**Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program**

**FY 2006 Abstracts**

Integrating Latin American Studies into the University's Strategic Plan

**University of Texas---Pan American**

Our project aims to strengthen and to reposition Latin American studies
at the University of Texas---Pan American (UTPA) so that the program
assumes a prominent role amid the tremendous growth of the university
and the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), which it serves. The LRGV region
has developed into a major gateway for trade and population movements
between the U.S. and Latin America, and has one of the fastest growing
populations in the nation. UTPA, which is second in the nation in the
numbers of undergraduate degrees awarded to Latinos, is expected to
double its annual enrollment by 2015. To meet the needs of the growing
population, and to build on the university's tradition of bridging the
U.S. and Latin America, UTPA's president has set a goal of enhancing
inter-American and global perspectives throughout the university
community, one of six strategic goals over the next five years. We will
meet that goal by transforming Latin American studies into an
institutional force that can underpin and complement initiatives
throughout the university's various academic divisions.

Our project involves the collaboration of eighteen faculty members,
representing ten different departments and five of UTPA's six colleges,
and has three major foci:

(1) Developing new, innovative courses on Latin America. This effort
    will result in four new courses on Latin America, including a
    capstone course for the Latin American studies major, two courses in
    the social sciences, and an introductory colloquium on Latin America
    in the humanities. We will design the colloquium for entering
    students, and offer it as a new option within the core curriculum.
    In addition, we will redesign sections of the two American history
    courses required of all entering students, as part of UTPA's
    learning communities initiative, so that students can pursue a
    comparative, bilingual history of the Americas.

(2) Establishing a cutting-edge program for Portuguese language
    acquisition. Building on and complementing existing language
    programs, this effort will begin with the development of a new
    two-semester course, Portuguese for Spanish speakers. Our plan for
    the second year is to hire a tenure-track specialist in Brazilian
    studies, who will offer courses in Brazilian literature and culture
    in the target language.

(3) Creating two new interdisciplinary concentrations within the Latin
    American studies major: Brazilian Studies and Public Health. This
    innovation, which offers specializations that are not available
    through any other UTPA program, is designed to have maximum impact,
    by attracting more students to the major, drawing more faculty
    members into the program, and increasing the number of upper-level
    courses with an emphasis on Latin America. The concentration in
    Brazilian studies will require the redesign of three existing
    courses in different departments, and the addition of a new
    tenure-track specialist in Brazilian studies will sustain faculty
    collaboration on this new concentration for the long term. The
    concentration in public health will involve the redesign of four
    existing courses, and the development of a new Spanish language
    course for health professionals and a field research component in
    Reynosa, Mexico.

In conjunction with the activities outlined above, we will increase the
library's holdings of material related to Brazil and public health in
Latin America, strengthen UTPA's relationship with a Brazilian
university through faculty visits, initiate a series of lectures by
experts from other universities, host four in-service training programs
for a total of sixty high school teachers, and implement effective
evaluative measures for all aspects of the Latin American studies
program.

Strengthening Islamic and Middle East/South Asia Studies

### University of California, Davis

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) proposes to strengthen
international and foreign language studies and to meet critical student,
faculty, and national needs in the areas of Islam, the Middle East,
South Asia, and in Arabic and Hindi/Urdu languages. The objectives of
this project are to expand the newly established Minor and develop the
proposed Major in Middle East/South Asia Studies (ME/SA) through
curricular and faculty development. Curricular development will be
achieved by launching Arabic and Hindi/Urdu instruction; hiring two
faculty for the campus initiative on Islam, Culture and Society;
introducing 21 new courses, and revising 15 current courses on Islam and
ME/SA. The faculty development activities will intensify faculty
expertise on Islam and ME/SA by engaging faculty in quarterly
development seminars, annual lecture series, and conferences; funding
faculty to travel to ME/SA countries to gather teaching materials and
develop scholarly exchanges; mentoring junior ME/SA faculty; linking
ME/SA and non-ME/SA faculty as "course partners" to assist non-experts
in adding course content on Islam and ME/SA; and fostering K-12 faculty
development through summer training workshops on Islam and ME/SA.

UC Davis has created an innovative program -- the first in the
University of California system and one of the few in the country --
that rethinks area studies by linking two crucial world regions -- the
Middle East and South Asia -- in one curriculum. Studying the Middle
East and South Asia in relationship to each other sheds critical light
on complex historical and pressing contemporary religious, social,
political, and economic issues in a region of the world, which always
has been connected. The urgency for understanding is felt by UC Davis
administration, faculty, and students who enthusiastically established
the ME/SA Studies Program in 2004. In its first year, 1,052 students
enrolled in the 21 offered courses supporting the ME/SA Minor, and 874
students signed a petition requesting Arabic and Hindi/Urdu instruction.
Further reflecting campus-wide support for this project is the fact that
34 faculty from nine different academic programs in four different
divisions are participating in the proposed activities, and nine
different administrative offices and institutes contributed to the UC
Davis matching funds. The project will increase course offerings for
ME/SA by 88 percent. It will increase non-European foreign language
instruction at UC Davis by 100 percent, and allow the proposed Major to
require two years of competency in an area language. It will intensify
the expertise in Islam and ME/SA of the 22 ME/SA faculty, 12 non-ME/SA
faculty, and 50 K-12 teachers. This project will have a significant
impact on and beyond the campus through the engagement of national and
international scholars with UC Davis faculty, students, and the
Davis/Sacramento public. The national and international imperative for
competency in Arabic and Hindi/Urdu and understanding Islam and the
Middle East/South Asia drives this proposal which will bring the study
of 2.5 billion (30 percent) of the world's peoples to this historically
science-oriented campus. This UISFL grant is key to making a permanent
place for Middle East/South Asia Studies at UC Davis, transforming its
institutional culture to meet its responsibilities as a global
university in the 21st century.

Enhancing International Education for a 21^st^ Century Curriculum

**Johnson County Community College**

Johnson County Community College (JCCC), the third largest institution
of higher education in Kansas, is a comprehensive community college in
the metropolitan Kansas City area. It enrolls more than 18,000 credit
students and a similar number in continuing education programs and
activities. For years JCCC's mission has included a commitment to
diversity, to sharing resources and ideas internationally and broadly to
expanding the opportunities for personal growth and cultural enrichment
of every college constituency. The college has been willing to advance
that mission through the commitment of resources, both financial and
human. Enhancing International Education for a 21^st^ Century Curriculum
seeks to build on the existing foundation of courses and programs at the
college and to develop areas that are underrepresented in the existing
curriculum. The greatest area of need is in the inclusion of content
related to the Muslim world. Although attention to Islam and to Muslim
countries is evident in courses in Western Civilization and World
History, the absence of such content in other areas of the curriculum is
apparent. This grant project is designed to address this challenge
through four primary objectives. These include:

> 1\. The growth and development of faculty knowledge and expertise
> about the Muslim world through a directed seminar series and the
> expansion of print and media resources on Islam, Arabic language, and
> the cultures of the Islamic world;
>
> 2\. The addition of significant content to the curriculum through the
> creation of fifteen modules and nine new courses that focus on Arabic,
> Islam, and Islamic cultures;
>
> 3\. The development of three new Learning Communities that bring
> together language (Arabic, Chinese, and Russian) and culture studies
> during the first two years of undergraduate study. Each Learning
> Community will include content on Islam and Muslim populations in the
> respective cultures;

4.  The development and expansion of overseas opportunities and on-line
    course for

> students and faculty to study language and to experience the cultures
> of the Middle East and Central and South Asia.

