*Original Proposal submitted late Fall 2015. See details of Davis Educational Foundation Grant here.
Introduction
In response to the call for proposals to create academic clusters within the existing curriculum, the continuing members of the German Studies Department (Mark Lauer, Karen Remmler, and Donna Van Handle), in consultation with Peter Scotto and Stephen Jones (Russian and Eurasian Studies), would like to propose that we gather together faculty members at the College, whose research and teaching focuses on transnational and intersecting aspects of Europe, Eurasia, and adjacent areas, such as Turkey, the Mediterranean, Great Britain, and the Atlantic. Rather than recreate existing geopolitical or cultural boundaries, we propose a pilot cluster that might lead to either the configuring of a nexus or major that respects current major structures, while incrementally combing existing departments and programs in European languages and other areas. Rather than simply combine smaller departments, we seek to identify the intellectual and curricular adjacencies, either untapped or scattered, that relate to transnational European and Eurasian Studies in all disciplines.
Conceptualization
1) What is European and Eurasian Studies? How do we go beyond the outdated insistence on geopolitics and look at the wealth of relationships within and between nations tied historically and politically through colonialism and imperialism, postcolonial and neo-imperialistic movements, migration, transcultural exchange, global markets, cultural production, media, and emerging fields in environmental studies, to name a few?
2) What might a new configuration look like? This configuration might include a strong language component, courses that establish cultural literacy, at least one history course, and then a series of courses that span at least two departments based on student interest. The entity might also include two introductory courses, one that focuses on the theories of intercultural communication and another that deals with the development of European and Eurasian studies across the disciplines within the First-Year program, and a capstone. Electives based on the student’s particular area of interest across two or more departments would round out the nexus or major.
Rationale
Mount Holyoke, according to its mission, is dedicated to graduating global citizens and to providing opportunities for engaged learning and purposeful engagement with the world. At the same time, we are in the midst of a strategic planning process designed to consider bold change and to pool resources across the curriculum toward a more coherent and forward-looking education for our students. In previous years, various initiatives in the languages generated in part by faculty and by the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives have explored ways to create more coherent, synergetic, and conceptually sound partnerships across the curriculum.
Within the curriculum, we also propose to include multiple geopolitical and cultural areas, such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Although we teach European languages and cultures at the College, we may be missing an opportunity to form expertise across the curriculum that recognizes the global exchanges, histories, and transcultural ties across continents and modes of communication often compartmentalized within area studies.
Given the diminished language requirement, we note two things. First, some students are opting not to continue after the first semester of an elementary language class. Second, an increased number of students are taking languages with no intention of majoring or minoring in them. Thus, it makes sense to create opportunities to embed language learning within cultural contexts throughout the curriculum. At this point, outside of the language departments, only International Relations and Latin American Studies require substantial language study (four semesters). Given the increased emphasis on the intersection between the local and the global within the liberal arts and across the curriculum, it would behoove us to encourage students to become more interculturally aware in general and more culturally literate within their chosen fields of study.
Indeed, the current events in Europe, ranging from the Euro crisis to the influx of over a million refuges from warn-torn Syria and from other violent-ridden regions, the severe tension between Russia and the Ukraine, and by extension, in other parts of Eastern Europe, are issues that span the disciplines. In order to fully grasp the ramifications of these matters, the increased movement of markets driven by China, or the interest in the creation of renewable sources of energy in parts of Europe, most notably Germany, students in all fields would benefit from a more coherent and comprehensive Nexus and/or major that focuses on the historical, social, cultural, political, and environmental change that not only affects European countries, but which extends across and beyond their borders. Understanding the cultural and political upheaval in parts of the Middle East and in Africa, for example, requires a deeper understanding of the impact of colonial and post-colonial imperialism practiced by European nations. The shift of power in Russia and its impact on hindering or, conversely, promoting multilateral agreements or development across the world is a central issue in today’s globalized world.
As a College dedicated to inclusiveness, transcultural and intercultural understanding, and to linking academic work with internships, creating a nexus or major in European and Eurasian studies would further link languages across the curriculum and allow students to connect their classroom learning to community engagement and to learning abroad. We also imagine connecting with other initiatives related to cultural and visual literacies, language acquisition, translation studies, media studies, and other related modes of representation. These fields are increasing in demand by students and faculty alike.
Given the current challenges of the US political system, educating students to enter public service, for example, requires an ever-growing grasp of global issues and relations between countries. How might an IR major prepare for an internship in Europe by taking a course or two dedicated to cultural literacy or intercultural communication? How might a German studies major benefit from taking a European history course? In order to create these opportunities, we need to work with colleagues to coordinate our schedules and major requirements.
We also note the (anticipated) retirement of faculty whose teaching and research focuses on Europe (Penny Gill, Joan Cocks, Tom Wartenberg, Vinnie Ferraro, for example). Even as we strive to cover areas still at a deficit at the College (Middle East or Asia), the intersections with Europe and Eurasia historically, economically, and culturally cannot be overlooked.
Our push for sustainability in broad terms would be served by an entity devoted to capturing the innovative environmental movements and applications emerging in Europe, as well as preparing our students to work and study in a world determined in large part by the movements of millions of people through and around Europe and Eurasia, as well as the consequences of economic policies and cultural upheaval.
Format
We propose a yearlong seminar dedicated to exploring possible models for establishing a nexus and/or major in transnational European and Eurasian studies. Rather than add on to existing majors, we would incorporate existing majors, such as German studies or Russian and Eurasian studies, as well as designate existing courses (with permission, of course!) for the nexus or major. We anticipate a retreat in January and May, in addition to meeting once a month for three hours. We would invite faculty engaged in all aspects of these studies to present their scholarly work, share existing syllabi, and explore engaged learning models. This exchange would enable us to tap into existing courses and projects with the goal of eventually reconfiguring a number of departments and programs into a cluster based on the adjacencies that already exist at the College. In addition, we could imagine requesting an innovation hire that would span multiple departments and languages by identifying how this cluster would contribute to achieving the learning goals of the College. For example, combining language study with other disciplines, ranging from film studies to economics, from international relations to art history, not to mention the STEM disciplines, would better prepare our students for the RISE program, for learning abroad, and for internships, not only in Europe, but also in the USA. We will also look into working with a number of Nexus programs to create opportunities for students to take advantage of existing exchange programs, such as the semester and summer programs at the Berlin School of Economics and Law. In spring or Fall 2016, we anticipate inviting a major figure in transnational European and/or Eurasian studies to speak at the College and to brainstorm with our seminar about how we might use existing models of interdisciplinarity (CST, for example) as models for our plan.
Goals/Desired Outcome
1) Build on existing courses, adjacencies, and mergers across the College to create a 21st version of European and Eurasian studies that integrates European languages, cultural studies and area studies with other disciplines across the curriculum;
2) Establish a sustainable set of criteria for a Nexus and/or major based on engaged learning within a global context. Link existing majors, such as German studies and other languages departments with departments and interdisciplinary programs, such as Critical Social Thought or Architectural Studies;
3) Create a five-year plan, beginning with a pilot cluster, proposal for innovation hire, and combination of two or more departments/programs;
4) Create incentive for departments and programs to build in language requirement toward intercultural and cultural literacy;
5) Create advising structure that matches faculty with multiple languages with student projects;
6) In collaboration with the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives and the Career Development Center, create sustainable internship opportunities for students as component of the new entity;
7) Create a Five-College faculty seminar in European and Eurasian studies to further cooperation across the campuses.