(The Call for Campus Reading Seminar proposals for the 2007-08 fiscal year is now closed. We invite you to return to this site in September 2008 to view the call for the 2008-09 fiscal year. We do not expect the language or criteria to change significantly.)
The intellectual joy of discussing a book or books with colleagues and community members in a seminar-like format is, for many, a rare experience. The Institute's Campus Reading Seminar grants support reading groups and scholarly exchanges on racial/ethnic subjects by making funds available for the purchase of books that focus on racial/ethnic themes. Participants in Campus Reading Seminars may include faculty members, academic and classified staff, students, and people from the community. A faculty or academic staff member must submit the proposal. The interdisciplinary composition and diversity of the participants foster intracampus and cross-disciplinary exchanges, stimulate curricular and pedagogical innovations, and encourage campus-community interaction.Funding: The maximum request is $400.00, which only can be used for book purchases. Seminar participants may keep the books. Depending upon the number of proposals the Institute receives, it may be that not all proposals will be funded. (Applicants are responsible for checking on individual campus procedures before sending a proposal directly to the Institute.)
Books: Your seminar may revolve around one or two books maximum. Tell us something about the book(s): theme, focus, subject area, fiction/nonfiction, author's background, etc. Explain why the book(s) would serve as an excellent basis for a seminar discussion. Perhaps include a published review(s) of the book(s). Be sure to check a number of sources for the lowest price.
(We welcome book reviews to be published in our newsletter, Kaleidoscope II. The approximate length of your review should be 750 words. The Institute will choose one of more of these submissions for publication. For further information, contact Judy Treskow, the Institute's senior administrative specialist, at (414) 229-4804 or: jtreskow@uwm.edu)
Participants: A minimum of six (6); a maximum of fifteen (15). Be inclusive! Attempt to include not only faculty, but also administrators, students, academic staff, classified staff, community members, etc. Strive for a representative group across academic disciplines, race/ethnicity/gender, political ideologies, etc. Simply list the name and position/affiliation of each prospective seminar participant. (Be sure to obtain firm commitments before listing names.)
Discussions: Plan to meet as a seminar group for a minimum of twelve (12) hours over the course of the 2007-08 academic year. Identify a moderator who will lead and organize meetings. Strive to identify a consistent seminar location that is conducive to discussion and thought.
Final Report: By July 1, 2008, have a sample of your participants send us a letter. How were the discussions valuable? Any applications: curricular? pedagogical? scholarly? collegial? personal? Also, we encourage you to send us a photo of your group for publication in Kaleidoscope II.
Proposal Format:- Basic Information: Applicant's Name; Department; Campus; Campus Mailing Address; Campus Phone; and E-mail address.
- Book(s): For each book, list the full title, author(s), publisher, publication date, cost per book, and source of purchase. After each entry, tell us something about the book(s) as described in the "Books" section above.
- Participants: For each participant, list her/his name, department/affiliation, and e-mail address.
- Miscellaneous (optional): Here you may choose to tell us something that might distinguish your seminar: seminar site; planned meeting schedule; noteworthy seminar participants; other relevant campus activities; past seminar experience, etc.
Deadline and Contact Information: Two copies of your application must be postmarked no later than Friday, November 2, 2007. This deadline is firm! Electronic submissions are acceptable if sent by that date. You will receive notification re. funding in approximately 2-3 weeks. Send to: Tom Tonnesen, Associate Director, UW System Institute on Race and Ethnicity, c/o UW-Milwaukee, P. O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201. Any questions? Contact Tom at (414) 229-4700 or: tonnesen@uwm.edu Happy reading!