The two-year project will produce an enhanced foreign language program
and create a more inclusive and vital curriculum for our students and
our community.

Asian Studies Program

**East Carolina University**

East Carolina University (ECU) proposes to create a multidisciplinary
Asian Studies Program. This program will explore, from the perspectives
of various disciplines, a variety of Asian cultures.

**Curriculum Enhancement**

> We will propose templates for Asian Studies concentrations for the
> Multidisciplinary Studies Major. We propose to expand the courses
> available by creating seven new Asian Studies content courses and at
> least seven courses revised with new Asian Studies units. This
> expansion will enhance the Asian Studies minor established two years
> ago and the International Studies minor. We will also establish at
> least two undergraduate study abroad or exchange opportunities in
> Asia. We will solidify the Japanese language and literature program
> with the hiring of a full-time faculty member and add Chinese by
> hiring a part-time faculty member. We will tie first year of Chinese
> to an intensive intermediate Chinese language program in China. We
> will establish an e-learning consortium with at least two other
> University of North Carolina institutions to distribute Japanese and
> Chinese courses. We will link our Asian Studies program to our Russian
> Studies program. We will establish a digitized database of images
> provided by faculty members. We will select and procure appropriate
> research and instructional materials for our library.

**Faculty Development**

> We will expand our Asian Studies Advisory Board. We will establish an
> Asian Studies Forum that will meet at least twice a year for
> presentations by project participants and visiting Council for
> International Exchange of Scholars (CIES). Faculty members with Asian
> Studies expertise or experience will compete for summer stipends and
> funds for research/curriculum development stays. A total of eight
> awards will be made.

**Outreach Activities**

> In addition to the Asian Forum, we will establish an Asian cultural
> series including a film festival. We will develop an Asian Studies web
> page. We will also undertake at least two outreach projects each
> semester with the eastern North Carolina community including workshops
> in area public schools. We will establish at least one exchange
> between Chinese public school teachers (K-12) and their counterparts
> in North Carolina public schools.

Strengthening Components, Strengthening Connections in International
Studies

##### Butler University

Butler University seeks funding from the UISFL Program in order to
strengthen key components of international studies -- in the core
curriculum, in the regional and foreign language concentrations of the
international studies major, and in study abroad. We also seek to
systematically strengthen the connections among these components so they
are mutually reinforcing. We will focus our efforts on two critical
world regions -- Latin America and Asia.

The University has just completed the most comprehensive review and
redesign of its core curriculum in more than two decades. The new core
framework, which takes "Self, Community, World" as its organizing
principle, includes a six-credit requirement at the sophomore level in
"Global and Historical Studies." Our project responds to the opportunity
for interdisciplinary faculty teams to create new courses for this
requirement. Three faculty teams will work with outside experts to
develop and then regularly teach courses titled "Frontiers in Latin
America," "East Asian Interactions," and "South Asian Civilizations."
Sections of these courses will enroll 300 or more students each year.

A second component of our proposal involves support for the development
of nine completely new courses (and the enhancement of several existing
courses) for the Latin American and Asian regional concentrations of the
international studies major. Butler has made several new faculty
appointments in Latin American and Asian studies in recent years. UISFL
support will enable us to rapidly develop new upper division courses
about these regions. We will also add Portuguese to the university's
language offerings. This will reinforce other initiatives involving the
study of Brazil.

We will link these developments in the core curriculum and the
international studies major with the expansion of study abroad/exchange
opportunities in Latin America and Asia. Butler's Office of
International Programs will work closely with the three core course
development teams and their outside consultants to identify and develop
relationships with promising exchange partner universities in Mexico,
Brazil, Japan, and India.

These initiatives are designed to be mutually reinforcing. The new core
courses will be developed as gateways into more advanced area studies
and foreign language courses. All courses will encourage students to
undertake language study and to participate in study abroad or exchange
programs in Latin America or Asia. And when students return from periods
of study abroad, they will make presentations about their experiences in
the respective core courses and upper division area studies courses.

Our project represents a close collaboration between International
Studies, an interdisciplinary academic major of the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences, and the university-wide Office of International
Programs, which is responsible for study abroad and exchange programs as
well as international faculty and curriculum development projects. This
collaboration will insure strong academic leadership for curriculum
development and strong administrative leadership for budgetary and
logistical oversight and the establishment of international
partnerships.

Development of a Latin American Studies Program

**Viterbo University**

Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the
United States. Even in rural areas and small towns in the Midwest, the
Hispanic population is growing far more rapidly than all other racial
and ethnic groups. It is within this context that Viterbo University
proposes to develop a Latin American Studies (LAS) minor, which will be
accessible to all students, but especially those in professional fields.

A small private liberal arts institution in western Wisconsin, Viterbo
welcomes all students and strives to prepare them for a future
characterized by interdependence, globalization, and unprecedented
change. Viterbo awards baccalaureate degrees in 51 majors in the schools
of Letters and Science, Fine Arts, Education, Business, and Nursing.

By developing this new Latin American Studies minor and through the
associated activities of this grant project, Viterbo aims to serve its
1,900 undergraduates in the following four ways: 1) enrich and
internationalize the selection of general education offerings; 2) create
new study abroad and exchange opportunities in Latin America; 3)
strengthen the Spanish Department and improve language instruction; and
4) enhance cultural sensitivity in professionals serving an increasingly
Spanish-speaking population in the United States.

To support the minor, faculty will develop and teach Latin American
Studies coursework, suitable for general education credit, within the
fields of broad field social studies, business, dietetics, environmental
studies, literature, nursing, philosophy, and social work. Spanish
language teaching and learning will be strengthened through the
development of three courses tailored for professional program students
(Spanish for Business, Spanish for Health Care, and Spanish for Social
Services), plus two courses suitable for Spanish majors and applicable
to the LAS minor: Latin American Films and Literature, and Contemporary
Issues in Latin America.

Faculty and key administration have designed a practical, cost effective
two-year project consisting of the following eight interwoven and
mutually supporting activities:

-   Build expertise among 13 faculty members through a comprehensive
    Summer Institute designed and implemented by the University of
    Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies,
    a U.S. of Department of Education National Resource Center;

-   Form a Faculty Learning Community to promote knowledge development,
    community building, interdisciplinarity and the scholarship of
    teaching and learning;

-   Support faculty in the development of 10 new courses on the history,
    culture and issues of Latin America, available to all students as
    General Education courses, which may be elected to fulfill the new
    minor in Latin American Studies;

-   Develop a new summer study abroad opportunity in South America
    tailored to the needs of professional program students, plus new
    practicum experiences in Nursing and Dietetics;

-   Strengthen Spanish language education through the development of
    five new courses to better serve professional program students and
    Spanish majors;

-   Build capacity in the Spanish department and strengthen the new
    minor through the hiring of a new position, professor of Latin
    American Studies;

-   Heighten excitement and interest on campus through extracurricular
    activities, namely a humanities symposium on Latin American culture
    and issues and a Latin American performing arts ensemble residency;
    and

-   Evaluate at every step the success of this project, through
    formative and summative evaluation of project, program, and course
    outcomes.

