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.
