Subject: initiatives Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 17:07:15 -0900 From: Phyllis Morrow Organization: Department of Anthropology To: fnhmp@uaf.edu Hild, Serina asked me to send this to you in electronic form. Phyllis Morrow BUDGET INITIATIVE PROPOSAL Agency Partnerships for Student Research and Training in Cultural Resource Management Forensic Anthropology Oral History/Ethnohistory Prepared by Phyllis Morrow, Department of Anthropology Nov. 1, 2000 Action: Formalize and enhance existing and create new partnerships with agencies that provide research and training opportunities and future employment for undergraduates and graduates in applied cultural areas. Strengthen community relationships through collaborative development of cultural programs and research relating to Alaska Native peoples. Relation to UAF goals: This proposal directly addresses several UAF goals: 1) facilitate state-of-the-art applied research that addresses northern questions; 2) train increasing numbers of graduate students in northern studies; 3) expand existing undergraduate research, internships, and field study programs to develop and attract future graduate students; and 4) actively collaborate with communities, organizations, businesses and government to meet state needs. Justification: State and federal agencies, oral history associations, and local and regional organizations (such as museums and Alaska Native organizations) are the major employers of students with specialties relating to Northern/Alaska Native cultures, and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Currently, at least twenty graduates or current students in our program are employed by such agencies as the Bureau of Land Management, State Historic Information and Preservation Office, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Tanana Chiefs Conference, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Park Service, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. There is a steady demand in these agencies for employees with knowledge of cultural resource management, and oral history/ethnohistory skills such as interviewing and archiving. Individuals with training in the forensic identification of human remains are also needed by the Alaska State Troopers. Such training also enables students to find employment in other states – practical experience combined with academic training makes individuals highly desirable in the job market. We have a variety of informal cooperative agreements in place with many of these agencies but need to formalize and expand these partnerships, and to provide targeted academic training for students to enter careers in cultural resource management, forensics, and oral history/ethnohistory. Student demand is high for such applied areas, which meet expressed needs of Alaska Native peoples and organizations, and address state and federal mandates to document cultural resources. Expansion into applied areas will attract more undergraduate and graduate (M.A./M.S. and Ph.D.) students, as these offer interesting and useful career opportunities. Initiative Request: To expand the scope and organization of agency and other applied partnerships, we need to enhance curricula, develop departmental infrastructure and oversight of collaborative agreements, and supply matching funds for student involvement in agency programs and field training. Three additional faculty are needed, one in each of the identified areas, to design and teach targeted courses, and to initiate and coordinate partnerships and internships in collaboration with agency representatives. Current faculty provide undergraduate and graduate education in foundation areas in anthropology, but we need additional faculty to provide critical training needs in these specialties, and devote time to arrange field projects, develop collaborative relationships, and supervise student interns and field workers. Shelving and storage units are also required to furnish expanded work and storage space to house collections and to serve as a centralized repository for field equipment. Matching funding for one field school per year is needed to enable agency partnerships. Remote travel, equipment, and other expenses associated with field training are high. Funds for preliminary site visits and collaborative planning are required. Links with Academic Programs: This initiative builds on existing curricula, including a course on oral sources, and courses in anthropological and archeological method and theory, as well as components within other existing courses that address issues of ethics, relevant federal and state laws, and sociopolitical dimensions of Alaska Native societies. This initiative proposal is also designed to enhance the major NSF- IGERT Proposal for graduate student internships and training that is a collaborative effort across UAF disciplines and schools, particularly involving anthropology, philosophy, biology, economics, and resource management. Anthropology needs dedicated faculty to maintain current programs at the same time as we intensify our efforts in internship training. Approximate Budget: Request includes: Three faculty positions (with benefits) $150,000 Funds for preliminary field site visits and agency coordination $ 10,000 Student Support Scholarships and Matching Funds for Field Schools $ 15,000 Support for Student Research $ 15,000 Shelving and Storage Units $ 5,000 Office Equipment/Furniture/Technology Support for new faculty $ 15,000 TOTAL $210,000 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Phyllis Morrow Dr. Phyllis Morrow Fax: (907) 474-7453 Work: (907) 474-6608 Additional Information: Last Name Morrow First Name Phyllis Version 2.1