Cover/Signature Page - Abbreviated Template
Institution Submitting Request: Utah Valley University
Proposed Title: Minor in Latin American Studies
School or Division or Location: College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department(s) or Area(s) Location: Languages and Cultures
Recommended Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code 05.0134
Proposed Beginning Date (for new programs): Fall 2015
Institutional Board of Trustees’ Approval Date: 1/15/2015
Proposal Type (check all that apply):
Regents’ General Consent Calendar Items
R401-5 OCHE Review and Recommendation; Approval on General
Consent Calendar
SECTION
ITEM
NO.
5.1.1
Minor*
5.1.2
Emphasis*
5.2.1
Certificate of Proficiency*
5.2.3
Graduate Certificate*
New Administrative Unit
Administrative Unit Transfer
5.4.1
Administrative Unit Restructure
Administrative Unit Consolidation
New Center
5.4.2
New Institute
New Bureau
5.5.1
Out-of-Service Area Delivery of Programs
Program Transfer
5.5.2
Program Restructure
Program Consolidation
5.5.3
Name Change of Existing Programs
Program Discontinuation
5.5.4
Program Suspension
Reinstatement of Previously Suspended Program
5.5.5
Reinstatement of Previously Suspended Administrative
Unit
Chief Academic Officer (or Designee) Signature:
I certify that all required institutional approvals have been obtained prior to submitting this request to the
Office of the Commissioner.
Signature
Date: 1/7/2015
Printed Name: Jeffery Olson, Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs
Program Request - Abbreviated Template
Utah Valley University
Minor in Latin American Studies
04/01/14
Section I: Request
The Department of Languages and Cultures in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Utah
Valley University requests approval to offer a Minor in Latin American Studies effective Fall 2015. This
program was approved by the Utah Valley University Board of Trustees on January 15, 2015.
Section II: Need
A Minor in Latin American Studies at Utah Valley University meets a variety of needs, including those of the
local community, the institution, existing programs, faculty, and UVU students.
According to the United States Census, in 2013 Utah’s population was 13.3% Hispanic or Latino.1 This is a
large, growing, and youthful population that presents unique challenges and opportunities for higher
education in Utah. It is also a culturally complex population with historically strong roots in the United States
and Mexico. In addition, Utah has large Caribbean and South American communities relative to
neighboring states and has also developed a notable community of Brazilian origin.2 UVU’s student
population reflects this local growth as well, with a total of 3001 Hispanic/Latino students,3 a number that
has increased by more than 300% over the last decade and which promises to grow more.4
To help meet the needs of this population, UVU has developed The Latino Initiative5 with the purpose of
enhancing educational opportunities for Latino students. In part, in order to help underrepresented students
like Latinos, President Holland has also established a Strategic Inclusion Plan which seeks to provide
curricular acceptance and support for these students as well as to promote intercultural competence in an
interactive and globalized world for all students. Nevertheless, outside of the Latino Initiative, this
population needs curricular and educational support to enhance retention. This requires the addition of
courses on the cultures, experiences, and countries of origin of these students as well as a location on
campus that will coordinate special lectures and discussions of issues concerning these students and their
lives.
It is also particularly important for UVU students to learn about Latin America in order to be fully competitive
in the global marketplace. Two of the top ten trading partners of the United States, Mexico and Brazil, are
located in Latin America, and the region purchases more than 12% of all US exports. It is also the source of
US Census, State and County Quick Facts, Utah: quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/49000.html (accessed March 20, 2014).
Utah has 3,593 people of Brazilian ancestry and 2,713 people of Portuguese ancestry as of 2012:
https://www.census.gov/acs/www/ (accessed March 26, 2014).
3 Utah Valley University, Institutional Research, Common Data Set2013-2014, Enrollment and Persistence:
uvu.edu/iri/documents/additional_resources/cds1314.pdf (accessed March 20, 2014).
4 This percentage is arrived at by comparing data from 2003
(uvu.edu/iri/documents/additional_resources/Common_20Data_20Set_202003.pdf, accessed March 20, 2014) to that of 2013
(see above).
5 uvu.edu/multicultural/initiatives/latino/ (accessed March 20, 2014).
