UW-Milwaukee - College of Letters and Science

College of Letters and Science Faculty Document No. 761
November 29, 2007

Certificate Program in ancient Mediterranean Studies
Annual Report, 2006-2007

  1. Introduction

    The Certificate Program in Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS) was officially implemented in September 2003 with the aim of providing UWM undergraduates with a carefully structured interdisciplinary program for the study of the cultures and societies of the ancient Mediterranean world and their neighbors, with particular emphasis on Greece, Italy, Europe, North Africa, and the Near East.

    AY 2006-2007 was the fourth year for CAMS.

  2. Status of the Program
    1. Current Enrollment
      As of 8-27-2007, 26 students were enrolled in the program, including one graduate student and 25 undergraduate students.
    2. New Enrollment
      6 new students enrolled in CAMS in AY 2006-2007. 2 students enrolled in Fall 2006, 4 enrolled in Spring 2007
    3. Students Completing the Certificate
      2 students completed the CAMS certificate in AY 2006-2007.
  3. Administration of the Program
    1. CAMS Advisory Committee (AC):
      In AY 2006-2007 the AC consisted of six faculty members, one student representative, and one member ex-officio:

      Bettina Arnold, Anthropology
      Jessica Dietzler, Student Representative
      Derek Counts, Art History
      Kevin Muse, FLL/Classics (Coordinator)
      Carlos R. Galvao-Sobrinho, History
      Richard Monti, FLL/Classics
      Charles Schuster, Associate Dean (ex-officio)
      Richard Tierney, Philosophy

    2. CAMS Program Coordinator
      The Program Coordinator and Chair of AC meetings in AY 2006-2007 was Kevin Muse, Assistant Professor of Classics, Dept. of Foreign Languages and Linguistics. AY 2006-2007 was Dr. Muse's third year as Program Coordinator.
    3. Advisory Committee Meetings
      The AC met twice during AY 2006-2007, on Sept. 22, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. and on April 26, 2007 at 12:30 p.m.
    4. Student Petitions to the AC
      There were two student petitions to the AC in AY 2006-2007. One student petitioned to be allowed to substitute Classics 304, Pompeii, for History 308, History of the Roman Empire. Another student petitioned to receive three Art History credits for participating in an archaeological field course at Tel Rehov in Israel in the summer of 2007. The committee approved both petitions.
    5. New Issues Considered by the CAMS Advisory Committee
      1. The addition of a Current Students feature to the CAMS website, complementing the current Alumni feature.
      2. The AC considered developing a seminar for students considering graduate study in a CAMS-related field. This effort might also be supported by a feature on the CAMS website offering advice for students preparing to go to graduate school.
      3. The Coordinator anticipates that action on these matters will be taken during AY 2007-2008.
    6. Financial Matters
      $200 of CAMS funds were used to pay Robert Hohlfelder for his lecture on April 2 (see below), which was a joint CAMS/WAMS event.
  4. CAMS Events and Activities

    Lectures and Seminars
    CAMS students participated in the following lectures and seminars, which were organized and/or delivered by CAMS faculty members in conjunction with the Working Group in Ancient Mediterranean Studies (WAMS) or the Milwaukee Society of the American Institute of Archaeology (AIA):

    Erin Averett (Lawrence University)
    "Idols and Sacred Images: the Use of Terracotta Figurines in Early Greek Religion" (WAMS Seminar)
    Friday, February 9; 3-5 pm (CRT 939)

    Cynthia Shelmerdine (Dept. of Classics, The University of Texas at Austin)
    "Unearthing the Mycenaeans" (free AIA lecture; CAMS students encouraged to attend)
    Sunday, March 25, 2007, 3:00pm (G90, Sabin Hall)

    Robert Hohlfelder (Professor of History University of Colorado at Boulder)
    "Experimental Archaeology and Roman Harbor Studies" (WAMS/CAMS public lecture)
    Monday, April 2; 6:00 pm (Sabin G90)

    Laura Chioffi (Professor of History and Epigraphy University of Naples 2)
    "Nero and Rome" (WAMS/CAMS public lecture)
    (public lecture in Italian with simultaneous English translation)
    Wednesday, April 4; 11:00 am (Mitchell 195)

    Laura Chioffi (Seconda Universita' degli studi di Napoli)
    "Signori e case signorili nella campagna di Roma antica" (WAMS Seminar)
    Thursday, April 5, 3-5 pm (CRT 939)

  5. Summary

    In conclusion, AY 2006-2007 has been another successful year for CAMS. With our broad range of courses on the ancient Mediterranean world we continue to generate substantial student and community interest in our program. Enrollments remain strong. Through our links with the Working Group in Ancient Mediterranean Studies (WAMS) and the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), we have been able to offer a variety of extracurricular activities for certificate students. We are confident that CAMS is making a positive contribution to the university's offerings and its image in the community, and we look forward to furthering the aims of the program in the coming year.