Strengthening Global Studies and World Languages

### California State University - San Marcos

California State University -- San Marcos (CSUSM) is applying for a
Title VI-A grant in order to enhance the breadth and quality of its
Global Studies and World Languages programs. The Global Studies program
currently offers an interdisciplinary minor consisting of courses drawn
from nine different departments and plans to offer a major in Fall 2008.
Title VI and University funds will be used to broaden the Global Studies
course curriculum, enhance faculty skills in interdisciplinary
curriculum development and teaching methods, increase the number and
frequency of upper-division French and German course offerings, and
initiate an Arabic language program.

In 2006-07, federal funds will pay for a curriculum development
mini-grant competition designed to increase the disciplinary variety of
courses in two geographic areas: the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Six faculty from disciplines currently underrepresented in the Global
Studies curriculum will each be awarded a \$1000 stipend to create a new
course for one of these geographic areas. During 2007-08, a similar
competition will make six \$1000 stipends available to Global Studies
faculty interested in either revising an existing course to make it more
interdisciplinary, or creating a new interdisciplinary course
altogether. Both competitions will directly contribute to a broader and
more dynamic Global Studies curriculum.

The second element of CSUSM's Title VI-A project is an organized effort
to enhance the interdisciplinary curriculum development and pedagogical
skills of the CSUSM faculty. During the Fall 2006 semester core Global
Studies faculty will participate in two workshops run by an external
consultant. Workshop participants will learn how to create and teach
high quality interdisciplinary courses with global content. While
undergoing this training, participants will develop the syllabi for the
interdisciplinary core of the Program: GBST 100 Introduction to Global
Studies; GBST 300 Global Economics, Politics, and Society; and GBST 400
Senior Seminar. During the Spring 2007 semester, three Global Studies
faculty who participated in the workshop will team teach GBST 100, and
three will team teach GBST 300. The combination of workshop training and
team teaching will give a critical mass of Global Studies faculty the
expertise and experience necessary to offer the interdisciplinary core
courses of the Global Studies program individually in the future. In
addition, these faculty will offer four internal workshops in 2007-08 in
order to help other CSUSM and local community college faculty learn how
to infuse their courses with interdisciplinary global content. A
combination of federal and University funds will pay for the costs of
this effort.

The third component of CSUSM's Title VI-A project is a plan to
strengthen and expand foreign language instruction at the University.
Title VI and university funds will be used to hire a new lecturer in
French and German, a new tenure track faculty member in French, and a
lecturer in Arabic. The hire of a new lecturer in French and German, as
well as a new tenure line faculty member in French will make it possible
to increase the number of upper-division French and German courses
offered by the World Languages Department so that Minor programs in both
languages can be further developed into Major programs. Hiring a
lecturer in Arabic will allow the University to satisfy growing student
demand for instruction in this strategic language and further enhance
the Middle East Studies curricula being developed by several faculty
members. Strengthening offerings in Western and non-Western languages
will also allow Global Studies students to meet the Minor and Major
foreign language competency requirements in either Arabic, French,
German, Japanese, or Spanish.

An Arab World Perspective within a Globalization Studies Curriculum

##### Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College, a liberal arts undergraduate college located in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, proposes the project, "An Arab World
Perspective within a Globalization Studies Curriculum." By fall 2006,
Gettysburg will have a new interdisciplinary program, offering a major,
in Globalization Studies (GS). GS emerges after two years of faculty
discussion of how to create a cohesive program that will help students
integrate their learning about international affairs and other languages
and cultures, and provide them with international skills and knowledge.
The program builds on strong existing resources: curriculum for six
modern languages (Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, and
Chinese) with majors in four and a two-year language requirement for all
students; a new state-of-the art Language Resource Center; a core group
of 28 faculty who combine teaching with scholarship on international
issues; a growing number of courses and programs (including an
International Affairs Concentration) that critically examine global
challenges; established area studies in Africa, East Asia, Europe, and
Latin America; a dynamic off-campus studies program in which 50 percent
of students participate; and a Center for Public Service that sponsors
international service learning projects. GS will be led by a highly
respected faculty member in political science, whose experience includes
having served as Program Coordinator of Latin America Studies as well as
leading service-learning trips to Nicaragua. A distinguishing feature of
the new major is the emphasis on active and participatory ways of
understanding the global system and the challenges it poses. In addition
to on-campus courses that provide students with the knowledge and skills
to analyze global issues critically, the new major will require students
to study off campus and take part in a learning experience that focuses
on innovative responses to global problems. The GS program will also
contribute to internationalizing the broader curriculum for all
students, in support of the College's new general education goal of
preparing all students for "local and global citizenship."

Gettysburg College's proposed faculty and curriculum development
project, "An Arab World Perspective within a Globalization Studies
Curriculum," will produce another essential building block for the new
program and the internationalization of the college curriculum. The
current world situation demands that American students develop a more
profound understanding of Arab cultures and some proficiency with the
Arab language. There is growing interest in international issues and
affairs in general within our current student body, and more and more
applicants for admission are asking about courses on the Middle East and
the Arab world. Our project goal is to develop faculty expertise in this
area, resulting in a variety of courses (in different disciplines) that
include an Arab world perspective. Specific objectives include: (1)
bringing to campus each year four visiting scholars from nearby
institutions that have established programs in Middle Eastern or Arab
studies to assist with faculty training, visit classrooms, and give
public lectures on the Arab world; (2) offering an eight-session faculty
seminar each year to develop faculty expertise and lead to new or
revised courses for the GS curriculum; (3) providing support for course
development, co-teaching, and travel for faculty to broaden or deepen
their knowledge in the area of GS, with particular regard to the Arab
world; (4) launching an Arabic language program of instruction; (5)
offering a film and lecture series (open to the public) on globalization
topics, including an Arab world perspective; and (6) supporting a
linkage with the American University in Cairo.

South Asia in Global Studies

**Arizona State University**

Our project aims to enhance undergraduate education about South Asia at
Arizona State University (ASU). ASU is a major research university
located on three campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area. It has a
student enrollment of about 61,000, with eight colleges located on the
Tempe campus. Through its Center for Asian Studies, founded in 1966, and
its Program for Southeast Asian Studies, founded in 1986, Arizona State
offers undergraduate certificate programs in Asian Studies, East Asian
Studies, and Southeast Asian Studies. The Center has recently joined
ASU's new School of Global Studies, which will extend the reach of Asian
studies in a new undergraduate curriculum.

Under a UISFL grant, we would inaugurate an undergraduate certificate
program in South Asian Studies to be developed alongside the newly
implemented curriculum of the School of Global Studies. Within Global
Studies, a designated track in Asian Studies will have an option of
specializing in South Asia. The certificate, which would be awarded in
conjunction with a student\'s bachelor\'s degree in Global Studies or in
any existing major (history, political science, or religion, for
example), would require the student to complete:

> 1\) two years of study of a South Asian language;
>
> 2\) the course, \"Introduction to South Asia;\"
>
> 3\) at least three other courses on South Asian history, religion,
> music, art, society, politics, environmental design, and/or economics.

