UW Milwaukee: College of Letters and ScienceUW-Milwaukee Home PageUW-Milwaukee Home PageUW-Milwaukee: College of Letters and ScienceUW-Milwaukee: College of Letters and Science Faculty/Staff PageUW-Milwaukee: College of Letters and Science Faculty CommitteesUW-Milwaukee: College of Letters and Science

College of Letters and Science Faculty Document No. 694
November 4, 2004

Center for Celtic Studies
Annual Report
2003-2004

1. Introduction

The Center for Celtic Studies provides interdisciplinary and international educational opportunities for UWM students. Our program includes on-campus instruction by UWM and visiting international faculty, as well as study-abroad options in Ireland, Great Britain, and Europe. We provide a wide range of course and research topics relating to cultures--both historical and modern--that share Celtic influence: the early Continental Celts as well as the Breton, Cornish, Galician, Irish, Manx, Scots, and Welsh peoples. Students can concentrate their studies on the Celtic languages, both spoken and written, or they may choose to investigate the broader themes of the Celtic world, such as art, archaeology, literature, history, folklore, music and myth. The Celtic world offers a dynamic forum for the combined study of language, culture, politics, education, and the arts. The Center for Celtic Studies provides enrichment to both UWM students and the community at large through the Certificate Program and the Center's many activities and resources.

2. Center for Celtic Studies Faculty Committees

Advisory Committee

Bettina Arnold, Chair (ex officio)
Associate Professor of Anthropology, UW-Milwaukee
Co-Director, Center for Celtic Studies
E-mail: barnold@uwm.edu
Web Page: www.uwm.edu/~barnold/

Kathy Callahan
Adjunct Assistant Professor of History, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: callahan@uwm.edu

Michael Gillespie
Professor of English, Marquette University
E-mail: GILLESPIEM@marquette.edu
Web Page: www.marquette.edu/english/faculty/gillespie-michael.shtml

John Gleeson, (ex officio)
Senior Lecturer, Ethnic Studies, UW-Milwaukee
Co-Director, Center for Celtic Studies
E-mail: gleeson@uwm.edu

Andrew Kincaid
Assistant Professor of English, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: akincaid@uwm.edu

José Lanters
Professor of English, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: lanters@uwm.edu

James Liddy
Professor of English, UW-Milwaukee

Michael Liston
Associate Professor of Philosophy, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: mnliston@uwm.edu

Nancy Walczyk
Senior Lecturer, English, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: nwalczyk@uwm.edu

Certificate Program Committee

Bettina Arnold, (ex officio) Associate Professor of Anthropology, UW-Milwaukee
Co-Director, Center for Celtic Studies
E-mail: barnold@uwm.edu
Web Page: www.uwm.edu/~barnold/thome.html

George Clark
Associate Professor of English, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: clarkgeo@uwm.edu

John Gleeson, Chair (ex officio)
Senior Lecturer, Ethnic Studies, UW-Milwaukee
Co-Director, Center for Celtic Studies
E-mail: gleeson@uwm.edu

José Lanters
Professor of English, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: lanters@uwm.edu

Michael Noonan
Professor of English, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: noonan@uwm.edu
Web Page: www.uwm.edu/~noonan/

Nancy Walczyk
Senior Lecturer, English, UW-Milwaukee
E-mail: nwalczyk@uwm.edu

The Advisory and Curriculum Committees met four times during the AY 03-04: 10/10/03; 11/20/03; 2/27/04 and 5/7/04. Among other things, the committee discussed curriculum offerings, events scheduling, overseas programs, the electronic journal of the Center, e-Keltoi, and plans for the Midwest American Conference of Irish Studies (ACIS) meeting in Milwaukee in October 2004. The Center's newsletter Triskele appeared twice (May and October), and the Web site was regularly updated with course offerings and events information: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/celtic/.

1.CCS Activities:

The following activities were organized by CCS in 2003-2004:

