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 2006-07 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 2006-07. Funding is for the first year of a four-year cycle (2006-10).
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 students were selected to study Yucatec Maya through the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill program.
3. Provision of financial support, provided by the College of Letters and Science and the U.S. Department of Education, 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. Sixteen faculty received support during 2006-07.
4. Provision of financial support, provided by the College of Letters and Science, to graduate students in their research endeavors. Six students received travel awards during 2006-07.
5. Encouragement, in collaboration with the OPP office of CIE, of study abroad/exchange opportunities for UWM students, particularly interdisciplinary faculty partnerships to develop new programs of study at several locations in Peru, and the development and/or financial support of theme-based Latin American Winterim/Summer course offerings. These courses include: Ecology of Tropical Streams in Costa Rica (w/Biological Sciences, 3 credits) and Mexico: Health, Culture and Wellness (w/Nursing, 3 credits).
6. Teaching of a summer online course Current Topics in Curriculum & Instruction: Using Children's Literature to Explore Latin American/Latino Cultural Heritage (w/C&I, 3 credits): 10 students
7. 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, winterim study tours or research-related travel. One scholarship awarded during 2006-07.
8. Coordination of the Certificate Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Fourteen students enrolled; four students (3/December 2006; 1/May 2007; 0/August 2007) graduated in 2006-07.
9. Participation in planning of new Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies Major which will have an interdisciplinary focus and draw from courses offered in the College of Letters and Science as well as professional schools and colleges. The Preliminary Entitlement to plan is currently circulating through the required offices and committees at UWM. The only remaining steps on campus are at the Academic Program and Curriculum Committee, and the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
10. Support for new course development grants to increase future Latin American course offerings to strengthen the new major (see #9, above), the Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and theme-based overseas course offerings. Seven faculty received support to develop five new courses.
11. Participation in planning of new Spanish-Nursing double major.
12. Support for a member of the Spanish and Portuguese Department to become an ACTFL certified tester in Portuguese (limited certification).
13. Provision of regular contact, information and advice for students whose specialization is in the Latin American studies area.
14. Representation of CLACS (through the Director) in the Center for International Education (as Associate Director).
15. Support of lectures, conferences, symposia, cultural events and workshops with appropriate UWM Departments, Institutes and Centers.
16. Organization of the annual Latin American Film Series (29th) cosponsored with the Department of Film and Union Programming and in collaboration with the Chicago Latino Film Festival.
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. Publication of recent scholarship in the CLACS Occasional Paper Series. Paper #95 published in June, 2007.
21. 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. Ten faculty and four events received support during 2006-07.
22. Operation of an electronic mail listserv to serve as a statewide, regional and national instrument for sharing events and professional development opportunities related to Latin America.
23. Continuation of support for the Spanish component of a System-wide placement test for students of foreign languages.
24. 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.
25. Development and support for a community outreach grants program to encourage program/project partnerships initiated within and for the local community. Three awards granted during 2006-07. Partnerships included Latino Arts, Alterra Coffee Roasters, and the Milwaukee International Film Festival.
26. Support and assistance to regional Latin American studies organizations. The Center serves as secretariat and editor of the Boletín (electronic newsletter) for the North Central Council of Latin Americanists.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Jeffrey Oxford, Chair
Gilberto Blasini
Christopher Davis-Benavides
Michael Day
Donald Hanlon
Jean Hudson, ex-officio
Jonathan Kahl
Mary Kay Madsen
Aims McGuinness
Kristin Ruggiero, ex-officio
Stefan Schnitzer
William Washabaugh

August, 2007