In order to provide the courses needed by students working for this
certificate, we propose a combination of one new hire, development of
existing ASU faculty, and use of guest lecturers to supplement faculty
expertise.

Under the UISFL grant we plan to:

1)  initiate the teaching of modern South Asian languages and
    literatures in the undergraduate curriculum, begriming with
    Hindi/Urdu;

2)  bring professors from other universities for guest lectures in new
    courses;

3)  further strengthen ASU\'s course offerings on South Asia by having
    current ASU faculty members develop new courses on South Asia in
    their respective fields;

4)  improve ASU\'s library holdings on South Asian studies;

5)  further develop a winter-term study-abroad program dealing with
    modern material culture in India;

> 6\) sponsor a series of recent films on and from contemporary South
> Asia, along with a series of related public lectures by invited
> speakers. The films and lectures will complement the new curriculum
> and increase the visibility of South Asian Studies on ASU\'s campus
> and in the broader Arizona community; and
>
> 7\) develop a series of outreach programs on South Asia for K-12
> teachers.

A Proposal to Enhance South Asia and Chinese Programs

**San Francisco State University**

In support of our UISFL grant proposal, faculty from the Colleges of
Behavioral and Social Sciences, Business, Ethnic Studies and Humanities
at San Francisco State University (SFSU) are collaborating to expand the
breadth and depth of our current undergraduate programs in international
studies and foreign language instruction. This will be accomplished by
the implementation of three new interdisciplinary academic programs: a
Minor in South Asia Studies; a Minor in International Healthcare in
China; and Business Chinese language instruction.

The purpose of the South Asia Studies program will be to design and
offer a new undergraduate minor that is both interdisciplinary and
comprehensive in scope. To support this new minor, we will develop six
new courses, provide service learning and internships for South Asian
communities in the Bay Area, implement a study abroad program in
Hyderabad, India, augment our South Asia library and audio-visual
resources, establish a South Asia Business Institute to capitalize on
our proximity to technology-based firms in Silicon Valley, and offer
Hindi-Urdu language instruction courses.

The second program will focus on China and will develop a new minor in
International Healthcare in China. The minor will be offered as a joint
program, drawing from the expertise of over twenty faculty members
across four colleges on campus. To support the development of this
minor, we will develop new language and area studies courses, build an
internship program in China, revise existing courses, and create service
learning internships in the Bay Area. A unique feature of this minor is
that it will require students to spend at least a semester in China
doing volunteer work in various healthcare related agencies, as well as
complete two semesters of Chinese language instruction. In addition,
this program also will collaborate with the Confucius Institute at SFSU
that will provide specialized Chinese language instruction applicable to
healthcare context.

The third program on Business Chinese responds to a growing need for
specialized Chinese language skills at SFSU and in the Bay Area business
community. This program consists of two interrelated projects: (1)
developing an introductory and an advanced course in Business Chinese;
and (2) collaborating with the Multimedia Education Resource for
Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) to develop and integrate online
digital modules for teaching Business Chinese.

These three undergraduate academic programs provide timely and
innovative curricula enhancements that will address the changing
international studies and foreign language needs of our culturally
diverse student population. For example, 48 percent of the student body
in the College of Business is of Asian descent, and over two-thirds of
undergraduate students at SFSU are ethnic minorities. Moreover, these
three programs contained in our UISFL proposal focus on two geographic
regions, South Asia and China, that are emerging as important social,
economic and political powers in today\'s world.

Growing a Cross-Cultural Learning Environment

##### Carroll College

A convergence of many ideas and events culminated in this grant
proposal. Our self-study and accreditation review in the fall of 2000
indicated a need to broaden our courses in International Relations and
build greater cultural awareness across the disciplines. In 2001, a new
president of the College was installed with a background in
international education. Also that same year, the tragedy of 9/11
brought an increased interest among students, faculty, and the broader
community in understanding the world around us. September 11
underscored, in a horrible way, the earth shaking changes wrought by
globalization. However, we recognize that a globalizing world may affect
us positively as well as negatively. Reflecting on Carroll College's
mission to \"prepare leaders to serve the global community,\" infusing
global awareness across the curriculum became part of our strategic
plan. A new core curriculum was approved in spring 2003 requiring all
students to take courses in global and national diversity. We identified
a nascent capacity and interest for a Latin American Studies Program
though faculty surveys and discussion. As Carroll is a Catholic Diocesan
College, we also possess a natural bridge to Latin America. Carroll
College has the need, desire, strategic vision, capacity, and common
bonds to grow a cross-cultural learning environment. We look to Title VI
funds to provide the seed for fertile soil.

Specifically, we are requesting \$75,932 from Title VI funds in the
first year of the project and \$81,489 in the second, for a total
request of \$157,421. Carroll College has committed cash and in-kind
contributions amounting to \$67,525 in the first year and \$90,055 in
the second, for a total match of \$157,581, providing 50 percent of the
total project cost. Although, Carroll qualifies for reduced matching
requirements, the College's match represents a strategic decision to
move to a new stage in international education in order to prepare our
students for service and leadership in a globalizing world.

Growing a Cross-Cultural Learning Environment at Carroll College is a
project involving four primary objectives. We will create a Latin
American Studies minor, bringing to campus an interdisciplinary area
studies minor incorporating foreign language training and cultural
immersion. Through a Faculty Language Acquisition Program, we aim to
provide faculty members the language skills and cultural immersion
experiences necessary to internationalize their courses. A third
objective is to acquire a Latin American Resource Collection to serve
the needs of faculty, students, and the community. Additionally, we will
generate Latin American Cultural Experiences to bring global awareness
to our campus and community as well as producing opportunities for
Carroll\'s faculty and students to go abroad.

All four tasks are necessary to grow the learning environment we seek.
We believe Growing a Cross-Cultural Learning Environment will serve as a
model and catalyst for further internationalization across the
curriculum. This program enhances academic excellence and distinguishes
Carroll College in the region. It furthers our strategic vision of
preparing students for service and careers in a world marked by
globalization. It advances the goals of Title VI by enhancing
undergraduate international studies and language acquisition. By
disseminating international understanding, this project fortifies
Carroll\'s mission of dedicating its \"resources to the service of the
citizens of Montana \... and to the worldwide human family.\"
Cultivating a cross-cultural learning environment is integral to our
future.

An Enhanced Latin American Studies Program: An Interdisciplinary
Approach Toward Strengthening and Integrating Global Perspectives

### King's College

King's College requests \$85,005 over a two-year period from the U. S.
Department of Education Title VI A, Undergraduate International Studies
and Foreign Language Program. King's is proposing: (1) to foster an
interdisciplinary approach to international studies; (2) to strengthen
its existing Latin American Studies minor; (3) and to extend language
study into content areas beyond the traditional foreign language
classroom. The plan of operation encompasses curriculum development,
faculty development, language infusion, and institutional/community
outreach. Eleven (11) new courses and five (5) revised courses will
emphasize opportunities for study, research, internships, and service
learning in Latin America. Specifically, the project will address four
areas requiring federal funds:

-   Curriculum Development. The current Latin American Studies minor
    lacks integration into the wider college curriculum. To gain
    recognition for the program and to better integrate it with other
    disciplines and campus events, King's will develop eleven (11) new
    courses and five (5) revised courses.

