Program Information
Mission Statement | Program Bylaws | Programming and Events | Program Chronology
Mission Statement
In 2004, the Chicana/o Studies at the University of Wisiconsin-Madison began a new chapter by expanding both the name and the mission of our Program in recognition of the unity and diveristy of U.S. Latina/o populations. Our new name is the Chican@ and Latin@ Studies Program and we have adopted the following mission statement:
The Program in Chican@ and Latin@ Studies offers a systematic and interdisciplinary analysis of Mexican-and Latin-American-origin people, cultures, and collectivities within the United States. The interdisciplinary Program is designed to provide students with a broad knowledge base and the intellectual tools to understand the unity and diversity of U.S. Latina/o populations. The primary objective of the Program is to train students in the study of Chicana/os and Latina/os, as well as to introduce them to the central questions, topics, and applications that have emerged in this field of inquiry.
The Program in Chican@ and Latin@ Studies offers a variety of courses, some focusing on particular national-origi groups or specific academic disciplines, and others organized around comparative topics or issues. Examples includes: Chicana and Latina History; Introduction to Comparative Ethnic Studies; Latina/os and Media; Chicana and Chicano History; The American West; Chicana/o Film Culture; Chicana and Latina Feminisms; Chicana/o and Latina/o Immigrant and Diasporic Cultures; Mexican American Politics; and Integrative Seminar in Comparative and Transnational Ethnic Studies.
The progam includes 16 Affiliate Faculty (3 core and 13 joint-governance) and approximately 70 certificate students.
Program Bylaws
The Governance Committee of the Chican@ Latin@ Studies Program (Alda Blanco, Jim Escalante, Benjamin Marquez, Camille Guerin-Gonzales) developed the Program Bylaws which were accepted by Phillip R. Certain, Dean of the College of Letters & Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison 12 January 2004, Subject to Amendments Passed 30 April 2004.
Programming and Event Co-sponsorships
The program offers academic programming and co-sponsors campus events. Recent events include:
Program Chronology
In 1989, Mario Campeon first compiled a chronology of the history of what is now known as the Chican@ Latin@ Studies Program. In May 2006, Tricia Price (former CLS Program Administrator, 2004 to Summer 2006) continued to update this chronology to ensue the ongoing documentation of our program's history. Provided below is a portion of the program chronology which Jillian Alpire (current CLS Program Administrator) maintains.
- April 14, 1974 was the first picketing march for a Chicano Studies department at UW-Madison.
- Chicano Studies was established in the School of Education in 1976-1977.
- Adalberto Aguirre, Ph.D. was appointed the fist Program Director at academic staff level in 1979-1980, however, he resigned a year later when a faculty appointment offer was not made.
- Walter Lane was named interim Program Director in 1980-1981. His primary objective was to oversee the search process for a new Program Director.
- In 1981-1982, the Chicano Studies offices were established in Science Hall, the first newsletter was published, and a conference held on Chicanos in higher education.
- Jose de Paz, M.A., was appointed Program Directory at an academic staff level, however, a year later he resigned at the end of the 1982-1983 academic year. Ismael Rodriguez, a graduate student and the program's Program Assistant, was responsible for keeping the office open for the summer.
- Mario Compean, M.A. was hired as a half-time Program Assistant at .5 FTE to assume Program leadership, however, he acted in the capacity as the Program Administrator.
- Chicano Studies was transferred to the College of Letters and Science from the School of Education in August 1988.
- Diego Vigil was recruited from the University of Southern California to assume the Program directorship in August 1988. Dr. Vigil left in 1989.
- Carlos Reyes began as the Student Service Specialist in June 1990. In October, Cesar Chavez spoke at the UW-Madison campus, an event that was co-sponsored by Chicano Studies and many other organizations.
- In 1991-1992 the program achieved timetable status
- The Chicano Studies Certificate was approved in December 1993, and became the first certificate program initiated in an ethnic studies program.
- Margaret Theresa Annen was the first student to receive the Chicano Studies Certificate in May 1994.
- In 1994-1995 the program began a film festival that brought Lourdes Portillo and Ray Santisteban in to talk about their films.
- Chicano Studies moved into new offices in Ingraham Hall in summer 1995, along with other ethnic studies programs
- In 1996-1997, the Program's first wevsite was designed.
- The Program's name officially changed from Chicano Studies to Chicana/o Studies in April 1998
- Camille Gueirn-Gonzales was hired at the rank of Full Professor with tenure in Chicana/o Studies in 2001 and became Director in 2003.
- In 2003-2004 a new newsletter (Regeneracion) and an academic student journal (Concientizacion) were launched and program bylaws were approved.
- The program's name was changed to the Chican@ & Latin@ Studies Program and revisions were made to the mission statement and certificate requirements in Fall 2004.
- In 2005-2006, films and books were catalogued into the CLS Library, whis is now part of the UW-Madison library system. Archival materials were sent to the University Archives to assure accessibility to researchers. Also, Teaching Assistants Michel Hogue and Tyina Steptoe won the UW-Madison Innovation in Teaching Award for their work on the Santa Fe Trail course.
- Alberta M. Gloria became Director in June 2006. During the 2006-2007 academic year there wer 75 certificate students, 16 faculty (3 core and 13 joint-governance), and 10 different CLS course taught. The Regent Salas Academic Activist Scholarship was announced at the Annual Gathering and New Student Orientation.
- A graduate minor was approved for the CLS program.
Our Program has experience both struggles and successes and thus, it is with great appreciation that we honor the persistent energies and commitment of those who have worked and continue to do so to make the program the success it is today.
