The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) together with the Brazil Initiative at LACS feature presenters from diverse disciplines. LACS organizes and sponsors more than 50 public lectures, workshops, performances, and conferences over the course of the academic year.
In addition to our yearly programming, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) and the Brazil Initiative at LACS are happy to consider funding requests to co-sponsor lectures, events, performances, and activities that coincide with the center's mission to promote a broad and deep understanding of the region. Request to co-sponsor an event »
Friday, December 5, 2025
1:00–4:00 PM
Rackham Building, West Conference Room
Register to attend: https://myumi.ch/rAxEG
The University of Michigan (U-M) has long been a national leader in foreign language learning, supported by an unmatched infrastructure that includes language departments and resource centers across the university, extensive international library holdings, internship and fellowship opportunities for language and cultural study abroad for undergraduate and graduate students, and a stellar faculty of LEO lecturers and tenure-track professors whose teaching and research reflect global perspectives.
For decades, the International Institute (II) has been an integral part of this infrastructure, hosting six National Resource Centers (NRCs) and six Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) centers funded under Title VI of the U.S. Department of Education. These programs have provided vital resources that sustain U-M’s excellence in world languages, including a broad array of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs). They have allowed the II to offer significant support for language study, study abroad, international internships, and research opportunities for U-M students.
On September 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education summarily canceled its Title VI funding, stating that the program was no longer “…consistent with Administration priorities” and with “advanc[ing] American interests or values.” With this notification, the Department prematurely terminated a four-year grant three years into the contract, and informed the principal investigators (PIs) that it would not seek Title VI funding from Congress in future budgets.
This rescission, resulting in a 20% cut to the II’s annual budget, has broad ramifications across the university. Title VI funding directly supported instruction in Armenian, Filipino, Indonesian, Khmer, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese, covering salaries for nine lecturers who taught 54 unique courses over the past two years, for a total of 79 classes offered. Beyond this immediate budgetary cliff, the loss of the Title VI ecosystem – including FLAS grants for undergraduate and graduate students, and NRCs in Area Studies – threatens U-M’s leading role in the teaching of world languages.
How can we protect and nurture that role with or without federal funding? What resources does U-M harbor, what obstacles does it face, and what opportunities can we identify for sustaining the rich tapestry of language study in all of its dimensions? The Languages Summit will bring together faculty, staff, leadership, and stakeholders from across the university to share information, discuss challenges, develop strategies, and secure the future of languages at U-M.
Topics will include:
▪︎ Strategies for post–Title VI language education (short-, medium-, and long-term)
▪︎ Less Commonly Taught and Indigenous Languages
▪︎ Language requirements and learning outcomes
▪︎ Technology in language learning
▪︎ BTAA CourseShare and online instruction
▪︎ Study abroad and experiential learning
Cosponsors: II Centers & Programs (African Studies Center, Center for Armenian Studies, Center for Emerging Democracies, Center for Japanese Studies, Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies, Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies, Center for South Asian Studies, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Copernicus Center for Polish Studies, Donia Human Rights Center, Global Islamic Studies Center, Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, Nam Center for Korean Studies, Program in International & Comparative Studies, Weiser Center for Europe & Eurasia), Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, Department of Classical Studies, Language Resource Center
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Accommodation: If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange. Email: iimichigan@umich.edu
1:00–4:00 PM
Rackham Building, West Conference Room
Register to attend: https://myumi.ch/rAxEG
The University of Michigan (U-M) has long been a national leader in foreign language learning, supported by an unmatched infrastructure that includes language departments and resource centers across the university, extensive international library holdings, internship and fellowship opportunities for language and cultural study abroad for undergraduate and graduate students, and a stellar faculty of LEO lecturers and tenure-track professors whose teaching and research reflect global perspectives.
For decades, the International Institute (II) has been an integral part of this infrastructure, hosting six National Resource Centers (NRCs) and six Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) centers funded under Title VI of the U.S. Department of Education. These programs have provided vital resources that sustain U-M’s excellence in world languages, including a broad array of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs). They have allowed the II to offer significant support for language study, study abroad, international internships, and research opportunities for U-M students.
On September 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education summarily canceled its Title VI funding, stating that the program was no longer “…consistent with Administration priorities” and with “advanc[ing] American interests or values.” With this notification, the Department prematurely terminated a four-year grant three years into the contract, and informed the principal investigators (PIs) that it would not seek Title VI funding from Congress in future budgets.
This rescission, resulting in a 20% cut to the II’s annual budget, has broad ramifications across the university. Title VI funding directly supported instruction in Armenian, Filipino, Indonesian, Khmer, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese, covering salaries for nine lecturers who taught 54 unique courses over the past two years, for a total of 79 classes offered. Beyond this immediate budgetary cliff, the loss of the Title VI ecosystem – including FLAS grants for undergraduate and graduate students, and NRCs in Area Studies – threatens U-M’s leading role in the teaching of world languages.
How can we protect and nurture that role with or without federal funding? What resources does U-M harbor, what obstacles does it face, and what opportunities can we identify for sustaining the rich tapestry of language study in all of its dimensions? The Languages Summit will bring together faculty, staff, leadership, and stakeholders from across the university to share information, discuss challenges, develop strategies, and secure the future of languages at U-M.
Topics will include:
▪︎ Strategies for post–Title VI language education (short-, medium-, and long-term)
▪︎ Less Commonly Taught and Indigenous Languages
▪︎ Language requirements and learning outcomes
▪︎ Technology in language learning
▪︎ BTAA CourseShare and online instruction
▪︎ Study abroad and experiential learning
Cosponsors: II Centers & Programs (African Studies Center, Center for Armenian Studies, Center for Emerging Democracies, Center for Japanese Studies, Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies, Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies, Center for South Asian Studies, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Copernicus Center for Polish Studies, Donia Human Rights Center, Global Islamic Studies Center, Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, Nam Center for Korean Studies, Program in International & Comparative Studies, Weiser Center for Europe & Eurasia), Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, Department of Classical Studies, Language Resource Center
- - -
Accommodation: If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange. Email: iimichigan@umich.edu
| Building: | Rackham Graduate School (Horace H.) |
|---|---|
| Website: | |
| Event Type: | Presentation |
| Tags: | Advocacy, Discussion, Education, International, Language |
| Source: | Happening @ Michigan from International Institute, Center for Japanese Studies, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Classical Studies, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, Nam Center for Korean Studies, Center for Emerging Democracies, Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, Copernicus Center for Polish Studies, Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, Center for Armenian Studies, Global Islamic Studies Center, African Studies Center, Language Resource Center, Program in International and Comparative Studies, Center for South Asian Studies, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Donia Human Rights Center, Asian Languages and Cultures |
