College of Letters and Science Faculty Document No. 560 April 10, 2000 ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE SCANDINAVIAN STUDIES CERTIFICATE PROGRAM Annual Report, 1999-2000 Thanks most especially to the hard work and talents of Jennifer Watson-Madler, and the support of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Scandinavian Studies has continued to develop this past year. Since Professor Watson-Madler now has a tenure-track position in the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, we shall be able to keep building on the solid base that she has established with her work in Swedish. She has now brought instruction in the Swedish language up to the third and fourth semester level. We do not yet have these courses listed in the bulletin, so she taught them as independent studies. She carried this through as an overload in the fall, although thanks to Prof. Garry Davis's efficient support, FLL managed to arrange it as one of her courses in the spring. Despite the anomaly of not even having appropriate course numbers, we have ten solid students in the class, most of whom would like to continue with Swedish. This has to count as an excellent result in our re-establishing an active program after a long hiatus. Prof. Watson-Madler will probably offer a reading course (independent study) next year. At present, there is no plan to offer Beginning Swedish again. Since we are now taking positive steps to institute an exchange program with Malardalen University in Sweden, it seems wise to move energetically to keep up the momentum with this language instruction. Maintaining continuity will work well in giving students the assurance that we are now serious about supporting their interest in this area, and that can be expected to produce further expansion in enrollments. The prospects for exchange students in Sweden look very attractive both for the educational experience, and for future careers involving relations with the Baltic region. Besides Swedish courses, Professor Watson-Madler has organized a variety of other educational and cultural activities. We have had a coffee table where participants have spoken Swedish each week--and speakers of other Scandinavian languages have come as well. We've shown some films, such as My Life as a Dog and Best Intentions, and provided traditional entertainment for the Christmas season--celebrating Santa Lucia with Swedish food and dancing. This semester we plan to celebrate May Day in traditional Scandinavian style. She will also be leading a group to see the play, Nora, which is being performed during the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies conference in Madison this year. The head of the Swedish Institute will be coming to campus on May 10th. Professor Watson-Madler's Vikings course is being offered this summer and we now have a core of students who will be able to read the texts in the original, if they so choose. Jack Johnson has approached Profs. Davis and Watson-Madler about teaching a course to area businessmen on how to deal with Swedes and Germans in business. We also now are in a position where we could offer some Scandinavian literature courses, beginning with one on Ibsen and Strindberg. This would keep the students moving ahead in their facility with the language and deepening their understanding of the culture. The recent visit by representatives of Malardalen University and the discussions that they have held with CIS and Deans Kroncke and Goodman concerning an exchange relationship presage a new period of development at all levels in relations with the Scandinavian Region. This will give us exactly the foundation we need here to establish ties, and I hope that we all work hard to make the most of the opportunity. Finally, in view of the responsibility she has carried in rebuilding the study of Swedish, and the initiative she has shown in supporting Scandinavian Studies since she has been working here at UWM, the Advisory Committee has asked Professor Watson-Madler to take over as Coordinator of the Program, which she has kindly agreed to do. Respectfully submitted, Marcus Bullock, Coordinator