Update on NDOU Department

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Contributed by Charles R. Venator-Santiago

As I noted in the previous issue of La Voz, for more than 3-years the leadership of the NDOUs has debated the creation of a new interdisciplinary department to house all units. During the fall of 2023, a majority of the faculty of El Instituto and the Africana Studies Institute voted against joining the new department. A majority of the faculty of El Instituto thought that joining a new department would create unreasonable labor expectations and prefer to work in an institute that is focused on Puerto Rican, Latino/a, Caribbean and Latin American studies. The other four institutes will join in the creation of a new department (yet to be named). Our faculty supports their decision and stands in solidarity with our colleagues.

El Instituto logo featuring a stylized circular floral motif in red, orange, and yellow tones, with small blue accents. Inside the circle is a simplified map of the Americas in white on an orange background. To the right of the emblem is the text “El Instituto” in large red letters. Below it, in smaller text, it reads: “Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean, and Latin American Studies."