Enhancing Asian Studies: Asia in the Liberal Arts Curriculum
Funded by the Henry Luce Foundation

This project will leverage the expertise and experience of ASIANetwork members to create a comprehensive, digital resource guide. A related initiative in institutional consultancies will inform and utilize the guide as it evolves over time.  A seven-member AN Consultancy Group will administer this project.

RESOURCE GUIDE TOPICS

Administrative

• Program / department structures & tenure lines
• Assessment
• Recruiting faculty / making best use of existing faculty & resources
• Team teaching, linked courses, cross-disciplinary cooperation
• Faculty development
• Recruiting students into Asian Studies courses
• Strategic planning, budgeting
• Starting new programs and initiatives

 Curricular

• Major / Minor requirements
  • Sequencing courses (introductory through capstone)
• Incorporating Asian Studies into general education curriculum
• Incorporating Asian Studies into other disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs
• Curriculum Resources
  • Syllabi bank
  • Annotated bibliography of commonly used Asian Studies textbooks
  • Teaching modules
• Benchmarks & standards
  • Languages – American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
• Developing learning outcomes in Asian Studies. AAC&U/LEAP (www.aacu.org/leap)
• Incorporating digital technologies / new media in the Asian Studies curriculum

Library and Support Services

• Books, journals, multimedia, digital
• Pedagogical initiatives

International Education

• Institutional agreements, consortia, study-abroad providers, etc.
• Scholarship opportunities for students studying abroad
• Articulating the on-campus and study-abroad curriculum
• Working with Admissions Offices / recruiting Asian students to the campus
• Short-term, semester, and year-long programs

Internship and Career

• Internships (credit-bearing and non-credit)
• Non-profits / service opportunities
• Professional development and career advice for students

Development

• Engaging alumni and donors
• External funding / grant opportunities in Asian Studies
• Organizational membership / support (ASIANetwork, AAS, etc.)

THE PROJECT TIMELINE (4 YEARS)

YEAR ONE

Summer 2018

• A seven-member Working Group (WG) will be chosen from former ASIANetwork (AN) consultants, Asian Studies and Asian language faculty members, and representatives of college staff and administration, to fulfill the responsibilities described in the appendix. From these seven members, two will be named Co-directors.
• WG members and the AN Executive Director meet to organize themselves around the resource areas in the appendix and to develop a plan for engaging member and non-member institutions.

 Fall 2018

• WG meets monthly via Skype or phone conference to develop the framework for the web-based, resource guide, based on the resource areas described in the appendix.
• WG visits member campuses and other universities and associations for consultancies and to solicit feedback on the project.

 Spring 2019

• WG meets prior to and participates in the ASIANetwork annual national conference focused on “Asia in the Undergraduate Curriculum.”
• Co-directors chair a panel at the ASIANetwork conference to present the draft framework of the web-based, resource guide and to gain feedback from a broad cross section of AN members.
• WG solicits detailed responses from a sample of Asian Studies experts, including AN Council of Advisors, who will review the resource guide and make suggestions.
• WG develops templates and tools for consultancy visits that make use of the interactive website resource guide.
• WG identifies and engages AN member and targeted non-member institutions in order to solicit applications for consultancy visits.

YEAR TWO

Summer 2019

• Co-directors work with the AN Information Officer to make the resource guide available in various media formats.

 Fall 2019

• Co-directors coordinate the 2019-2020 on-site consultancies and revise consultancy templates and tools as necessary.
• WG visits member campuses and other universities and associations for consultancies and to solicit feedback on the project.

 Spring 2020

• WG meets prior to and participates in the ASIANetwork annual national conference.
• Co-directors chair a panel at the ASIANetwork annual national conference to report on consultancy outcomes and solicit feedback on the use of the interactive website resource guide, templates, and tools in order to assess the effectiveness of the program and to plan revisions.
• Representatives from targeted institutions attend the AN Conference.
• WG identifies and engages AN member and targeted non-member institutions in order to solicit applications for the next round of consultancy visits.

YEAR THREE

Summer 2020

• Co-directors refine the interactive website resource guide content and website presentation.
• Members of the WG create multimedia teaching modules in their areas of interest and expertise, and also solicit modules from AN members.

Fall 2020

• Co-directors coordinate the next round of on-site consultancies and revise consultancy templates and tools as necessary.
• WG visits member campuses and other universities and associations for consultancies and to solicit feedback on the project.

 Spring 2021

• WG meets prior to and participates in the ASIANetwork annual national conference.
• Co-directors chair a panel at the ASIANetwork annual national conference to report on consultancy outcomes and to solicit feedback on the use of the interactive website resource guide, templates, and tools in order to assess the effectiveness of the program and to plan revisions.
• Representatives from targeted institutions attend the AN Conference.
• WG identifies and engages AN member and targeted non-member institutions in order to solicit applications for the next round of consultancy visits.

YEAR FOUR

Summer 2021

• Co-directors refine the resource guide content and website presentation.
• Members of the WG create multimedia teaching modules in their areas of interest and expertise, and also solicit modules from AN members.

Fall 2021

• Co-directors coordinate the next round of on-site consultancies and revise consultancy templates and tools as necessary.
• WG visits member campuses and other universities and associations for consultancies and to solicit feedback on the project.
• Co-directors edit and publish teaching modules to the resource guide.

Spring 2022

• WG meets prior to and participates in the ASIANetwork annual national conference.
• Co-directors chair a panel at the ASIANetwork annual national conference to report on consultancy outcomes and to solicit feedback on the use of the interactive website resource guide, templates, and tools in order to assess the effectiveness of the program and to plan revisions.
• Representatives from targeted institutions attend the AN Conference.
• WG and representatives from institutions that received a consultancy present findings at conferences and other venues of professional organizations such as the Association for Asian Studies, the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Asian Studies Development Program, and the Association of American Colleges & Universities.

AN CONSULTANCY GROUP

Kan Liang, Associate Dean for Arts and Humanities & Associate Professor of History, Seattle University

Sherry, Mou, Professor of Chinese & Director of Asian Studies, DePauw University

Tinaz Pavri, Division Chair, Social Science and Humanities & Director, Asian Studies Program & Professor of Political Science, Spelman College

Kammie Takahashi, Associate Professor of Religious Studies & Director of Asian Studies, Muhlenberg College

**Steven Udry, Professor of History & Director of Asian Studies,  Carthage College

Scott Wilson, Associate Dean for Global Citizenship & Director of Asian Studies & Professor of Politics, The University of the South

Ka Wong, Associate Professor of Asian Studies, St, Olaf College

** denotes project director