Institute on Race and Ethnicity- Category C (Campus Activites)

Carolyn Brady and Colleen Callahan, UW-River Falls
Sharon Cloud, UW-Stevens Point
Jean Dowiasch and Robert "Ernie" Boszhardt, UW-La Crosse
Mark Everingham and Troy Abel, UW-Green Bay
Karen Greenler and Cynthia Calvin, UW-Rock County
Jeff Herriott, UW-Whitewater
Susan Johnson, UW-Whitewater
Ken Kohberger, UW-Whitewater
Nora McGuire, UW-Colleges Administration
E. Katherine Miller, UW-River Falls
Maureen Moll, UW-Marinette
Victor Phillips, UW-Stevens Point
Roger Pulliam and Maria Castillo, UW-Whitewater
Maureen Reilly, UW-Baraboo/Sauk County
Beverly Soll and Selika Ducksworth, UW-Eau Claire

Carolyn Brady, Office of Admissions, and Colleen Callahan, Department of Journalism, UW-River Falls – “Shelter from the Storm – A Student-driven Interview, Photography and Web Site Journalism Project that Promotes Understanding and Dialog.”
Shelter from the Storm was developed as a collaborative multicultural awareness project. It was initially carried out during the 2004-2005 academic year by students in the Department of Journalism and members of the UW-River Falls’ campus community who had come to the U.S. as refugees and/or those seeking political asylum. Students were responsible for conducting interviews and photographing students and faculty who wished to share their refugee experiences. The interviews and visual imagery then became the basis for a web-based production that took advantage of new campus web technology. The completed Shelter from the Storm pilot project debuted on the UWRF campus as an on-line monologue. To support more in-depth research, review, and understanding of topics raised through the interviews, interested viewers have Kaleidoscope II page 14 access to abridged narratives from each interview session as well as a recommended bibliography to encourage/support further inquiry. To date, four campuses – UW-Eau Claire, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, and UW-River Falls – have confirmed interest in joining the Shelter from the Storm project. The project will provide meaningful liaisons for refugee students, faculty and staff – many of whom are anxious to have closer ethnic community affiliations. Funding will be used to expand the pilot project into a collaborative venture for multiple campus communities.

Sharon Cloud, Native American Center, UW-Stevens Point – “Celebration of Woodland Art.”
The exhibit, “Celebration of Woodland Art,” will feature traditional and contemporary works by several Wisconsin Woodland artists, including prominent Ho-Chunk artist Truman Lowe who is internationally famous for his sculptures and is the current curator of the new Smithsonian Native American Museum in Washington, D.C. In addition, historical and pre-historical artifacts on loan from the Milwaukee Public Museum and the UW-Stevens Point Anthropology Department will be included. Kick-off activities, which will coincide with the opening of the exhibit, will include an interpretive presentation by Lowe and working exhibitions by other American Indian artists. The exhibition will include hand-carved spear fishing decoys, woodland basketry, a birchbark canoe project, and beadwork.

Jean Dowiasch and Robert “Ernie” Boszhardt, Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, UW-La Crosse – “Archaeology Day at Silver Mound.”
Institute funds will be used to support Archaeology Day at Silver Mound, a two-day event of cultural learning for UW System students, elementary school students, and the general public. Silver Mound is one of the largest, oldest, and most important archaeological sites in Wisconsin, and the district is currently in the nomination process for listing it as a National Historic Landmark with the National Park Service. Attendees will gain a better understanding of Wisconsin’s Native cultures: their use of natural resources; the role oral tradition, dance, and storytelling play in their culture; and how threatened sites can be understood and/or protected through the science of archaeology. Professional archaeologists and educators from the Center will lead site tours, demonstrate flintnapping (stone tool making), and coordinate performers, guest speakers, and volunteers.

Mark Everingham, Department of Social Change and Development/Political Science, and Troy Abel, Public and Environmental Affairs, UW-Green Bay – “Land Restitution in South Africa: Human Rights in Global Perspective.”
Institute support will be used to facilitate the appearance of Kusile Juza, a visiting leader from an indigenous Xhosa-speaking community on the Wild Coast of South Africa’s Eastern Cape. He will appear at UW-Green Bay and UWMilwaukee to engage in a dialog on post-apartheid reconciliation and social policy. The ensuing discussions will help participants connect domestic social justice issues and questions of indigenous rights within a global context. Juza is Vice Chair of the Dwesa-Cwebe Land Trust and Communal Property Association. His work focuses on communal ownership of land and community resource management that draws on local knowledge to develop low-density, nature-based enterprise and ecotourism. Mr. Juza will spend ten days sharing his experiences of land restitution and environmental protection with students, faculty and staff.

