The Florida Africana Studies Consortium (FLASC) was created through a grant from the Ford Foundation “Intersections of African Diaspora Knowledge Communities: The South Florida Model” in order to develop a network of institutions and organizations committed to advancing African Diaspora Studies in the South Florida community and by extension nationally. (See our final grant report). We have collaboratively organized four conference and several symposia, seminars and art exhibitions, and produced a B.A. curriculum which can be used as a Consortium offered degree at various institutional partners. We have thought elaborately about having a Consortium office and staff with the role of coordinating these activities and will seek funding to do this. At this time though, each university/college will have a designated representative, consortium numbers so that students can register on their own campuses, pay those local fees and then take courses via that framework at other institutions as available. Our Conferences have been the most productive and significant, particularly as they are so well attended and bring out a sizable number of teachers. Our faculty members and teachers have also learned from having distinguished scholars in attendance at these conferences. In this way, we know that some of the material discussed in the conferences will find its way into the curricula through these advocates and community participation. Consortium building is a slow and deliberate process as one has to meet the needs of various types of institutions and various levels of knowledge. However, we are ready to advance and institutionalize these projects at our partner institutions.
FLORIDA AFRICANA STUDIES CONSORTIUM
Consortium Protocols (South Florida Academic Institutions)
Students
Students will register in their home campuses and take courses at other Consortium institutions through Consortium numbers or Independent Study (A list of substitutions will be worked out in order to create a master list).
Consortium classes will be coordinated by Consortium Coordinators on each campus who will interface with other campus coordinators to know what courses are offered each semester.
Consortium coordinators will provide their students with lists of courses available at each campus.
Students will therefore pay the tuition fees and register in their own campuses.
For the B.A., Students will take all core courses on their home campuses if available and then fill in the other classes, all according to availability (if courses are not available, students have access to those courses offered on other campuses).
Graduate Students
Graduate students can use faculty from other campuses as external members of their thesis committees
Graduate students can take courses at consortium institutions as offered and organized by consortium partners.
Graduate Students can attend all colloquium lectures at each institution and have access to visiting lecturers at colloquia and larger presentations.
Research Projects
Faculty and students will engage in joint research projects, coordinate conferences jointly and attend relevant lectures on each other’s campuses
Updated consortium materials will be posted on joint consortium website which will also have links to Consortium institutions and Consortium Coordinators.
Consortium partners can initiate Consortium related projects and use logo and designation if it is a program pertaining to African Diaspora Studies and includes members of the other Consortium institutions as attendees, presenters or participants.
Accepted January 19, 2007, Florida Memorial University meeting.
