics. It has its own pharmacy,
arcade, hair salon, and food court. La Comercial Mexicana is the equivalent of
a U.S. mall and has several small specialty stores as well as a supermarket.
Prices tend to be higher for most goods at La Comercial Mexicana. Downtown
Manzanillo, near the port, also has very many shops, mostly small, devoted
primarily to souvenirs, but including other goods. Since Manzanillo is a modern
city, you can expect to find most things that you find in the U.S., however,
they will likely not be U.S. brands, and there are things that you cannot find.
You should try to check ahead of time to see what things you might need to
bring with you that are not easy to come by in Manzanillo. Electronics, such as computers, CD players,
batteries, digital cameras, etc. can be expensive in Mexico. The quality of
these products may also be inferior. You might want to bring some of these
things with you from the U.S.
Stores and other businesses will not always accept U.S. money. It is better to operate in pesos. One way to easily withdraw pesos is to use a U.S. ATM or debit card. The ATMs (Cajero Automático) in Mexico can be found easily at the mall, banks, and shopping centers. It costs about one dollar to withdraw money. Different ATMs use various withdrawal systems, but some common ones are Cirrus, Visa, Pulse, etc. Be sure to ask your card company ahead of time whether you can use the ATM card in Mexico.
Food (Back to top)
Food prices are for the most part relatively low on most items. You can buy a variety of packaged foods, similar to what you buy in the states, though the brands and subsequent taste may be different. Fruits and vegetables, breads and other fresh food can be bought as well.
If
you wish to eat out, there are many restaurants in Manzanillo. Prices and
quality of restaurants range from small taco stands where a meal costs a few
dollars, which are very common, to high cost restaurants where a meal can costs
twenty dollars or more. Dishes are mostly traditional Mexican cuisine, though
there is some American food in Manzanillo (such as Dominos). Most foods eaten
out are of course safe to eat. There is one style of tacos called “tacos al
pastor” which are prepared on a vertical spit, which it might be wise to avoid.
Since the meat for the tacos is cut from the outside of the piece of beef, and
since it is often cooked outside, it can pick up dirt and other contaminates.
This can be unhealthy and you should use your judgment whenever eating food
from outside taco vendors.
Communicating (Back to top)
Internet (Back to top)
Internet access is readily available in Manzanillo both at the U de C and through Internet cafes around the city. You will have to check with the university to obtain passwords for access to some networked computers, much like UCA, but you shouldn’t have any trouble accessing the Internet. Programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. are also loaded on school computers. The Operating System and software are in Spanish, and the keyboard is made to accommodate the language. Internet cafes can found in about every neighborhood as well as the Comercial Mexicana and Soriana. Patrons of these cafes are usually charged by hour for high speed access with prices ranging from about one to three dollars. Copies cost between five cents to fifty cents per sheet.
Computers (Back to top)
Though you can get to computers to do schoolwork and check email, I strongly recommend that you take a laptop with you if possible. Hours for internet cafes are sometimes erratic and computer labs at the university are often closed for class use. Students might also enjoy the comfort of having a computer with them that they are used to and with programs in English. A universal USB storage device, like a Mini-cruizer, also comes in handy for saving and transferring files between computers. Students will probably want to bring floppy disks, CD-R/RW disks, and other computer accessories with them as they can be expensive in Manzanillo (sometimes doubling in price).
Telephones (Back to top)
LAN line telephones (home phones) are not as common at homes in Mexico as they are in the United Sates. The main reason is that they cost a lot of money to install and charge for every phone call. If you need to use these phones to communicate with the states, I strongly recommend that you give the number to the person stateside and arrange a time for them to call you. Calling from Mexico to the U.S. from a LAN line phone can cost two or three dollars a minute whereas receiving a call is free. In the U.S. you can get international plans and phone cards that will make phone calls about ten cents a minute or possibly less. The phone numbers in Manzanillo can be rather confusing. Sometimes, you will need to add certain digits to them to make a call depending on what phone company you are calling to and from what type of phone you are calling. For example, LAN phones must dial 044 and the LADA (area code), which is 314 in Manzanillo, and then the seven-digit number when calling a cell phone. If it is long distance you have to dial 01 before the rest of the numbers.
