September 6, 2018 Meeting of Area Studies

Agenda not yet available.

IAS Staff Meeting

September 6, 2018 

Present: Jan Adamczyk, Shuyong Jiang, Lisa Renee Kemplin, Laila Hussein Moustafa, Joe Lenkart, Antonio Sotomayor, Mara Thacker, Erika Weir, and Steve Witt

Announcements & Accolades:

1. They are looking for Graduate Assistant for AMES Library.
2. We have a bulletin board that currently displays new books. This board is open for any ideas. Feel free to claim it.
3. New student names were introduced. Please make all feel welcome.
4. Steve leaving Friday for a conference in London. Will return next Thursday.
5. Mara gone September 11-19 for a trip to Greece.
6. Lisa Renee out last week in September for jury duty.
7. Mara reminded to send her any requests of pop culture for purchase. Latin America and South Asia represented.
8. Steve encouraged faculty to apply for a visiting scholarship at the University of Mexico. Laila expressed an interest.

Discussion:

1. Due to the loss of funding for NRC, Steve has allotted extra funding for the following areas: Africana, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and South Asia. The decrease of monetary support may affect funding for future graduate hourlies. CGS/REECE have not hear yet if they have funding.
2. Title VIII funding was secured for SRS.
3. Discussed the restructuring of the Centers. They are all under the Provosts Office now. Jerry Davala is the Executive Director and is in the process of hiring staff. The commitment to the Centers continue for this next year.
4. Brainstormed ideas regarding the President’s Initiative for the Arts and Humanities. The 4-6 page proposal is due October 16. Working with diaspora communities in Illinois was the final suggestion. Steve will work on the proposal.