Karen Greenler and Cynthia Calvin, Department of Student Services, UW-Rock County – “Red Hot Embers: AIDS and Debt in Africa.”
UW-Rock County has a tradition of organizing curricular and co-curricular activities around a common theme. In order to engage students in the issues of economic justice at home and abroad, the 2005-2006 theme is “Does Money Make the World Go ‘Round.’” The multimedia, informational exhibit “Red Hot Embers: AIDS and Debt in Africa” is a mixture of history and future; a collage of posters of African liberation struggles, stories from young people in Africa surviving AIDS today, and informational panels about the history of international debt, Africa’s debt burden, and the impact of debt on the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the continent. The exhibit is sponsored by the Chicago office of the American Friends Service Committee.

Jeff Herriott, Department of Music, UW-Whitewater – “The Electronic Hammer in Residence at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.”
The Electronic Hammer ensemble, comprised of a percussionist and two computer performers, will conduct a residency at UW-Whitewater as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. In total, the residence will include five events over two days, including: 1) a concert featuring new works by Latin American composers (public event); 2) a demonstration/ improvisation with Mexican percussion instruments (public event); 3) a master class with Percussion Studio students (Music Department event); 4) a master class with Composition Studio students (Music Department event); and 5) a master class with students from the Music Improvisation course (Music Department event).

Susan Johnson, Department of Political Science, UW-Whitewater – “Linda Faye Williams: The Constraints of Race.”
Dr. Williams, an associate professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, will present a public lecture open to members of the campus and local community. She will also meet with a group of students or faculty in a smaller session to discuss her work. The topic of the public lecture will relate to her most recent book, The Constraints of Race: Legacies of White Skin Privilege in America. She identifies her reason for this focus as a hope that making the benefits of “white skin privilege” more visible will help undermine its acceptance as “normal,” and motivate renewed efforts toward achieving a more just and equitable society. She applies her analysis to the development of the modern welfare state in the U.S. and recent political attacks on programs identified as being a part of this modern welfare state.

Ken Kohberger, Irvin L. Young Auditorium, UW-Whitewater – “Irvin L. Young Auditorium Cultural Outreach.”
Funding will be used to support three events that will include a master class, workshops, and pre-show discussions. The programs are: 1) The Actors Gang, a Los Angeles theatre ensemble, will perform The Exonerated. The play deals with the innocence of people who were accused of heinous crimes they did not commit. These stories are from vastly different ethnic, religious, and educational backgrounds with greatly varied views of the world. The only thing they hold in common is the fact they had been sentenced to death, spent anywhere from two to twenty-two years on death row, and were subsequently found innocent and freed; 2) Ballet Hispanico will perform Nightclub. The company has been recognized around the world as the foremost dance interpreter of Hispanic culture in the U.S.; and 3) Koresh Dance Company (Philadelphia), founded by Israeli-born choreographer and artistic director Ronen Koresh, will present a program blending ballet, modern and jazz. Spring, 2006 page 13

Nora McGuire, Office of Student Affairs, UW-Colleges Administration – “Classroom Climate Pilot.”
In Plan 2008, the UW Colleges identified as one of its institutional goals the creation of a “Campus Climate Pilot.” Recognizing that a positive classroom climate is an essential component of any effort to retain students of color, the UW Colleges Office of Academic Affairs will identify a small cohort of faculty interested in piloting an assessment of their classroom climate. In preparation, a workshop will be held for those faculty who will participate in the pilot project. Dr. Alberto Cabrera, professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, UW-Madison, will be the keynote speaker at the workshop. He will address the issues of classroom climate and discuss various methodologies that could be utilized for the study. Participants will formulate a plan for the implementation of the pilot project. It will include identification of an assessment methodology, a timeline for implementation of the project, and a strategy for dissemination of the project results to other members of the university community.

E. Katherine Miller, Department of Biology, UW-River Falls – “Exploring ‘The Troubles’ and the Peace Process in Northern Ireland Through Poetry and Music Workshops.”
Students in UW-River Falls’ multicultural pre-college program will have the opportunity to explore “The Troubles” (the political dispute and endemic violence in Northern Ireland and the ongoing peace process). This will be accomplished through poetry and music workshops lasting four weeks and taught by ethnic Irish professionals – poet Adrian Fox and musician/singer/songwriter Rodney Cordner. Funding for this proposal would represent a first step in establishing Peace Studies into the College Camp curriculum and, at the same time, introduce Peace Studies to the greater university community.