-   Faculty Development. Faculty will participate in: (1) intensive
    workshops to acquire basic language skills and cultural
    competency; (2) travel abroad to either Peru and/or Mexico for two
    weeks to experience a Latin American culture, particularly as it
    pertains to the faculty member's content area, and to establish
    connections for student research and study abroad opportunities; (3)
    the development of one-credit language modules; (4) brown bag
    lunches to share their newly acquired experiences/knowledge; and (5)
    faculty workshops on pedagogy and assessment.

-   Language Infusion. Language modules will: (1) be one-credit
    additions to regular three-credit classes; (2) be designed to
    enhance the curriculum offered in a particular content area; (3)
    represent a collaborative effort between a Spanish language
    instructor and the instructor in the content area; (4) be offered to
    students either currently or previously enrolled in the three-credit
    content course as the modules cannot stand independently of the
    course content; (5) at the instructor's discretion, be required for
    one or more sections of a specific course in any given semester; (6)
    carry as a minimum pre-requisite Spanish for Communication III or
    its equivalent; (7) be mandatory for students wishing to enroll in
    faculty-led study abroad courses to Mexico and/or Peru.

-   Institutional/Community Outreach. The final component of the project
    is two-pronged. It will include the presentation of a
    multidisciplinary conference titled "Developmental Challenges of
    Latin America" organized by the International Business Program of
    the McGowan School of Business and a Latin American focus on music,
    art and theatre through the King's College Experiencing the Arts
    program.

The above program initiatives will be co-directed by Dr. Beth Admiraal,
Assistant Professor of Political Science, and Dr. Anne Massey, Assistant
Professor of Spanish.

Latin American Studies and Foreign Language Program

### Texas A&M International University

Our project is designed to improve Texas A&M International University's
(TAMIU's) Latin American Studies and Spanish heritage language program
over the next two years to prepare our students for careers in business,
government, and public service related to Latin America.

TAMIU is a growing, Hispanic-Serving Institution located at the Laredo,
Texas gateway to Mexico and Latin America. The University's strategic
location and students' linguistic heritage should promote careers
bridging the United States and Latin America, but their potential is
largely unrealized owing to the South Texas region's traditional
insularity. Students have little awareness of developments in Latin
America or even beyond the border into Mexico, and many are economically
disadvantaged, first-generation university students. Over 90 percent are
Hispanic, with Spanish as a heritage language, but most require
substantial language training to read, write, and speak Spanish at
academic and professional levels.

TAMIU's Latin American and Spanish language program aims to provide
students with the regional expertise and language skills needed for
successful careers. The program has developed the following objectives
to meet these objectives:

1.  1\) Expand Latin American Studies (LAS) course offerings by
    assisting faculty to develop 14 new courses. This wills double the
    number of courses currently available for the undergraduate LAS
    major, and accordingly increase not only the program's effectiveness
    but also its attractiveness for students.

    2\) Teach 2 new courses on-site in Central America to enhance
    students' understanding of Latin America.

    3\) Acquire library and teaching materials to support the Latin
    American Studies and Spanish language curriculum.

    4\) Develop Spanish heritage language placement and proficiency
    exams for secondary and post-secondary students, in conjunction with
    public school teachers. This will foster accurate placement of
    heritage language speakers and subsequent assessment of their
    language skills.

    5\) Conduct 2 workshops with secondary and post-secondary language
    teachers to improve K-16 heritage language training techniques.

    6\) Team-teach content courses in Spanish with Spanish-speaking
    faculty from the Spanish department and relevant discipline.
    Students will conduct research, write, and perform other class
    activities in Spanish to develop academic and professional language
    capabilities.

    7\) Invite four experts on bilingualism and Latin American issues
    for workshops and presentations to increase the TAMIU and
    surrounding communities' awareness and involvement in Latin America.

    8\) Conduct an annual Latin American Studies Week on campus with
    faculty and student presentations, music and dance, food, art, and
    other regionally-oriented activities.

Enhancing Asian Studies

**Nazareth College**

The primary goal of this grant application is to strengthen the Nazareth
College's curricular offerings in Asian studies to serve an increasing
interest in this region on the part of the community, faculty and
students. Central to this effort will be an expansion in curricular
offerings by faculty who already possess Asian expertise in the social
sciences, humanities, and foreign languages, as well as the revision of
courses offered by non-Asian specialist faculty. Faculty who teach
courses that comprise the Asian Studies program will also have multiple
opportunities for professional development to deepen their knowledge of
the region. The Asian Studies program is an interdisciplinary endeavor
that will examine the history, political economies, cultures, and
languages of people of Asia, ranging from indigenous perspectives to
transnational Asian diasporic communities in the United States past and
present. In summary, UGISFL funding would support the realization of the
following initiatives during the grant period:

# Curricular

1.  The grant will provide course development funds for the creation and
    teaching of 10 new courses. The departments in which these courses
    will be housed are anthropology (2), English (2), history (2),
    religious studies (3), senior "capstone" seminar in Asian Studies
    (1).

2.  The grant will also provide funds to revise five courses across a
    range of disciplines in order to enhance their Asia-specific
    content. Members of the Asian Studies consultation group will
    solicit and rigorously evaluate revised course proposals in a
    competitive process.

Ten-percent of the stipends in each of the two aforementioned categories
will be set aside to host teaching and learning circles for faculty
receiving these course development funds to discuss, reflect, and
collaborate with respect to the integration and enhancement of Asian
Studies in the college-wide curriculum.

Faculty & Staff Development

1.  In order to install and maintain the technical inputs required to
    support the teaching of Chinese, Japanese, and Hindi, it will be
    necessary to hire a Language Laboratory technician. Funds are sought
    under the grant to support twenty-percent of this new staff member's
    salary for the two-year period (2006-08) of the grant.

2.  The grant will provide funds for faculty with Asian expertise to
    participate in the teaching endeavors of the Center for Interfaith
    Studies and Dialogue, which regularly sponsors presentations to
    history, social and global studies teachers in several local school
    districts (Brighton, Pittsford, Rochester, Rush-Henrietta), as well
    as nurses and health care personnel, about the history, societies,
    cultures, and religions of Asia.

3.  Funds are sought under the grant to support two inter-related
    initiatives that will contribute to the pedagogy of the Asian
    Studies minor, its internal process of evaluation, and faculty
    development, namely:

    a.  Speaker Series: Funds will be set aside to host a minimum of one
        outside speaker per semester whose primary expertise is in Asia
        from any disciplinary perspective. In addition to giving a guest
        lecture, he/she will also lead a symposium for faculty in the
        Asian Studies program as part of their ongoing professional
        development.

    b.  Faculty/Staff/Student Retreat: Each spring term during the grant
        period and thereafter, an on-campus retreat will be held for all
        faculty, staff, and students participating in the Asian Studies
        minor program. The retreat will serve as part of an ongoing
        internal review process to assess the minor's curricular,
        personnel, and programmatic elements.