Payphones (Back to top)
Payphones are easy to find
throughout the city and are used by many instead of house phones. To use a
payphone in Mexico, you must buy a Telmex or Ladatel “stored value” phone card.
These cards can be bought in quantities like thirty and fifty pesos (costing
about three to five dollars). The cards have a computer chip that the phone
reads to tell you how much money you have left. 
A
local call from a 
payphone
costs about a peso a minute (approximately ten cents) whereas long distance
calls and international calls cost about five 
pesos
(around fifty cents). Parts of a minute are always rounded up to whole minutes.
This is not a bad price for 
international
calls, but it is still cheaper to receive calls on a LAN line. A payphone
calling a cell phone has to dial 044 and the LADA before dialing the
seven-digit number. You must dial 01 for long distance calls, and 001 for a
call to the United States. Most payphones should have instructions for
international calls printed on them.
Cellular Phones (Back to top)
Cellular
phones are fairly common in Manzanillo. One popular way to use cell phones is
to set them up with pre-paid service. You can buy a cell phone at the Comercial
Mexicana, Soriana, or downtown. You might want to ask your classmates if they
have any old model phones that they could lend you before you buy one. Almost any Mexican cell phone model can be
setup as pre-paid at a cost of about ten dollars. The two major cell phone
services are USACell and Telcel. They have offices at Comercial Mexicana. You
can buy cards for USACell phones to recharge them. I used Telcel. With Telcel,
you recharge the phones by buying Telcel “Amigo” cards then dialing *333 and
following the instructions to enter the code on the card. You can buy one
hundred, two hundred, and five hundred peso cards (about ten, twenty, and fifty
dollars). It is better to buy the two and five hundred peso cards because they
often give you free airtime. Local calls usually cost two or three pesos a
minute. International rates are around a dollar or two a minute. Remember that
you are charged whether receiving or making a call and that part minutes count
as full minutes. Text messaging is very popular in Mexico as messages cost only
about fifty centavos (about a nickel) and can be one hundred and sixty
characters long. How you type messages depends on the phone. Text messages can
only be sent to people having the same company cell phone.
About the School (Back to top)
The University of Colima has its main campus in the city of Colima, which is the capitol of the small state bearing the same name. The university is very modern, technologically advanced, culturally rich, and is considered one of the best in Mexico. It has a strong tradition of academic excellence. At the main campus, you can find the majority of the different departments and faculties such as foreign languages, medicine, psychology, etc. A few very interesting features found at the campus are a television station run by the university and a compact disk production center. The University of Colima (U de C) campus at Manzanillo is home of the Postgraduate Business Administration department and faculty. IMBA students should note that they will be studying at the Manzanillo campus rather than in the city of Colima. Manzanillo’s campus is located at the northern end of the city between Miramar and Naranjo. The school grounds extend for about fifty foot or more square. Departments at U de C Manzanillo include oceanography, accounting, postgraduate administration, exterior commerce, and electrical engineering to name a few. There are several computer centers, a library, an English center for students, and a brand new student center. The new student center holds a restaurant style cafeteria, bookstore, school supplies store and a computer center, among other things. Only university students are allowed to enter the campus, so students will need to see about getting a student ID card from U de C. Security will allow exchange students to enter without a student ID from the school, though they may question them.
Curriculum, Class Work, Projects, and Homework (Back to top)
Graduate courses at U de C are
taken one at a time in four week periods. Masters students take all of the
classes together. Each class meets for four and a half hours on Friday (5 p.m.
