The International Studies major is an interdisciplinary major of the UWM College of Letters and Science. More than 120 faculty members in over twenty UWM departments and programs teach courses in International Studies. The program's record of University service goes back more than forty years.

In the past academic year, the IS major sponsored two undergraduate senior seminars, one each semester, for students in the major. These seminars were taught by Robert Beck (CIE) and Donald Pienkos (Political Science). Seminars have been organized for the 2006-2007 academic year and are scheduled to be taught by Professors Bruce Fetter (History) and Yehua Wei (Geography).

In the 2005-2006 academic year, more than eighty students were majoring or minoring in International Studies. They received advising about their programs of study from Professor Pienkos, faculty coordinator of the major, Ms. Andrea Joseph and Ms. Tracy Buss of the Center for International Education. Advising for the International Studies program is in Garland Hall. Again this past year, Dr. Pienkos reviewed the International Studies program with the student advising staff of the College.

During the past year, International Studies students, alumni, and faculty members received two issues of the International Studies Newsletter. These were distributed in August 2005 and January 2006.

Information on the International Studies program was provided at the UWM Open House in October, 2005 and on numerous other occasions. Brochures publicizing the certificate programs with which the major is associated (Russian and East European Studies, Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Asian Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Peace Studies) were distributed during the year.

The International Studies Major sponsored two well-attended and informative visits to UWM by a representative of the United States Department of State, Mr. Anthony Benesch, who spoke about career opportunities in the Foreign Service.

This past academic year, Professor Pienkos worked with the leaders of the Center for International Education and the College of Letters and Science to strengthen the International Studies major in the following ways:

1. An International Studies Faculty Advisory Committee was established in September 2005, and it met twice. The committee provided excellent assistance in thoroughly reviewing the major and approved changes in the program designed to strengthen it for the future. The Committee's members in 2005-2006 were Ellen Amster, Douglas Howland, and Kristin Ruggiero (History); Shale Horowitz, Donald Pienkos, and Steven Redd (Political Science); William Holahan and Hamid Mohtadi (Economics); Bartholomew Armah (Africology, on leave); Robin Pickering -Iazzi (French, Italian, and Comparative Literature); Jennifer Jordan (Sociology); Caroline Seymour-Jorn and Jeanne Schueller (Foreign Languages and Linguistics); and Patrice Petro, Sarah Tully, and Andrea Joseph (Center for International Education). A special subcommittee of UWM Political Science faculty and staff members (Robert Beck, Uk Heo, Shale Horowitz, Donald Pienkos, Steven Redd, and Douglas Savage) also contributed to these changes.
   
   
2. Changes in the major were developed and approved by all UWM oversight bodies; they will go into effect in the 2006-2007 academic year. The changes flowed from recommendations made by International Studies students who took part in assessments of the program over the previous three years, discussions within the Center for International Education, and the meeting sot he International Studies Faculty Advisory Committee. Special thanks go to Patrice Petro, Sara Tully, and Andrea Joseph, and members of the CIE staff for their values advice and assistance in smoothly and speedily effecting the changes. Connie Jo of the College of Letters and Science graciously provided very helpful assistance in every stage of the approval process. A copy of the approved changes is available on request.
   
   
3. Requests for two overload courses among the Political Science courses essential to the major were approved by the Dean of the College for the 2006-2007 academic year. These courses will be taught by Uk Heo (Political Science) in the Fall and Robert Beck (CIE) in the Spring.
   
   
4. The International Studies program is an integral element within the Center for International Education and its Faculty, and the program actively cooperated whenever possible with CIE, its Director, Dr. Patrice Petro, and other CIE representatives. Everyone connected with the International Studies major is committed to working with all UWM programs having an international focus. These include the faculty-directed foreign area studies certificate programs on our campus, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the UWM Institute of World Affairs, the Global Studies degree, and the International Relations Society, a student-directed group on campus.
   
   

Respectfully submitted,

Donald Pienkos
Faculty Coordinator
Department of Political Science

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