Though a diversified curriculum remains a goal of the university, little progress was made this semester toward the implementation of a Latino-focused minor.
|
|
|
|
[ Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003 ]
Latino minor not expected until at least fall semester
The English department currently offers one Latino culture-based course and is developing another.
By Abby Heisey
Collegian Staff Writer
GRAPHIC: Katie Van Fleet
The comparative literature, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and English departments are developing a proposal for an interdepartmental graduate-level minor, said Caroline Eckhardt, head of the department of comparative literature.
Eckhardt said the earliest the official minor would be adopted is next fall.
"It's in the works, but it has not been put into the approval process," she said.
Eckhardt said the minor would help make Latino resources visible at Penn State. Currently, available resources are dispersed in different departments throughout the university, she added.
Jane Juffer and Ralph Rodriguez, assistant professors of English, started an initiative to create a Latino minor in spring 2003.
Since then, the English department has offered a new course, English 226 (Latina/o Border Theory), which examines contemporary literature and the development of Latino culture. Juffer, who taught the course, said via e-mail that this was the first class in the English department listed as Latino studies.
A second course, English 426 (Chicana/o Cultural Production), is also being developed.
Juffer and Rodriguez have been working to institute Latino-focused courses since fall 1999, when they began teaching at the university.
The effort hit a lull when funding for Latino-focused programming ran out in 2002, but a search for new sources of funding is underway. The university's Rock Ethics Institute recently funded a request for a Latina/o Studies interest group, a reading and discussion group for faculty and graduate students, that will begin next semester, Juffer said.
Susan Youtz, executive secretary of Faculty Senate, said a proposal for the minor has not been presented to the Faculty Senate this semester. Faculty Senate would have to approve the official creation of all minors.
Eckhardt said she doesn't anticipate any difficulties in the approval process.
Alvaro Zumaran, president of Latino Caucus, said a Latino-focused minor would promote cultural understanding.
"Anything that could increase the understanding of Latino heritage would be a good thing," Zumaran said.
