Conclusions
Website Strengths
We identified the strengths in the websites as easy to navigate, well thought out, information was clearly labeled, it was also easy to locate. The program structure was easy to comprehend. Aesthetically is was appealing to the student. Some exceptional websites reached outide the classroom and had news and information on community events. This shows the prospective students that the university it dedicated to an all encompassing education.
Program Strengths
While examing each programs strength was visible in terms of have a major and minor available. While some schools chose the traditional route of Latin American Studies, they still offered study abroad and other enrichment oppurtunities. The strongest program structure we identified allows the students to chose from small pools of classes in separate categories. Latino Studies spans many different academic departments therefore it allows the students to be more well rounded. For example, these courses covered political, sociological, historical, and sexual topics.
The Ohio State University review
The Ohio State University has many of the things that our group decided that constitutes a strong program. The program structure is easy to understand even though it is complicated in nature. There is a comparative studies major (with a concentration) and minor available. The courses are interdisciplinary because Latino/a Studies and Latin American Studies span and overlap in many academic areas.
Furthermore, Ohio State clearly has one of the best websites for their Latino/a Studies program. The website itself is aesthetically pleasing while the content is concise and separated into clear subdivisions. The user can get to the information they are looking for within a minimal number of clicks. There is personal content on the site that allows the user to get more of a connection to the program. The site is engaging and gives the user exactly what they want.
There are outreach programs such as the Office of Minority Affairs, CAMP, Qué Pasa, Multicultural Center, Hispanic Student Services, and Alpha Psi Lambda. Many students who identify as Latino do not often get the opportunity of higher education, it is not necessarily expected of them. For that reason, these offices and programs serve to make the transition into higher education smoother. There is support in these groups that allow first year students especially to build a strong base to allow them to achieve their goals.
Reccomendations to the Ohio State University
Web Site: It is misleading that there is a section on the Latino/a Studies website devoted to events and news when there are no events and only one piece of news. This part should either be updated more often or linked to the events offered through the Qué Pasa website.
Program: Currently there are two separate categories from which to pick courses for the Latino/a Studies minor. This seems fair for a program of four courses. But as the program grows and hopefully a major is added, subdivisions should be created so that the student will have a well-rounded education.
Program: If Ohio State determines that it would like more students who identify as Latino then it should continue to recruit students from areas like Texas and Florida. Considering our Midwestern location, Ohio State is doing a phenominal job compared to most other schools. When investigating the relationship of Latino faculty and students, Gonzalo Bruce of the Multicultural Center illistrated a good point. Ohio State's main goal should be to higher quality faculty and not to focus neccessarily on their background. A student who enjoys their experience will recruit their friend whether their professor is White or Latino.
The Final Word
The Ohio State University, in comparison to the other universities researched, has a very strong showing. Their website is well executed, their program is well structured and their commitment to offering services to their Latino student body is steadfast. With such a strong foundation, there is a bright future for this program to continue to excel. The Ohio State University has truly laid the groundwork on which to build a strong, nationally recognized, Latino/a Studies program for all of its students.