College of Letters and Science Faculty Document No. 559 April 10, 2000 ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE GERMAN STUDIES CERTIFICATE PROGRAM Annual Report, 1999-2000 The German Area Studies Certificate Program committee meets each year to consider all applications for participation in our exchange with the University of Giessen in Germany. In addition, the committee makes recommendations as to which students should receive the merit scholarships that are available to program participants. This year about eight students are studying in Giessen, which is approximately the same as in previous years. The tendency over the past few years is for more students to apply to spend an entire year in Giessen whereas earlier students tended to apply only for a semester. This is thus a positive trend. One of our faculty members, Professor Watson-Madler, recently visited Giessen--among other things--to confer with our exchange partners about the structure of this exchange. A closer association with the Foreign Student Office there (Akademisches Auslandsamt) seems a good idea. The host of courses offered for our students there might be better administrated by the Foreign Student Office as opposed to the Dept. of English at Giessen. This, however, remains up to our exchange partner. The University of Wisconsin System and the State of Hesse (in which Giessen is located) have signed an agreement widening the exchange to the state level. It is to be hoped that in the future our students will be able to choose among the many universities in the State of Hesse system when making plans to study abroad.