1
2
seven percent of all of America’s imports.6 Latin America is thus not only strategically critical to the United
States economy and society, but also to the global education of UVU students. As part of this educational
need, students require training in the two main languages of the region, Spanish and Portuguese, both of
which are globally important languages with hundreds of millions of speakers. At the same time, students
need to comprehend the unique geographical and historical complexities of Latin America and its place in
the world, as well as the multifaceted cultural backgrounds of their fellow students whose families are from
that vast place.
When polled about the need for a Latin American Studies Minor, students of Portuguese, Spanish,
International Business, and Organizational Behavior showed strong support. 15.24% of students were
extremely or very interested in the LAS Minor and 22.3% were moderately interested. When the numbers
behind these percentages are aggregated, they demonstrate a pool of recruits for the minor that is 601
strong. The survey did not take into account other majors, such as those in the Humanities, Social
Sciences, Fine Arts, and Sciences, from which the proposed minor will draw faculty. Actual enrollment will
be drawn from a pool somewhat larger than the 601 students who expressed interest in the program
Presently, UVU has a number of faculty who focus on Latin America, either as a research and educational
specialization or as a place where they perform engaged scholarly activities. They are currently, however,
largely disconnected from one another since there is no minor degree or other program to bring them
together regularly so that they can become aware of each other’s work, share expertise, support one
another, and focus on how best to meet UVU’s mission and the needs of its students. These faculty are
scattered across the University’s Colleges and Schools, from Sciences to Humanities and Social Science.
As a result, the LAS Minor would satisfy another critical need by providing a central interdisciplinary place
for aggregating and enhancing faculty expertise and training students.
In addition to the strong need for knowledge, classes, and understanding of Latin American and Latino
culture, history, and language among students and faculty at UVU, there is also a need within the larger
community for this minor. Utah not only looks to Latin America as a place where it can promote its own
society and businesses, it also has a large number of religious and secular organizations engaged in
humanitarian service who, like the businesses, periodically seek out UVU faculty for their knowledge and
skills, at the same time as they look for support within the University for their efforts. In addition, some 60
schools in Utah have developed immersion programs in Spanish and Portuguese due to parental demand. 7
They seek support from UVU in staffing their programs and in concurrent enrollment classes, as well as in
providing a space for their students for special events and learning.
In sum, the community, strategic mission of the University, its students, and its faculty all clearly
demonstrate the need for a Minor in Latin American Studies at Utah Valley University.
Section III: Institutional Impact
The Latin American Studies minor will be managed by the Department of Languages and Cultures, and the
University is presently prepared to offer the minor with little to no impact in terms of administrative,
organizational, instructional, facilities, or equipment burdens. Due to its interdisciplinary structure, and
These statistics are based on the US Census Report on Foreign Trade for 2013: census.gov/foreign-trade/index.html (accessed
March 20, 2014).
7 Utah Dual Language Immersion: utahimmersion.org (accessed March 23, 2014).
6
because it directly supports UVU’s mission of increasing inclusivity, perspective, literacy, and stewardship
with regard to a globally interdependent community, the Latin American Studies Minor will not only
significantly serve students in a wide variety of fields and enhance their major programs of study, but also
will meaningfully compliment affiliated departments and programs in most UVU Colleges and Schools. It
will also augment the variety of contributions to diversity education and engaged learning already
established by UVU’s Center for Global and Intercultural Engagement, International and Multicultural
Studies, and The Latino Initiative.
Since the coursework required for the minor consists of classes currently offered at regular intervals in
extant major and minor programs across campus, limited impact on academic structure is anticipated.
Several main departments associated with the program will accommodate any modest increase in
academic adviser workload that may occur. The Latin American Studies Minor will be instructed by 25
existing faculty members with extensive research and teaching expertise in the various disciplinary areas
emphasized by the program including Latin American Languages, Culture, History, Politics, Geography,
Latin American Business, Latino Literature and Culture, and United States-Mexico Border Studies. This
faculty mostly originates from four of the University’s seven colleges and schools, many are tenured or
tenure-track, and most hold PhDs or terminal degrees. Personnel from the Office of the President and the
Multicultural Center, including some adjunct instructors, will also support the program.
