Latina / Latino Studies Informaion

University of Michigan

Availability / Marketing of Content

The website for Latina/o Studies at University of Michigan is easy to locate. The homepage for Latina/o Studies has a mission statement that allows viewers to understand the goals of this department. The website is loaded with information on the history of the department, faculty, information for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as community events. The only problem is that the director for Latina/o Studies, Maria Montoya is currently on a leap of absence. It is fairly evident that a lot of planning went into the website and that is maintained. Overall, the website does a rather seamless job in allowing the viewer to understand the importance of Latina/o Studies by providing history as well as current events.

Courses Offered

Courses for Latina/o Studies fall under the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA). University of Michigan advertises Introduction to Latino Studies as a gateway course. The University of Michigan website points out, "Sensing that this pedagogical model greatly diminished the breadth of scholarship on Latina/o communities and put entirely too much emphasis on a singular disciplinary approach, Dr. Montoya and Dr. Cotera proposed a new interdisciplinary course that would more adequately reflect the diversity of the field and promote new ways of thinking about teaching and learning".

Program Structure

The website states, "The Latina/o Studies Program at the University of Michigan is housed within the American Culture Program. We currently offer a concentration to LSA students and a minor". Under the Concentration Program portion of the website it is stated that, "A primary objective of this concentration program is to engage students in a variety of disciplinary approaches to the study of U.S. Latina/os as well as to introduce them to the central intellectual questions and topics that have emerged in this field of inquiry".

The Latina/o Studies Department is also excited to announce a new minor that is available. "The academic minor in Latina/o Studies is intended for students who wish to develop a coherent understanding of the contributions of the Latina/o presence in American culture, history and society. Latina/o designates the diverse populations of U.S. citizens and immigrants whose ancestors are from the region of the world that spans the southern portion of the western hemisphere from the Caribbean Diaspora to the U.S./Mexico Borderlands to the southern tip of South America. Latina/o Studies seeks to document and interpret the histories, cultures, and social concerns of these communities, individually and collectively".

Demographics

The University of Michigan claims a Hispanic population of 4%. Ann Arbor, the city where The University of Michigan is located claims a Hispanic or Latino population of any race at 3.34%. 26.8% of the population in college age (18-24).

Sources

Ann Arbor, Michigan. (n.d.). Retrieved February/March, 2006, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Arbor

Latina/o Studies. (n.d.). Retrieved February/March, 2006, from University of Michigan Web site: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/ac/latina/