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MINUTES
- JAN. 21, 2005
151 Hamilton Hall
1. The minutes from our last meeting on September 10 were approved.
2. Announcements:
3. Title VI application planning
- History of our efforts
- Potential for collaboration with Duke's Center for the Study of Muslim Networks and NCSU's Middle East Studies Program.
- Planning
schedule: strategic planning, January-March; inter-campus negotiations,
April; data-gathering, May-August; application writing,
September-October.
- Likely elements and criteria of the application (from the Dept. of Education National Resource Center webpage):
- 1. Commitment to subject area
- 2. Curriculum design
- 3. Non-language instructional programs
- 4. Language instructional programs
- 5. Library holdings
- 6. Quality of staff
- 7. Outreach
- 8. Program planning and budget
- 9. Impact and evaluation
- Review of 2002 Strategic Plan:
- We
have already taken important steps toward accomplishing numerous items
in the 2002 plan, including the establishment of the concentration in
Middle East Studies within the Curriculum in International and Area
Studies (Priority 1), the establishment of this Center (Priority 2),
applications for external funding (Priority 3 - naturally, this is
still ongoing), integrating Study Abroad into the concentration
(Priority 4 - also ongoing), hiring a historian of North Africa
(Priority 6 - this position was included in our UISFL grant
application), and hiring a junior-level social scientist (Priority 8 -
Banu Gokariksel in Geography).
- Mission Statement, part 2, revision proposed by Charles Kurzman and approved by acclaim: To explore and promote cross-regional approaches to Middle Eastern studies.
Carolina is well known for this innovative approach to the study
of the Middle East. As Islamic ideas and movements circulate across
regions, it is increasingly important to avoid geographic blinders.
To pick an example from current headlines: If al-Qa'ida terrorists
move from Saudi Arabia or Yemen to Pakistan or Malaysia, must
Middle East studies stop studying them?
- Strategic Priority #4, Study
Abroad, revision proposed by Ed Curtis and Bob MIles and approved as amended: The
Center encourages students to participate in Study Abroad
and will work to offer a number of opportunities for both beginning
and advanced students who wish to study in the region. We have two
priorities. First, we actively support the UNC Summer in Jordan
study abroad program, a program led by UNC faculty
members designed to introduce undergraduates to the peoples and
cultures of the Middle East. Second, with the assistance of the
Study Abroad Office, we will identify additional study abroad programs to
meet more specific and academic needs of the students who are seeking
more advanced study. To this end, we are especially eager to
pursue a wide range of collaborative possibilities with the American
University in Cairo, the Bosphorus University in Istanbul, the University of Jordan in Amman, and other campus with
which UNC has already established strong institutional and personal
ties.
- Concerns
- Institutional support for grant preparation and administration by UNC.
- Commitment of other campuses to potential partnership.
- Level of faculty and curricular presence in this area.
- Next steps
- Systematic review of the Strategic Plan: need nominations for committee.
- Ongoing talks with colleagues at Duke and NCSU about possible joint application.
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