UWM College of Letters and Science
College of Letters and Science Faculty Document No. 599
November 1, 2001

2000-2001
The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Annual Report


The Faculty Advisory Committee of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies is pleased to report to the College faculty that the Center has continued to make significant contributions to campus internationalization during the current academic year. Specifically, we would like to note the following achievements:

  1. Acquisition of federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education (HEA Title VI) to support the Center's programs during 2000-01. Funding is for the first year of our current three-year cycle (2000-03).


  2. Acquisition of two summer FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships for graduate students. These Fellowships, received for the first time, cover tuition and a stipend for language study in the U.S. or abroad.


  3. Provision of financial support, provided by the College of Letters and Science, to faculty members of the Center in their research endeavors. Center support of faculty research proposals has produced significant publication results as well as promising applications for extramural funding.


  4. Provision of funding and staff assistance to departments and professional schools in support of their graduate and undergraduate instructional programs.


  5. Encouragement of study abroad/exchange opportunities for UWM students, particularly the undergraduate semester/academic year program of study at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, and the development of Latin American Winterim offerings.


  6. Assistance for a three-credit Study Tour to Cuba offered during the UWinteriM term. Adjunct Professor Stan Wreski (Architecture) and Center Outreach and Academic Program Coordinator Julie Kline served as co-group leaders.


  7. Administration of the Donald R. Shea Scholarship in Latin American and Caribbean Studies providing support for undergraduate/graduate students to participate in UWM's study abroad programs, winterim study tours or research-related travel. Two scholarships were awarded during 2000-01.


  8. Coordination of the Certificate Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.


  9. Provision of regular contact, information and advice for students whose specialization is in the Latin American studies area.


  10. Representation of CLACS (through the Director) on the BAGS committee and in the Center for International Education (as Associate Director and as Campus and Community Programs Advisory Committee Chair).


  11. Representation of CLACS (through the Director) in the hiring of new faculty, several with a Latin American focus, in the interdisciplinary global studies program.


  12. Coordination of the Global Environmental Health Unit (CLACS Director) of the Institute of Environmental Health, a Milwaukee Idea initiative.


  13. Support of lectures, conferences, symposia, concerts and workshops with appropriate UWM Departments, Institutes and Centers.


  14. Coordination and organization of an international conference on The Jewish Diaspora in Latin America. Additional funding support provided by both campus and community organizations.


  15. Support for the annual Latin American Film Series cosponsored with the Department of Film and Union Programming and in collaboration with the Chicago Latino Film Festival.


  16. Continuation of support for library acquisitions at UWM and other public and private institutions in the Upper Midwest.


  17. Support for an institutional membership to the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin Americanist Library Materials (SALALM).


  18. Coordination of the Américas Award given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction published in English or Spanish that focus upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere. The award is sponsored by the national Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP).


  19. Continuation of support to UW System faculty members and Latin American programs and events at regional public and private institutions including an annual travel award competition and a newsletter serving this network.


  20. Operation of an electronic mail listserv and an expanded web site to serve as a statewide, regional and national instrument for sharing news/events/opportunities related to Latin America.


  21. Continuation of gatherings for Milwaukee area Latin Americanists to meet and share ideas and research in progress.


  22. Continuation of support for the Spanish component of a System-wide placement test for students of foreign languages as well as support for training in oral proficiency interviewing and competency-based teaching and testing techniques.


  23. Provision of services and professional development opportunities to elementary, secondary, and college teachers and students in the region through workshops in Latin American language and area studies, and continued development of the instructional materials collection within the Center's Media Collection.


  24. Support for the 2000-01 Fellows Program sponsored by the Wisconsin International Outreach Consortium (WIOC) consisting of Madison and Milwaukee Title VI Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. These grants support regional K-12 and post secondary educators in projects enhancing global and international studies curriculum and resource development.


  25. Support and assistance to regional Latin American studies organizations. The Center serves as secretariat for the North Central Council of Latin Americanists.


  26. Participation in planning for a national outreach conference, in collaboration with all Wisconsin Title VI centers, to be held in Madison in May 2002.


Respectfully submitted,

Howard Handelman, Chair
Kristin Ruggiero, ex officio
Christopher Davis-Benavides
Harry Van Oudenallen
Kristin Espinosa
William Washabaugh
Lance Grahn, Marquette University
Julio Rodríguez-Luis

August, 2001


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