Elon University has received a $150,000 grant from the Undergraduate International Studies in Foreign Language Program of the U.S. Department of Education to create a Latin American Studies program. Elon will match the grant with approximately $190,000 to provide the two-year project with $340,000.
The grant will allow Elon to develop new Latin American courses which will complete the major in International Studies by offering a Latin American concentration. Currently, International Studies majors must complete a regional concentration in one of three areas: Africa, Asian/Pacific, and Europe. The grant will also support the development of a Latin American Studies minor.
Faculty members will travel to Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru and Argentina to develop curriculum and establish partnerships with universities. Faculty members will develop 14 courses with a Latin American focus, including literature, sociology, history, psychology, economics, music and religion. A professor from Latin America will teach at Elon during the next two Winter Terms.
The grant will further develop the Foreign Language Across the Curriculum initiative at Elon by enhancing the Spanish language skills of faculty for use in courses outside the foreign language department. Intensive language training is offered through El Centro de Español, an educational center at Elon devoted to developing conversational use of Spanish.
Chalmers Brumbaugh, professor of political science, will administer the grant. Brumbaugh teaches Latin American politics and has led a study abroad program to Costa Rica for the past 13 years.
“As Elon expands its study abroad opportunities to Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina, this grant will meet growing student interest in the Latin American area,” says Brumbaugh.
The International Studies major was created in 1995 and currently has more than 70 majors. In the 1990s, Elon received similar grants from the U.S. Department of Education to develop the African/African-American and Asian/Pacific programs.
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