UI faculty and students push for Latino Studies - The Daily Iowan: After a cluster hiring initiative to start a Latino Studies program in 2006 stalled — a push by University of Iowa faculty and students has blossomed once again.
“When I contacted [Omar Valerio-Jimenez, a University of Iowa associate professor of history] we tried to figure out a way to make [a Latino Studies program] happen,” said UI doctoral candidate Carla Gonzalez. “The faculty could write a proposal, but it would need both faculty support and student support.”
Valerio-Jimenez is working on a proposal for a Latino Studies minor with Claire Fox, a UI associate professor in English and Spanish and Portuguese, which they hope to submit by spring 2014.
If the proposal is approved, Valerio-Jimenez said he hopes the minor will be available by the fall of 2014.
Students are also creating awareness about the proposal.
Gonzalez said she conducted a survey throughout the semester and received feedback from students who also want a program established. The next step, she said, is to get other students together to become a more unified entity.
“We’re planning on having an information meeting next semester and writing letters to administration and meeting with administrators,” Gonzalez said. “We’re trying to make it a more centralized as one unit.”
