The first issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.
Inside the August 2008 issue:
In fall 2008 a new course will be taught: "Digital Storytelling In and With Communities of Color." For more information visit the "Digital Storytelling In and With Communities of Color" class website, or download the "Digital Storytelling In and With Communities of Color" class flyer.
In 2009 the department will celebrate its 40th Anniversary, so we have added a new page to our department website: AA&AS Celebrates 40 Years. Also, the Make a Gift page has been updated to reflect upcoming 40th Anniversary priorities.
Professor Yuichiro Onishi is offering a new course in the spring: Black Internationalism. Professor Fernando Arenas is also teaching a new course, Portuguese-Speaking Cultures in Translation: Lusophone Africa. Both will be fascinating courses!
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities seeks outstanding candidates for a community outreach coordinator. The community outreach coordinator will enhance the department and college's role and profile as a partner with communities of color in Minnesota, particularly with African American and immigrant African communities, and serve as a liaison connecting the community to the department and college's teaching, service, and research resources. The coordinator will also create and nurture a network of relationships that link the department and college to the community by providing internship and service learning opportunities for CLA students as well as research and service opportunities to our faculty. The coordinator will establish relationships with schools, workplaces, after-school programs, service agencies, and local community colleges to increase awareness of the University's commitment to diversity. Other roles and duties may also be assigned.
Required qualifications: a bachelor's degree; three years relevant experience in program or project coordination; demonstrated written and oral communication skills; demonstrated success working in a team setting; experience with African and/or African American communities; and proficient computer skills (word processing, email, and web searching). Must be able to travel using own transportation.
Desired qualifications: master's degree; knowledge of K-12 school demographics and issues impacting Minnesota communities of color; demonstrated ability to prioritize and balance multiple tasks and responsibilities; ability to work well and communicate effectively (both verbally and in writing) with diverse populations, including students, members of the faculty, and community members; knowledge and experience with higher education structures, policies, and procedures; demonstrated ability to learn and disseminate detailed information using a high level of interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to work independently, collaboratively, and under supervision; familiarity with liberal arts programs and with university-wide student support services; and strong writing skills to include editing and presentation layout.
Applications (resume, cover letter, and 3 references) will be accepted online.
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities seeks outstanding candidates for a Teaching Specialist/Lecturer position in Swahili for the Spring Semester 2008 and thereafter in the Department of African American & African Studies. The candidate selected will teach up to six courses annually: Beginning Swahili (I and II), Intermediate Swahili (I and II), and possibly two courses that focus on African Studies in those regions where Swahili is spoken. In addition, the candidate selected will advise students and hold office hours. Other Responsibilities might include providing service to the department, College, and University. This is a 9 month annual renewable position.
Required Qualifications: Masters Degree in relevant field or equivalent, two years of foreign language teaching experience, native or near-native fluency in Swahili and English, and a background in foreign language pedagogy.
Preferred Qualifications: Ph.D. candidates (or equivalent) in Swahili, Linguistics, Foreign Language Education or another relevant field; expertise teaching multiple sections of Swahili in a large public American University; background in second language acquisition, proficiency-based teaching, or computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and other technological applications; and a record of research publication. Any further questions please call African American & African Studies, College of Liberal Arts, 612-624-9847. To apply visit the U of M employment website and search for requisition # 151276, or send resume, cover letter, and list of 3 references to African American & African Studies, 267 19th Avenue South, 808 Social Sciences Bldg., Minneapolis, MN 55455. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
From 2-3:30 on a Wednesday of each month of the fall semester the department's Assistant Professors will present their research during the departmental "Coffee Hour." The schedule:
Yuichiro Onishi, September 26: "The Ring Shout as the Modalities of Afro-Asian Solidarities."
Keith Mayes, October 17: "To Put Down Crazy Cracker Celebrations: Toward a Theory of Black Holidays and the Logic of Holiday Placement and Calendar Protest."
Alexs Pate, November 14: "Ya Feel Me?: The Meaning and Nature of Saturation in Rap/Poetry."
Njeri Githire, December 5: "Victor Hugo, Captain Bligh & Caribbean Women Writers: Imperial History, Nation and Gender in the Works of Gisele Pineau (France/Guadeloupe) & Andrea Levy (England/Jamaica)."
Come hear about exciting work in progress!
On August 31 a moderately redesigned department website was launched. Over the 2007-2008 academic year a major redesign will be conducted. Let us know your ideas!
CLA's Spring 2007 Reach magazine features a story about AA&AS students and faculty involved in K-12 outreach.
Hello everyone, I'm Walt Jacobs, the interim chair of the department for 2007-2008. I'll try to post at least one entry per week to this blog that may be of interest to the AA&AS community: information about the department, campus events, news about African and African American peoples and organizations, etc. Please contact me with any ideas and comments! My email address is wrjacobs@umn.edu and my office phone number is 612.624.8012.
Welcome to the chair's blog for the Department of African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota! The chair of the department will post information that may be of interest to our community.