Maureen Moll, Office of University Relations, UW-Marinette – “Fall Convocation – Common Ground: 40 Years of Liberal Arts on the Bay Shore.”
A convocation marking the fortieth anniversary of the campus was anchored with an art exhibit from the Door County Hardy Gallery entitled “Common Ground.” It featured poetry, art, and science by Wisconsin contributors. Denise Sweet – Poet Laureate of Wisconsin, professor of Humanistic Studies at UWGreen Bay, and a member of the Anishinabe Tribe – was the keynote speaker and workshop presenter. A pow wow was also held to provide students and the public an opportunity to experience, first hand, the rich culture of the Menominee and Oneida peoples of Wisconsin.

Victor Phillips, Global Environmental Management Education Center, UW-Stevens Point – “GEM ‘Critical Issues’ International Seminars, 2005-06 Theme – Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainable Development: Lessons from Native American and Other Indigenous Cultures of the World.”
This grant will fund two of the four to six indigenous speakers who will participate in the 2005-2006 “GEM ‘Critical Issues’ International Seminar Series.” These speakers will lecture on indigenous practices related to sustainable natural resource approaches and management. Seminar guests will also have an opportunity to meet with at least ten GEM staff to explore and discuss ways to implement projects of mutual interest and benefit. Material from the free public events will be disseminated on UWStevens Point campus television, as well as on GEM and Cooperative Extension UWEX website video-streaming statewide and beyond.

Roger Pulliam, Academic Support Services, and Maria Castillo, Multicultural Student Council, UW-Whitewater – “A Year in the Life of Multicultural Students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.”
This proposal will facilitate the engagement of multicultural students at UW-Whitewater to do undergraduate work in diverse disciplines under the review of faculty mentors. Twenty students will examine the history of multicultural citizens (African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Southeast Asians) in selected Wisconsin communities. Students will utilize a series of methods and approaches to examine and document the quality of life for multicultural citizens within the following context: historical, sociological, cultural, religious, educational, economic and political. They will present their research findings at the following events: the UW System Undergraduate Research Symposium, the American Multicultural Student Leadership Conference, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, and UW-Whitewater’s Undergraduate Research Day.

Maureen Reilly, Continuing Education Extension, UW-Baraboo/Sauk County – “Stepping Up: Cultural Competency on Campus.”
Components of this proposal include: 1) Molly Secours, a writer/filmmaker/ talk show host, will present a lecture entitled “Welcome to My Hood.” This presentation will focus on how art can be used to affect social change and public policy, and includes a screening of her documentary of the same name. The audience will be invited to engage in discussion on the topic and offer ideas on how to institute this type of programming on their own campus and in their communities; 2) a week-long gallery exhibit of photographer Ben Marra’s Kaleidoscope II page 12 works documenting the contemporary Native American Pow Wow. Coinciding with this event will be a Pow Wow demonstrating the ceremonies of the Ho Chunk Nation followed by a sampling of traditional foods; and 3) a cultural competency workshop during which a personal self-assessment will identify the faculty’s own level of cultural competency, as well as where the campus is on a continuum of cultural competency. This workshop will also bring a better understanding of the personal importance of culture, ethnicity, and heritage, and how to define the principles and practices of cultural competency on campus. The trainer is Suzanne Castilla of the Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies at UW-Madison.

Beverly Soll, Activities and Programs Office of Davies Center, and Selika Ducksworth, Department of History, UW-Eau Claire – “Forum Lecture by Paul Rusesabagina-Hotel Rwanda: A Lesson Yet to Be Learned.”
Paul Rusesabagina, the Rwandan hotel manager who saved over 1,200 lives during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, will serve as the catalyst for an extended discussion on genocide. In the afternoon of his arrival on campus, he will meet with the local press, student media groups, and students in journalism classes. He will be in attendance for the showing of Hotel Rwanda, the film about his life and heroism. After the movie, he will present a public forum lecture about his experience, followed by a question and answer period. The day after the lecture, the Student Life and Diversity Commission of the Student Senate will host a Reflections of Humanity Day featuring talks and panel discussion by students, faculty and community members.