Finally, the Minor in Latin American Studies can encourage retention and success among our increasingly
diverse student body through curricula that explicitly address issues of cultural difference and cultural
integration. A program of study that fosters cross-cultural literacy among students from all backgrounds and
across the social spectrum will ensure that UVU graduates will continue to form the core of our regional
workforce and situate Utah at the foreground of an increasingly interconnected national and global
economic future.
Section IV: Finances
The addition of this minor will require offering GEOG 2500 on a regular (once yearly) basis. Currently this
course is not offered regularly, but on “sufficient demand” only. Anticipated costs for additional sections of
this course are approximately $2570 per section to compensate additional adjunct faculty. These costs will
be covered by additional tuition generated by either the enrollment in the new courses or from general
university growth. Except for this course, the implementation of this minor will have minimal financial impact
as salaried faculty with expertise in this discipline have already been hired.
Section V: Program Curriculum
All Program Courses (with New Courses in Bold)
Course Prefix & Number
Title
Required Courses:
GEOG 2500
Geography of Latin American and the Caribbean
HIST 204G or
Colonial Latin America or
HIST 205G
Modern Latin America
SPAN 202G or
Intermediate Spanish II or higher or
PORT 202G
Intermediate Portuguese II or higher
Credit Hours
3
3
3
Sub-Total
Electives Courses:
ANTH 3340
ANTH 3350
ANTH 3370
COMM 319G
ENGL 373R
ENGL 476G
HIST 430G
MGMT 330G
MGMT 332G
MGMT 458R
MGMT 4870
MKTG 259R
POLS 420R
PORT 3200
PORT 3430
PORT 352G
PORT 3610
PORT 3620
PORT 3630
PORT 490R
SPAN 3200
SPAN 3630
SPAN 3640
SPAN 380R
SPAN 412R
SPAN 4200
SPAN 460R
SPAN 4660
SPAN 484R
People and Cultures of Mexico (3.0)
Andean Prehistory (3.0)
History and Ethnography of Andean Societies (3.0)
Intercultural Communication Encounters (3.0)
Literature of Culture and Places (3.0)
Multi-Ethnic Literature in America (3.0)
Violence and Social Conflict in Latin America (3.0)
Survey of International Business (3.0)
Cross-Cultural Communication for International Business (3.0)
Advanced Topics in International Business (1.)
International Management (3.0)
Current Topics in Marketing (1.0)
Issues and Topics in Political Science (3.0)
Business Portuguese (3.0)
Masterpieces of Brazilian Film (3.0)
Brazilian Culture and Civilization (3.0)
Brazil (1500-1900) in Literature and Film (3.0)
Modern Brazil (1900-1945) through Literature, Music, Film
(3.0)
Post-Modern Brazil (1945-today) through Literature, Music,
Film (3.0)
Special Topics in Brazilian Studies (3.0)
Business Spanish (3.0)
Spanish American Literature to 1880 (3.0)
Spanish American Literature from 1880 (3.0)
Community Engagement in Spanish (3.0)
Spanish for the Professions (3.0)
Advanced Business Spanish (3.0)
Topics in Hispanic Literature (3.0)
Contemporary Spanish American Literature (3.0)
Special Topics in Hispanic Studies (1.0)
or other advisor approved course
Sub Total
9
9 Credits
9
18
Total Number of Credits
Program Schedule
Fall of Second Year
(Course Prefix and
Number)
GEOG 2500 (Required)
Spring of Second Year
(Course Prefix and
Number)
SPAN 202G or
PORT 202G (Required)
Credit
Hours
Course Title
Geography of Latin American and the Caribbean
Course Title
3
3
Semester total:
Credit
Hours
Intermediate Spanish II or higher or
Intermediate Portuguese II or higher
3
Semester total:
Fall of Third Year
Course Title
(Course Prefix and
Number)
HIST 204G
or 205 Colonial Latin America or Modern Latin America
G(Required)
Semester total:
Spring of Third Year
(Course Prefix and
Number)
Minor Elective
Fall of Fourth Year
(Course Prefix and
Number)
Minor Elective
Spring of Fourth Year
(Course Prefix and
Number)
Minor Elective
Course Title
from list
Course Title
from list
Course Title
3
Credit
Hours
3
3
Credit
Hours
3
Semester total:
3
Credit
Hours
3
3
Semester total:
Credit
Hours
from list
Semester total:
3
3