The program currently involves Northwestern faculty from African-American studies, anthropology, art history, economics, English, film, French, geography, history, law, linguistics, literature, languages, media and communications, music, performance studies, political science, religion, sociology, and theatre. Guyer would like to forge links between PAS and faculty in the professional schools as well. She states that there has been expressed interest in Africanist content from both the law school and the business school, and she also thinks that PAS should develop a relationship with the school of journalism. Guyer would like to see PAS become a resource for students in the professional schools who have an interest in Africa, or for any African students going through professional programs who want to see how they might interface with PAS programs. In addition, Africanist content could be increased at the undergraduate level, says Guyer.
Undergraduates have courses in African studies, but the programmatic structure needs review.
Guyer will be looking for ways in which PAS can help strengthen the African studies minor and the African track within the international studies major. The Program is presently formulating a set of initiatives to strengthen the fieldwork training of students, which involves methodological training. Guyer feels that the Critical Methodologies course, offered by PAS and the Center for International and Comparative Studies, and the PAS Africa Seminar are helping address this issue. Research and Funding Another gleam in Guyer's eyes is research. Our research is very different from that in the biological sciences or medicine, where they re used to working in teams.