Language Learning

1.  Chinese and Japanese: The teaching of these languages, which are
    already part of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
    regular course offerings, will be enhanced via distance-learning
    technology as follows:

    a.  Year 1: Nazareth College will become an affiliate of SCOLA, a
        501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to
        providing audio, video, and other language learning content via
        its Internet-based video-stream technology.

    b.  Year 2: A satellite system will be installed linked to the
        language laboratory that will permit continuous broadcast of
        direct programming through SCOLA's U.S. facility. Students
        studying foreign languages as well as Nazareth College's growing
        body of international students will be able to choose from
        broadcasts in over 70 possible languages via the satellite link.

2.  Hindi: Grant funding would cover costs for self-guided,
    computer-based instructional materials in first-year Hindi developed
    by Rosetta Stone/Fairfield Learning Technologies. This initiative is
    scheduled for Year 2 of the grant as it is linked to the
    establishment of a student exchange and study-abroad agreement with
    Delhi University described below and herein.

Study-Abroad Initiative

1\. A site visit by faculty and administrators from Nazareth College
will be made to the Developing Countries Research Center at Delhi
University, India. The goal will be to assess the adequacy of the
facilities and to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding leading to
student exchanges and/or internships between the institutions, with
further exchanges thereafter.

Instituting a Program in International Language and Culture for the
Professions

### University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center

This program will allow the Department of Modern Languages at the
University of Colorado and Health Sciences Center to address the growing
importance of cultural fluency to students who will be entering an
increasingly international work environment. It will widen the scope of
all lower-division language courses to include learning segments on
international business culture, create new courses in German and Chinese
business and cultural practice for English speakers, and offer new
professional tracks in the Spanish and French majors. Specifically:

-   Modern Language faculty members will work with experts in business
    language pedagogy and with faculty from the School of Business to
    develop curricular units that incorporate a case-based study of
    contemporary business practice for all lower-division language
    courses in Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. These materials,
    which will be appropriate for language learners at each level, will
    then be made available for use at other universities. Units for
    first- and second-semester courses will be developed and those
    courses piloted in the first year of the project; units for third-
    and fourth-semester courses developed and those courses piloted in
    the second year.

-   The department will also create new, one-semester courses covering
    German and Chinese cultural practices, designed for students in
    business, but appropriate for students in all majors. These courses
    will be taught in English, and will include basic, targeted language
    instruction, as well as the study of contemporary German and Chinese
    political and social structures and institutions. Students will
    learn how to negotiate cultural differences in living, working, or
    doing business in each country.

-   In addition, faculty members in Spanish and French, working with
    faculty members in economics, business, and international affairs,
    will develop new major tracks in Spanish and French for the
    Professions that will be modeled loosely on a similar, very
    successful program at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The new
    tracks will integrate language acquisition, cultural analysis, and
    business skills, and will include international study, either
    through a traditional term abroad or an intensive two-week study
    tour. They will also require the successful completion of an
    internationally recognized language exam, which will attest to
    students\' fluency, providing valuable credentials. The required
    courses in economics and business, combined with second-language
    fluency, will make students attractive to employers looking for
    workers who can combine business skills with international
    experience and a solid background in the liberal arts. In addition,
    students will be eligible to participate in an articulated,
    five-year degree program that offers the opportunity to earn both a
    bachelor\'s degree in Spanish or French for the Professions and a
    Master of Science Degree in International Business.

Globalizing the Le Moyne Core: Exploring Justice in an Interdependent
World

### Le Moyne College

Le Moyne College, founded in 1946 as one of the 28 Jesuit colleges and
universities in the United States, is a comprehensive institution of
higher education located in Syracuse, New York. Like students in most
American colleges, Le Moyne's 2400 undergraduates have limited knowledge
of global affairs. Modest "global literacy" and incomplete appreciation
of the justice dimensions of global issues hamper the students' ability
to be effective global citizens. Globalizing the Le Moyne Core:
Exploring Justice in an Interdependent World will focus on core
curriculum enrichment as the most efficient way to address that problem.

Based upon principles of the American Council of Education's (ACE)
Internationalization Strategies, this project proposes to help globalize
the core, thus improving global literacy and the awareness of global
justice throughout the campus community by implementing the following
activities:

a\. Faculty development seminar\--three groups of four competitively
selected faculty (approximately 10 percent of the core Arts and Science
faculty), will meet every two weeks for a semester and engage in
intensive reading and discussion with a faculty mentor. Readings will
focus on different aspects of global justice and different areas of the
world.

b\. Faculty field experience\--the faculty development seminars will
culminate in separate three-week residency periods in China, South
Africa, or Jordan, Jerusalem and the Occupied Territories, led by Le
Moyne faculty with experience in each area. Each group's itinerary will
be coordinated with the themes raised in the development seminars to
reinforce the issues encountered in the readings with real-world
experience.

c\. Course Development requirements\--those faculty members who
participate in the seminar and travel will be required to create or
enrich three core courses/sections (totaling 36 new or enriched
offerings campus-wide) based upon their reading in the seminar and the
field experience.

d\. Development of prototype foreign language courses integrating
language study and a specific content area of the core\--philosophy,
religious studies, and history. This prototype will serve as a model for
greater integration of language courses into the core curriculum by
linking history, philosophy, and religious studies, which are in the
core, with French and Spanish, which are not.

e\. Visiting speakers and scholars in residence\--speakers and visiting
scholars who can enlighten the community on global issues, especially
those relating to justice, as they apply to the geographical regions of
the seminars will be brought to campus.

f\. Funding for additional library holdings on international/and or
global issues of justice\--librarians have indicated a need for more
material (especially primary sources) on human rights, distributive
justice, women's rights, and environmental issues. Moreover, the DVD
collection of international and foreign language films needs to be
expanded in support of language courses and the newly enriched core.

When complete, this project will help Le Moyne faculty incorporate
global issues and global justice themes into the common educational core
of all Le Moyne students and will develop a prototype of language
courses that combine study in core areas with language instruction. In
this way, it is anticipated that the campus community will have an
enhanced level of "global literacy" and a greater appreciation of the
normative aspects of world politics.

# Ethics in a Globalizing World

# **Drake University**

# 

This proposal seeks funding for a curriculum development project at
Drake University focusing on the theme of "Ethics in a Globalizing
World." This proposal was initiated by the Drake University Center for
Global Citizenship and is consistent with the Center\'s mission. As our
interdependence with peoples beyond our borders grows, important
questions arise about how to manage this interdependence ethically.
Potential responses to the ethical challenges presented by globalization
require inquiry in and knowledge from a wide range of academic
disciplines. Accordingly, this project is multidisciplinary in scope and
seeks to engage faculty and students across disciplines in the
exploration of ethics in a globalizing world.

### PROJECT GOALS

1\. Develop new and revised courses that explore the theme of Ethics in
a Globalizing World. This project will strengthen international studies
at Drake University by developing eight new and fifteen revised courses
that explore the theme of Ethics in a Globalizing World. Among these
will be a new general education course that provides an overarching
examination of global ethical issues. Twenty two faculty and two staff
representing three of Drake's five undergraduate colleges and schools
will participate in course development through this project.

2\. Provide collaborative training opportunities for faculty members in
both ethics and international studies. This project will provide
multiple training opportunities for faculty members. First, we will hold
a workshop during the first summer of the grant period focused on how to
bring international ethical perspectives into the classroom across
disciplines. Second, we will hold a workshop during the second summer
that will focus on pedagogical strategies for effectively integrating
the theme into courses. Third, the project will provide a focused
international travel opportunity for five participating faculty during
the first summer. In addition, the Project Director and Co-Directors
will provide regular opportunities for faculty to discuss their progress
on the development of new and revised courses and to share new research,
resources, and pedagogical strategies.

3\. Develop multiple methods for teaching foreign languages through a
focus on international ethics and for teaching international ethics
through the use of foreign language resources. This project will provide
a model for the linking of foreign language study with substantive
content. Based upon collaboration among specialists in international
ethics, area studies and language professionals, three new upper-level
language courses will be developed that focus on the topic of "National
Identify in a Transnational Age." Also, a subset of participating
faculty will receive instruction in "language-across-the-curriculum"
techniques, providing them with tools for integrating language resources
into their new and revised courses. Finally, the project will generate a
foreign-language film series focusing on international ethical issues
related to the new and revised courses developed under the grant.

4\. Raise awareness among faculty, students, and community members about
the ethical challenges and opportunities presented by globalization. In
addition to the foreign-language film series and the scheduling of a
major speaker in the first year, we will hold a campus-community
conference on the theme of Ethics in a Globalizing World at the
culmination of the grant period. In addition, a planning group will
begin preparations for a future workshop that will allow faculty from
Drake and other schools to compare strategies for integrating
international ethics into the campus-wide curriculum.

Understanding Contemporary Africa: The Challenges of Natural Resources,

Health, and Conflict

##### Ohio State University

The Center for African Studies (CAS) at The Ohio State University seeks
funding in the amount of \$177,768 for a two-year project to develop an
interdisciplinary program that deals deals with natural resources,
health, and conflict in Africa. The main objectives of the program are
to expand the language and non language curriculum in the fields of
agriculture, health, international studies, the humanities, and social
sciences.

The proposed program is driven by the belief that in order to help
undergraduates understand the realities of contemporary Africa, it is
essential that we examine the multifaceted nature of the debilitating
conflicts that have been raging in many African countries. Most of these
conflicts stem from competition over natural resources, from
environmental changes, and the politics of ethnicity and cultural
identity. Civil wars and inter-state conflicts often result in the death
and displacement of millions of people and have a profound negative
impact on health, food security, and economic development. These
conflicts and their consequences in turn pose a serious threat to peace
and stability in the continent as well as to global security.

Specific activities will include:

-   Two new Africa related courses in the School of Public Health:
    Introduction to Global Health and Infectious Disease in the
    Developing World.

-   A new course on Ethnicity, Identity, and Conflict in the Horn of
    Africa will be developed in the Department of African American and
    African Studies, will be offered at the Ohio State University and
    Ohio University.

-   Revise two existing courses, Food Security and Globalization and
    Economic Development of Sub-Saharan Africa to address linkages
    between natural resource management, food security, conflict
    management, and other dimensions of security.

-   Introduce Somali language to expand African language instruction on
    campus and for outreach purposes.

-   Develop a Study Abroad program in Senegal in collaboration with the
    Office of International Affairs.

-   Expand Outreach activities to K-12 teachers by supporting: 1) an
    on-line Global Education course; 2) a 10-week course, Global
    Connections to the P-12 Classroom; and 3) a summer workshop. Other
    outreach activities will promote study abroad to Africa for minority
    students.

-   Organize a lecture series and a conference on the subject of natural
    resources, health, and conflict in Africa.

-   Support faculty development through on and off-campus activities.

-   Expand library holdings in African studies.

International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGO)/Lusophone &
Francophone Focus

##### Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College (RIC) is a comprehensive, four-year institution
located on a 180-acre campus in Providence. It is the oldest of the
three institutions of public higher education in the state, having
recently celebrated its 150^th^ anniversary. With its student population
drawn primarily from low-income, middle-class families, the typical
freshman class composition comprises: 1) more than 80 percent Rhode
Island residents; 2) more than 50 percent first generation college
students; 3) approximately 40 percent transfers from the Community
College of Rhode Island; 4) 10 percent non-English native speakers; and
5) 15 percent minorities (up from 4 percent 15 years ago), including
Latino, African-American, Asian-American, American-Indian and "other
non-white." The college reaches out to inner city and racial/ethnic
minority students through such high school programs as Upward Bound, the
TRIO Program and the Children's Crusade.

Rhode Island is densely populated by heritage foreign language speakers:
almost 20 percent of who speak a language other than English. Of this
population, 40 percent speak Spanish, 19 percent speak Portuguese, 12
percent speak French (including Patois, Cajun, and Creole). Of
particular interest is the very active Luso-American community, which
comprises 10--12 percent of the population, the highest percentage of
any state, with one-third of that group reporting that Portuguese is
still spoken in the home. Whether continental, Azorean or Madeiran
Portuguese, Cape Verdean or Brazilian, the heritage speakers of this
critical need language offer a ready pool of first generation college
students. In a 2004 RIC poll, 85 percent of students in our Portuguese
Studies Program were native Cape Verdean, native Portuguese or
Luso-descendents.

The proposed Minor and Certificate Program in International
Non-Governmental Organizations (INGO) will address the needs of RIC's
burgeoning non-native speaking population by creating opportunities to
combine interests in foreign language acquisition with in-depth area
studies in one of four targeted, core regions: Francophone and Lusophone
West Africa; Francophone Caribbean; Francophone and Lusophone America
(Canada and Brazil); and the European Union (French and Portuguese). The
College has faculty expertise in all of the designated regions,
including research, service and teaching experience in modern languages,
anthropology, geography, history, allied health professions, literature,
and political science. The objectives of the proposed minor and
certificate program are to (i) inform newcomer/immigrant and heritage
language students of higher educational opportunities to pursue in-depth
knowledge of their cultures, polities and languages; (ii) to expose such
students to career choices and graduate school opportunities in
internationally-oriented fields; (iii) to deliver a truly integrated
modern languages and area studies curriculum centered on a new 18-credit
minor and a certificate program that includes language proficiency as
well as an internship abroad; (iv) to ensure that faculty development,
research, service and teaching opportunities are enriched to meet the
needs of students through this venture; and (v) to provide
state-of-the-art learning facilities for students and faculty engaged in
the new INGO academic minor and certificate program.

Building Bridges for Asian Studies: Language, Commerce and Cultures
Program

##### Skyline College

The San Francisco Bay area is one of the most vibrant regions in the
U.S. economy. The Bay area is also home to a culturally diverse
workforce and industries. It is home to the world-famous Silicon Valley,
the cradle of high technology, a melting pot of manufacturers and
service sector industries, which conduct business at home and abroad
with significant operations in the Asia.

Skyline College proposes to create an associate degree and a certificate
program for Asian studies in language, commerce and culture. This new
program combines a major Asian language acquisition and analysis of
culture, and political systems with the study of international business.
It is imperative that students incorporate language, culture, and
commerce into their understanding of the Asian markets. The issues at
the core of Asian studies draw on at least three disciplines: language,
culture, and international business, therefore, requiring an
interdisciplinary approach. The new program will offer our students the
opportunities to develop the knowledge, capacity and skills necessary to
understand other cultures and languages and political systems while at
the same time building a strong foundation in international business
practices. The proposed project builds on the needs of our students, and
community, and will develop an interdisciplinary degree and a
certificate program in Asian studies in language, commerce and culture.

Faculty members from the foreign languages, social science and business
divisions will work together to develop this interdisciplinary degree
and certificate program with six new classes, four revised courses and a
real-world component. Program graduates are expected to integrate
effectively the study of foreign language, culture, and business;
demonstrate high competence of language, culture and business; analyze
global issues and their impacts. Graduates will be particularly in
demand by employers in the San Francisco Bay area and throughout the
state of California who seek candidates who can speak Asian languages
and possess an understanding and know-how of Asian cultures and business
practices.

The three main goals of the grant are:

**Goal 1.** Curriculum Development: to create an associate degree and a
certificate program in Asian studies in language, commerce and culture.
This proposed program combines a major Asian language acquisition and
analysis of culture, and the study of Asian business.

**Goal 2.** Faculty Development: to enhance faculty expertise and
cooperation in Asian culture and languages via faculty development
activities by attending national and international workshops, seminars
and conferences focusing on Asian language, Asian culture and business
practice and conducting research in China in the areas of language,
culture, and business practice with partner universities in China.

**Goal 3.** Education Exchange Program: to establish a Summer Study
Abroad program to allow faculty to conduct research in the areas of
Chinese culture, language, and business practice and to provide our
students with value-added Study abroad educational opportunities in
partner universities in China and to invite Chinese scholars to team
teach a capstone course and deliver a seminar for our annual film and
speaker series.

With the assistance of Title VI grant funds from the Department of
Education, Skyline College will carry out the following activities in
support these goals.

1\. To design, develop eight new classes and modify four existing
classes in a variety of disciplines on Asian language, culture,
political economics, and Asian business practice for the proposed Asian
Studies Program.

2\. To create an integrated Associate degree and a certificate program
with a major in Asian studies in language, commerce, and culture.

3 To enhance program awareness and promotion in Asian Studies on campus
and district wide through an annual film and speaker series, program
brochures and a Skyline College Asian Studies Program web site.

> 4\. To attend national and international workshops/seminars and
> conferences in the areas of Asian Languages, Asian culture and Asian
> Business Practice.

5\. To allow two faculty members per year to conduct research studies in
the areas of Chinese culture, customs, language and business practice
with partner universities in China. The faculty members will in turn
integrate what they learned into new course development, program
development, modification of existing courses for the proposed Asian
Studies Program in language, commerce and culture.

6\. To establish an educational exchange programs with universities in
China to allow our students to participate in intensive Summer Study
Abroad Program in partner universities and to allow faculty members to
conduct research study and lectures with partner universities in China.

7\. To invite Asian scholars from partner universities to Skyline
College to team teach a capstone course and deliver seminars for our
annual film and speaker series.

Middle East Studies and Outreach Project

### Middle Tennessee State University

This Middle East Studies and Outreach Project for 2006-2007 and
2007-2008 academic years supports efforts already under way to develop a
Middle East Center at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). With a
mission to expand curriculum, initiate outreach programs, and promote
faculty research, this center will build on existing programs in Global
Studies, Public History and Historic Preservation, Jewish Studies, Mass
Communications, and the Business and Economic Research Center, giving it
a unique character and identity, one that is truly inclusive of the
various populations and cultures of the region.

The following objectives are designed to develop a comprehensive program
of activities that will lead to the development of a Middle East Center.

1\. To develop an interdisciplinary minor in Middle East Studies. This
new 18-hour minor, with a two-course foreign language requirement and a
core course in Introduction to Middle East Studies, will build on seven
existing courses. This project includes provisions for developing nine
new courses for the minor in a variety of disciplines. We will add to
library collections to support these new curriculum needs.

2\. To provide Arabic and Hebrew language instruction, associated with
the minor. Instruction in Middle Eastern languages will be an essential
component of our minor. Since our Foreign Languages and Literatures
Department does not currently offer courses in any Middle Eastern
languages, we will be developing Elementary courses in Arabic and Hebrew
in the first year of the project. Language lab materials will be
purchased to support instruction in these languages.

3\. To develop an outreach program for K-12 teachers and the community.
Outreach is an important part of our mission. Our project includes
several prongs that are designed to heighten public awareness and
knowledge of the Middle East.

> a\. Pre-collegiate public schools in the region. We will conduct one
> workshop annually for pre-collegiate teachers in the region, drawing
> upon the expertise of Middle East Policy Center staff, members of the
> South East Regional Middle East Studies Seminar, and MTSU faculty who
> have been involved with the American History Project and Tennessee
> Holocaust Commission.
>
> b\. MTSU/Middle Tennessee Community. Throughout the year we will
> sponsor public lectures featuring distinguished experts in a variety
> of fields related to the Middle East and a film series featuring
> classic and new films from Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Morocco,
> Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon and other Middle East countries.
> MTSU's home county, Rutherford County, has experienced pronounced
> growth in recent years. Between 2000 and 2004, the population grew by
> 15.4 percent. The MTSU campus has reflected that growth. Now the
> largest undergraduate institution in the state, MTSU has an enrollment
> of 20,389 undergraduate students and 2,165 graduate students.

Through the activities specified in this project, we aim to serve the
needs of our increasingly diverse student body and population of the
Middle Tennessee region.

A Renewed Perspective on Latin American Studies

### Samford University

This project aims to strengthen and expand the existing Latin American
Studies (LAS) program at Samford University over a two-year period. The
current major was established in 1998, springing from a Funds for the
Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)- and National Endowment
for the Humanities (NEH)-funded foundational course called Cultural
Legacies of Latin America, created as part of a new globally-focused
core curriculum humanities sequence in 1992. It is an interdisciplinary
concentration that resides in the department of World Languages and
Cultures where its Spanish language, culture, and literature courses are
taught, as well as its basic courses in Portuguese. The language courses
are complemented by a relatively limited series of non-language course
offerings from the departments of Political Science, History, and
Geography and a list of other options that include opportunities for
study abroad in Costa Rica, Ecuador, or Peru. Now in its eighth year, it
is clear that LAS is in need of a more robust curriculum, specifically
one that prepares students to communicate effectively across cultures
and to apply their knowledge and skills to the real-life needs of an
increasingly multicultural world. The proposed Title VI grant project
will enable Samford to revitalize the LAS program by: (1) creating a
wider variety of both language and non‑language courses; (2) building
collaborative partnerships to strengthen cross-cultural and
cross-disciplinary bonds; and (3) engaging students through innovative
interactive pedagogies in courses at home and abroad that will make
their classroom study come alive. Funding is requested to support these
activities. Samford is committed to ongoing assessment of its learning
outcomes and to the dissemination of project results through a variety
of venues on campus, in the community, and among professional colleagues
in the U.S. and abroad.

8/18/06