Faculty Advisory Committee of
The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS)
Annual Report
2003-2004

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 2003-04 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 2003-04. Funding is for the first year of a new three-year cycle (2003-06).
   
   
2. Acquisition of two summer FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships for graduate students. Fellowships cover tuition and a stipend for language study in the U.S. or abroad. Two fellowships awarded for summer 2004.
   
   
3. Receipt of federal funds (HEA Title VI) for program support for year two of the 2003-06 cycle. CLACS also received FLAS graduate fellowships (two) for summer 2005.
   
   
4. Participation in grant writing with UWM faculty and staff members to secure extramural funding for international programs.
   
   
5. Provision of financial support, provided by the College of Letters and Science, to Center affiliated faculty in their research endeavors. Center support of faculty research proposals has produced significant output in curriculum development, publications and promising applications for extramural funding. Fifteen faculty members received support during 2003-04.
   
   
6. Provision of financial support, provided by the College of Letters and Science, to graduate students in their research endeavors. Five students received travel awards during 2003-04.
   
   
7. Encouragement, in collaboration with the OPP office of CIE, 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 and/or financial support of theme-based Latin American UWinteriM/Summer course offerings, especially in conjunction with professional schools and collages. These courses include: Cross-Cultural Health Care Services in Mexico (w/Health Sciences, 3 credits); Ecology of Tropical Streams in Costa Rica (w/Biological Sciences, 3 credits); Mexico and Cuba: Comparative Globalization (w/English, 3 credits); Peru Today (w/PSOA, 6 credits); Public Education in Argentina: The Influence of History, Politics and Culture on Curriculum and Instruction (w/Education, 3 credits, financial support from CLACS); and, Urban Environmental Change in Guatemala (w/Geography, 3 credits, financial support from CLACS).
   
   
8. Support for a pre-departure Spanish language immersion component for nine visual arts students participating in a six-credit overseas summer course Peru Today.
   
   
9. Support for an ad hoc course, Spanish for Reading Knowledge, to provide doctoral students in the English program an opportunity for specialized language training to meet the departmental foreign language reading proficiency requirement.
   
   
10. Administration of the Donald R. Shea Scholarship in Latin American and Caribbean Studies providing support for undergraduate students to participate in UWM's study abroad programs, UWinteriM study tours or research-related travel. Two scholarships awarded during 2003-04.
    
    
11. Coordination of the Certificate Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
    
    
12. Provision of regular contact, information and advice for students whose specialization is in the Latin American studies area.
    
    
13. Representation of CLACS (through the Director) on the BAGS committee and in the Center for International Education (as Associate Director and as Academic and Outreach Programs Advisory Committee Chair).
    
    
14. Support of lectures, conferences, symposia, concerts and workshops with appropriate UWM Departments, Institutes and Centers.
    
    
15. Organization of the annual Latin American Film Series (26th) cosponsored with the Department of Film and Union Programming and in collaboration with the Chicago Latino Film Festival.
    
    
16. Redesign of the CLACS website and inclusion of CLACS publications in downloadable format.
    
    
17. Continuation of support for library acquisitions at UWM and other public and private institutions in the Upper Midwest.
    
    
18. Support for an institutional membership to the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin Americanist Library Materials (SALALM).
    
    
19. 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).
    
    
20. Continuation of support to affiliated regional faculty members and Latin American programs and events at regional public and private institutions through annual travel award and program support competitions as well as an electronic newsletter serving this regional network. Four faculty and two events received support during 2003-04.
    
    
21. Operation of an electronic mail listserv to serve as a statewide, regional and national instrument for sharing news/events/opportunities related to Latin America.
    
    
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 proficiency-based assessment in writing skills for high school and post-secondary foreign language educators.
    
    
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. Development and support for a community outreach grants program to encourage program/project partnerships initiated within and for the local community. Two awards granted during 2003-04 for a collaborative installation reflecting ideas relating to migration and diaspora and a public lecture on people of African descent in Venezuela.
    
    
25. Support and assistance to regional Latin American studies organizations. The Center serves as secretariat for the North Central Council of Latin Americanists.
    
    
    

Respectfully submitted,

William Washabaugh, Chair
Gilberto Blasini
Michael Day
Raoul Deal
Tim Ehlinger
Christina Ewig
Nikolas Heynen
Jean Hudson, ex-officio
Ismael Márquez
Aims McGuinness
Kristin Ruggiero, ex-officio
Harry Van Oudenallen

August, 2004