  • Fall 2003
    1. Fundraising cruise on the Denis Sullivan September 25, 2003.
    2. Samhain Celebration Hefter Center October 31, 2003.
    3. Ceili/Gaelic Language Night co-sponsored with An Cumann Ceilteach (ACC) Greene Hall November 21, 2004
  • Spring 2004
    1. Fiddle workshop with Cape Breton fiddler Natalie McMaster January 29, 2004.
    2. Sean Nos Singing Weekend February 20-21, 2004.
    3. Lord Lyon, Scotland's King of Arms and Keeper of Heraldry. Meetings with students and faculty and lecture Hefter Center February 24, 2004.
    4. St. David's Day Celebration Hefter Center March 1, 2004.
    5. Lecture by folklorist Padhraigin Clancy Sabin Hall March 4, 2004.
    6. St. Patrick's Day program Union Concourse March 15, 2004.
    7. Tea, talk, and ballad singing session with Irish singer Tom Sweeney UWM Library March 16, 2004.
    8. Author discussion and book signing UWM Library April 21, 2004, featuring Marty Hintz (The Irish in Milwaukee) and Ruth Schwertfeger (The Wee Wild One).
    9. Co-sponsored reception at the Gold Meir Library to celebrate Mary Donald's donation of the 1633 edition of Spenser's View of the State of Ireland April 23, 2004.
    10. Liddy Chair Visiting Poet Mike Begnall May 7, 2004.
    11. Co-sponsored Irish Cultural Heritage Center's Noted Speaker Series April 29 (Artist Brian Kennedy) and May 11 (Irish musician Peter Browne).
    12. Certificate Awards Ceremony Hefter Center with Irish Consul Eoin Lawlor and folk musician Andy Irvine May 14, 2004.
    13. Co-sponsored the 10th Annual Irish Language Weekend Conradh na Gaeilge.

2. Status of the Program:

A.
  1. Number of students enrolled in CCS courses: 540
  2. Number of students enrolled in the certificate program to date: 43
  3. Number of students receiving certificates in 2003-2004: 11
  4. Gateway course 2003-2004 enrollment: 16
  5. List of courses offered.
    • Fall 2003
      • Anthropology 306, European Archaeology
      Dance 370, Dances of the World: Irish Step Dance
      English 275, Forms of Folk Literature: Celtic Myth and Legend
      English 466, Joyce
      English 519, Studies in Irish-American Literature: Reflections of Ireland/Irish America
      Ethnic St 133, Celtic Crossings: Cultural Overview of the Celtic World
      Ethnic St, Irish Folk Beliefs and Religious Practices
      Ethnic St 250, Song Traditions of the Celtic World
      German 647, The German-Irish Connection
      History 353, Ireland Since 1600: Colony to Independent State
      Linguistics 131, First Semester Irish
      Linguistics 132, Second Semester Irish
      Linguistics 231, Third Semester Irish
    • Spring 2004
      • Art History 299, Medieval Irish Art
      Dance 370, Dances of the World: Irish Step Dance
      English 306, Irish Literature
      English 814 ,Seminar in Irish Literature
      Ethnic St 250, The Green Screen: World of Irish Cinema
      Ethnic St 250, Song Traditions of the Celtic World
      History 200, The Civil Strife in Northern Ireland
      History 235, English History to 1688
      Linguistics 131, First Semester Irish
      Linguistics 132, Second Semester Irish
      Linguistics 231, Third Semester Irish
  6. New courses: German 647; History 353; Limerick Summer 2004 Study Abroad Program
  7. Overseas programs.
    • Spring 2004 Colmcille Semester Abroad.
    • Summer 2004 Study Abroad program in Limerick (Music and Dance) June 13-July 2.
    • Summer 2004 Study Abroad program in Donegal (Irish Language and Culture) July 9-31.
    • Planning for a UWinteriM program in Dublin and Edinburgh in 2005.
  8. E-Keltoi: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/celtic/ekeltoi/
    • Significant progress was made on editing the 21 articles for Volume 6, the special issue on "The Celts in the Iberian Peninsula".
    • The journal was supported by a Project Assistantship funded by the Graduate School in the Spring 2004 semester.
    • A Reviews section was added to the journal.
    • The number of visitors to the sites and number of downloads continues to increase.

B.

  1. Effectiveness of the Committees' roles: The Committees continue to play a crucial role in the development of the curriculum, planning of events and programming, and the journal.
  2. Future plans:
    1. Continue to create and provide opportunities for CCS students to participate and attend events and activities of interest to the field
    2. An Archaeological Fieldschool on Achill may be made available to students interested in spending a six week term learning field techniques during the summer months, and a one week Spring Break program on Achill is also being investigated.
    3. A new proposal to the Irish Government will include requests for continuing Irish language instruction funding as well as possible funds for a Visiting Gaeltacht Scholar and a Student Research and Travel Grant.
    4. Publicize the electronic journal widely once the special issue on "The Celts in the Iberian Peninsula" is on-line in full.
    5. Increase student enrollment in the CCS gateway course "Celtic Crossings," which has already doubled its enrollment since its debut in Fall 2003.

August 26, 2004


UWM Home Page  |  L&S Home Page  |  L&S Faculty/Staff  |  L&S Committees

Send your questions and comments to the L&S Web Team.

© 2003 UWM-College of Letters and Science
Last Updated: October 29, 2004

 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee