The Institute for Latina/o and Latin American Studies

The Institute for Latin American Studies was created in 1974 to call attention to the variety of courses dealing with Latin America at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. It promotes an understanding of Latin America, facilitates contact among professors with Latin American specialties, seeks to respond to student and community groups and presents speakers and other programs. The UWL Institute is linked in the U. W. System through the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studiesat the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  Since 2001, the Institute has expanded into U.S. Latina and Latino Studies, reflecting the research interests of newly-hired faculty and a growing presence of Latina/o students.   There is a strong working relationship between ILLAS and LASO, the Latin American Student Organization.

The Institute is interdisciplinary with participants from the Colleges of Liberal Studies, the College of Science and Health and the College of Business Administration. Members of the Institute offer a wide variety of courses and expertise in the following: biology, economics, history, business, management, geography, languages and literature, philosophy, political science, sociology, anthropology and archaeology. Faculty participate in International Education programs.  Archeology faculty run a Joint Ethnographic and Archaeological Field School in Cochabamba, Bolivia. 

The Institute is presently housed in 340E Morris Hall. This office houses the Institute's pedagogical collections, journals and a small library of materials on Latin American and Chicano literature, as well as a working area for faculty associates.  The Institute's video library, with over 70 titles, is available to ILLAS associates and their classes.  See the video catalog below.

ILLAS Institute Hours are:
Monday: 9:30-11:00 a.m. and by appointment
We are located in 336A Wimberly Hall
Phone: 608-785-8337

To arrange for an appointment e-mail either Professor Macías González at macias.vict@uwlax.edu or Max Nobiensky at nobiensk.maxw@students.uwlax.edu or call 608-785-8337.

Calendar of Events

International Studies Minor: Latin American Emphasis

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse offers an International Studies Minor with a Latin American emphasis which is open to students in all schools and colleges within the university. The minor consists of 24 credits from approved international studies curriculum which does not include courses counted towards the major. Each student plans an individual course of study with approval of an international studies or Latin American studies faculty adviser, subject to the following:

1) POL/GEO/ECO/SOC/ANT 202/HIS 203

2) Six credits from two departments selected from international studies Category I: global issues (courses which focus on transregional zones or on issues which are transregional in scope)

3) Twelve credits from at least two departments, selected from international studies category II (courses which focus on issues which are national or regional in scope), including SPA 321 and at least six other credits from category III (courses dealing with Latin American topics).

4) INS 495

5) Proficiency in Spanish demonstrated through completion of SPA 202 or equivalent

6) Twelve of the above credits must be at 300 level or above

A list of approved courses for Category I, Category II, and Category III is available from the director of international studies courses.

Course Offerings

Economics
375 Economic Development (3 cr)
499 Independent Study (1-3 cr)

Geography
316 Geography of South America (3 cr)
317 Geography of Middle America (3 cr)
334 Field Geography
375 Special Topics in Geog./Earth Science (1-3 cr)
450 Geography Internship (3-12 cr)
496 Individual Study (3 cr) 

History
336 Hispanics in the United States (3 cr)
341 Nineteenth Century Latin America (3 cr)
342 Twentieth Century Latin America (3 cr)
343 US Borderlands (3 cr)
344 Colonial Latin America (3 cr)
345 US-Latin American Relations (3 cr)
347 History of Greater Mexico   (Northern Mexican and Mexican American History) (3 cr)
353 Maya Civilization (3 cr)
354 Spain to 1700 (3 cr)
356 History of Mexico (Mexico City-centered political and cultural history)  (3 cr)
450 History Internship (3-12 cr)
490 Historiography Seminar (4 cr)
495 History with Documents (4 cr)
497 Individual Study (1-3 cr)

International Studies
225 Seminar in World Areas Studies (1-3 cr)
226 Seminar Foreign Study Tour (1-3 cr)
245 Introduction to Hispanic Cultural Studies (to be cross listed with History)   (3 cr)
425 Interdisciplinary Seminar in International Studies (2-3 cr)
495 Directed Readings in International Studies (3 cr)

Music
204 Latin American Music:  Context and Impact   (3 cr)

Political Science
330 Politics of Developing Areas (3 cr)
331 Comparative Politics (3 cr)
339 Contemporary Latin America (3 cr)
450 Internships in Government and Politics (3 cr)
495 Seminar (3 cr)
499 Readings and Research (3 cr) 

Sociology/Archaeology/Anthropology
203 Culture and Ecology (focuses on Mesoamerica, 3 cr Ant.)
285 Archaeology of Mexico and Central America (3 cr cross listed Arc. or Ant.)
300 Latin America: Politics, Diversity and Cultural Change (3cr cross listed Soc.or Ant.)
305 Sociology of Development and Social Change (3 cr)
314 Industry and Society (3 cr)
353 Maya Civilization (3 cr Arc. or Ant.)
409 Readings and Research in Anthropology or Archaeology (1-3 cr)
450 Internship in Anthropology or Archaeology (3-15 cr) 

Spanish
321 Spanish-American Civilization (3 cr)
340 Spanish-American Literature I (3 cr)
341 Spanish-American Literature II (3 cr)
395 Hispanic Literature in the U. S. (3 cr)
403 Studies in Spanish Literature (3 cr)
399 Foreign Literature in Translation (3 cr)
403 Studies in Spanish Literature (3 cr)
450 National/International Intern Program (1-4 cr)
495 Seminar in Spanish (2 cr)
498 Independent Study
499 Independent Study

Related Links for Latina/o and Latin American Studies

Latin American Studies Program at Viterbo: http://www.viterbo.edu/latinam.aspx?id=15812

Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, UW-Milwaukee: http://www4.uwm.edu/clacs/

North Central Council for Latin American Studies: http://www4.uwm.edu/clacs/nccla/index.cfm

Rocky Mountain Council for Latin American Studies: http://www.rmclas.org

Latin American Studies Association: http://lasa.international.pitt.edu

LADB: Latin American News Service:           http://ladb.unm.edu/retanet

Latin American Network Information Center, UT-Austin: http://lanic.utexas.edu/

ILLAS Associates

Jorge Aguilar-Sánchez, Modern Languages (aguilar.jorg@uwlax.edu)
William D. Barillas, English (barillas.will@uwlax.edu)*
Steve Brokaw, Marketing (brokaw.step.@uwlax.edu)*
Victoria Calmes, Modern Languages (calmes.vict@uwlax.edu)*
Dorián Dorado, Spanish (dorado.dori@uwlax.edu)*
Janis Hanson, Modern Languages (hanson.jani@uwlax.edu)
Jean Hindson, Spanish (hindson.jean@uwlax.edu)*
Christine Hippert, Sociology/Archaeology (hippert.chri@uwlax.edu)*
Jean Janecki de Sotarello, Modern Languages (janecki.jean@uwlax.edu)
Donald Kuderer, Modern Languages (kuderer.dona@uwlax.edu)*
Darlene Lake, Modern Languages (lake.darl@uwlax.edu)*
Víctor M. Macías-González, History (macias.vict@uwlax.edu)*
Cecilia Manrique, Political Science (manrique.ceci@uwlax.edu)
Timothy L. McAndrews, Sociology/Archaeology (mcandrew.timo@uwlax.edu)*
Margarita Refugia Olivas, Communication Studies (olivas.marg@uwlax.edu)
Leticia E. Peña, Management (pena.leti@uwlax.edu)*
Kathryn E. Perez, Biology (perez.kath@uwlax.edu)
Richard Pinnell, Music (pinnell.rich@uwlax.edu)*
Omar Rivera, Philosophy (rivera.omar@uwlax.edu)*
Sheryl Tuttle Ross (ross.sher@uwlax.edu)
Shelley Sinclair, History (sinclair.shel@uwlax.edu)*
Donald Sloan, Art History (sloan.dona@uwlax.edu)
Sheldon Smith (Emeritus) Sociology/Archaeology (smith.shel@uwlax.edu)*
 Donald Socha, Modern Languages (socha.dona@uwlax.edu)*
Andrew Melendrez-Stapleton, Marketing (stapleto.andr@uwlax.edu)
Melissa Wallace, Modern Languages (wallace.meli@uwlax.edu) 

*Denotes regional associate UW-Milwaukee Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.