- 10 p.m.) and Saturday (9 a.m. – 2 p.m.). A thirty-minute break is allowed to
students after the first two hours. Most subjects are project oriented. The
class is usually divided up into teams of four or five and given a project to
complete as a group and present before the class either once or several times
as the project progresses. Individual projects are sometimes assigned. Homework
and tests are left up to the discretion of the professor. The professor also
chooses books, though many times they are not used or photocopies of them are
used. The class has the right as a group to vote down a test and recommend
something else if they want to. There is good deal of camaraderie within the
class as a whole. Students all work together to help each other with their
projects and presentations. Grades are based on a one to ten scale. Anything
below a seven is a failing grade. Even a seven is, professionally, considered
failing in the same way that a C would be considered in and MBA program in the
states.
Class
Schedule (Back to top)
As of last semester, the schedule for the spring semester, which IMBA students would attend, is as follows:
Classes began on August 18th and ended on January 15th.
In that time period, post grad students at
U de C covered a total of five different courses. As the program stands right now, IMBA students will only take two or three of the courses to be credited to them by UCA, though professors at the school will usually allow them to audit the other classes if they wish to. My courses, for example, were Mercadotecnia (Marketing) and Auditoría Administrativa (Administrative Auditing).
Classroom (Back to top)
Students
are expected to be punctual for all classes. Tardiness and absence are severely
looked down on, and two or more misses may result in a one point grade
reduction. Masters students are considered professionals, and are expected to
dress and behave as such. While there is no written dress code or uniform for
postgraduate students, appropriate and professional dress is expected. Sandals
are frowned upon, as are ball caps. The class structure is usually lecture and
discussion. The age of students is from about twenty-three to forty or older
allowing for a wide range of viewpoints. Students are usually very eager to
hear a U.S. perspective in discussions and may ask you your opinion on many
topics. Be ready to answer, and use discretion and courtesy in discussion.
There are many standing traditions among the students that you will learn as
you go. As an example, the class usually takes the professor out to eat after
the last class period of a course.
All classes are conducted completely in Spanish and you will be expected to speak, understand, and present in the language. Students should not attempt to study in this program without a strong background in the Spanish language. There are, of course, students in the class who will speak English and a few who speak it fluently.
Other Activities (Back to top)
The university will sometimes host cultural events, seminars, sporting events, special lectures, and other events on school property, or at other locations. Students are welcome to attend and it would be an excellent learning experience for exchange students especially.
Culture (Back to top)
Having lived in Mexico for a short time, and having visited other Latin American countries, I (the author) urge you to avoid the error of stereotyping the Mexican people. Many of the U.S. views of Mexico as a country and as a society are rather off base. On the other hand, students should not fall prey to the notion that Mexican culture is exactly the same as the U.S. It is not. One of the best ways to cope with the culture difference is to simply watch and learn without judging what you see. You should, as a professional trained to conduct business in an ethical manner, be aware of practices both in business and social life that may hurt or hamper progress and social welfare. Take note of these things, but do not criticize unless you can do so without offending.
Here are a few cultural observations that might be of some value to students. Remember they do not always hold true.
Punctuality is not quite as strongly emphasized in Mexico as in the U.S. It is not uncommon for people to show up to two hours after an appointment. Of course, at a job and at school you are expected to show up on time. People who are always on time are respected for it. But, generally speaking, people are more forgiving for tardiness, especially in a social setting. At some parties, especially within a home, it can be considered rude to show up early, unless previously arranged, because the host will still be preparing for his/her guests.
Personal space is not as vital in Mexican society. People of opposite gender, clearly, are more respectful of each others space, but generally the area of personal space is not quite as large as in the U.S. Students should be respectful and observant of how the people around them interact. But, if someone does get closer to you than they would in the states, do not be overly offended.
Laziness is looked down upon. People are generally hard working as a rule, and leisure activities are considered as having their own separate time and place.
The style of dress, especially for professionals, is not quite as casual in Mexico as it is in the U.S. Some people have erroneously said that Mexicans do not ever wear shorts and are offended by Americans that do. This is completely untrue. Shorts can be worn, and are, in appropriate occasions. You will not likely see many people wearing shorts because most of their jobs do not allow it, and because they have accustomed themselves to it. As a general rule, your clothes should be suitable for whatever activities you are doing.
Family is very important and family members are generally respected. Catholicism is still very strong in Mexican culture
Language (Back to top)
The primary language spoken in Manzanillo is Spanish. Though Manzanillo is a resort city, the majority of the tourists are not American, but rather Mexican. Most shopkeepers will speak some English, but many will not speak enough to communicate. English is taught in all schools, and there are several language schools that focus on English as a second language. American students should be aware and take advantage of the opportunity to share their knowledge with English students. In exchange, you may be able to learn a lot about Spanish, Mexican culture, and develop life long friendships.
Social Life (Back to top)
Mexican culture in general tends to be relationship oriented. As a result, social activities among friends are quite common. Especially on the weekend, groups of friends will get together to go to the beach, go dancing at the discotheque, go out to eat, go cruising, go watch a movie, or just to hang out and talk. As part of the class, you will most likely be asked to go along. It is a great opportunity to learn about culture and fun a little bit of fun. There are a few things you should be aware of as you go.
Drinking,
Tequila, beer, etc. is fairly common in Mexico, especially among the youth.
However, generally speaking, drinking is done socially; in other words, people
do not always drink to get drunk. In fact, one stereotype that Mexicans have
about Americans is that they drink only to get drunk and go “loco”. If you do
not drink, you will see that you are in the minority among many groups, though
not all. Do not let this discourage you. Simply stand upon your principles, but
be careful to do so without judging others who do drink.
If you are “invited” to go eat that usually means that the person doing the inviting is going to pay for the meal. The same holds true when you invite someone; you will pay, unless otherwise decided. Many times, however, everyone will pay separately or will split the total bill by the number of people eating.
Holidays (Back to top)
Several holidays that are celebrated in the U.S. are not celebrated in Mexico and vice-versa. For those students who will be in Manzanillo during the spring semester, you will get to be a part of Mexican Independence Day. September 16th is considered a patriotic day celebrating Mexican independence. Students might try to see which holidays are coming up while they are there and participate if possible.
Course Recommendations and Suggestions (Back to top)
To complete this paper, I (the author) would like to make a few suggestions for the betterment of the current IMBA exchange program with U de C.
First, we should take advantage of the great language school in Colima, the capitol city. The foreign language school at the main campus has a long tradition of accepting and training exchange students in Spanish. An agreement allowing students from UCA to study language in Colima for language credit at UCA would be very beneficial for our school. Such a program may be in the works as I write this essay.
Second, it would be nice to set up a host family placement program for students going to Manzanillo. Administration could work through U de C to do this, or might try other organizations in Manzanillo who have a large membership. One organization, which has helped some students in the past, is the evangelical church named Amistad Cristiana located in Las Brisas in Manzanillo. The pastor of this church, Chan “Adán” Duncan, and American, has been in Mexico over twenty years. His church supports a congregation of around five hundred or more and supports two orphanages. The church can be contacted at: chand@prodigy.net.mx.
Third, UCA might consider reworking the class schedule for exchange students. It is rather difficult for students in Manzanillo to do online courses while they are there. Though they have Internet access, they may not always be able to be online when they need to be. At the least, it would be better to try to plan for students to take two or three courses at the U de C, and possibly only one or no Internet courses. The rest of the necessary hours might be earned through an internship of some sort. Internship could be arranged possibly through U de C.
Finally, the program could be emphasized more by UCA. This is really a very good and rewarding program for students. The IMBA track has the potential to create many well trained professionals with international experienced. We should encourage that possibility, and strive to build a better future.
Additional Information (Back to top)
http://www.flecha-amarilla.com/
http://www.magic-bus.com/buslinks.shtml
http://www.manzanilloresorts.com/manzanillo.htm
