WELCOME

WELCOME to the Department of Anthropology and Sociology of the UW Colleges. The UW Colleges is comprised of thirteen college campuses located throughout the state of Wisconsin. It offers freshman and sophomore years of baccalaureate programs and professional studies which are transferable to the state's four year institutions of higher learning. The UW Colleges is a unique partnership between the State of Wisconsin and County government to extend Wisconsin's progressive educational tradition to local communities through university outreach. Many of the UW College campuses presently in the two year undergraduate university UW Colleges, were originally outreach campuses for the state's flagship university, the UW-Madison. Some were outreach campuses for other four year colleges in the State University System.

To locate our campuses within the State of Wisconsin, visit the UW Colleges Map. Many of the two year campuses are in relative close proximity to several four year campuses.

DEPARTMENTAL MISSION

The UW Colleges Department of Anthropology and Sociology continues a fine tradition of teaching excellence central to the Mission of the two-year university system. The Department emphasizes teaching excellence and scholarly, professional activity, and creative endeavor among its colleagues. Its faculty serves the citizens of the state, and its students, by promoting the integration of the university outreach/extension function, and by facilitating and complementing the delivery of programs at other institutions within the university system.

The faculty is committed to assessing the delivery of teaching excellence among its members. Departmental members have a tradition of adherence to, and respect for, academic freedom and freedom of expression, and the faculty shared governance tradition of the University of Wisconsin.

THE CURRICULUM

At the UW Colleges, students of Anthropology and Sociology will learn to apply social and theoretical concepts and knowledge in a social scientific manner. Anthropology and Sociology are the two original "Interdisciplinary Study" and "Multicultural" programs of study in the modern university. Both fields apply and integrate knowledge, methods, and assumptions from multiple disciplines, including economics, politics, history, biology, language and geography. Both disciplines play major support roles in the core curriculum of the university.

Anthropology as a social science discipline was born of the colonization of the New World, largely by European peoples. Early in its history, Anthropology adopted a holistic approach to the study of humans and culture, i.e., the study of human kind in a social, cultural, linguistic, biological, and evolutionary context. Anthropology was often concerned with the differences between cultural groups and societies, and later turned to the study of those aspects of society and culture shared by human kind.

Sociology, on the other hand, evolved from the European and American Industrial Revolution and the urbanization of western society. In this sense (and there are exceptions), it has generally identified more closely with relatively modern urbanized, and often "westernized" societies. Because of that history of the discipline, Sociology, as opposed to Anthropology, often seemed to focus more upon the problems of complex social arrangements. Anthropology and Sociology share a common interest in the observation, recording, and interpretation of complex social arrangements with the goal of understanding the origin and evolution and consequences of the social behavior.

Both fields of study contribute greatly to the present discussions in our society about sometimes vexing social policy issues, including gender/feminism, multiculturalism, affirmative action, welfare reform, genocide, religion, family arrangements, educational reform policies and much, much more. Familiarity with one, or both, of these disciplines, will equip the undergraduate student to tackle the increasing complex task of living, working, and learning in a multicultural society, a Global Village, as some have termed it.

Anthropology and Sociology courses count as the social sciences, ethnic studies, or (in some cases) Inter-disciplinary, and elective requirements of the Associate Degree Program. For more information about the requirements for graduation in the Associate Degree, or Revised Associate Degree program, visit the UW Colleges Home Page. The UW Colleges curriculum, including specific Anthropology and Sociology courses offered by this Department, transfers to the State's four year bacculeaurate institutions of higher education. Students should consult the UW System Transfer Information to clarify questions on the transferability of credits.

COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), in colloboration with four campuses of the UW Colleges, created a unique Bachelor's degree with a major in Organizational Administration---and an optional minor in Business. The Organizational Administration degree program is available at the UW Rock County (Janesville); UW-Sheboygan (Sheboygan); the UW-Washington County (West Bend); and the UW-Waukesha (Waukesha). The program incorporates courses in business, communication, economics, English, research methodology, and sociology. For further information about the program, contact your Student Services Dept. and/or visit the UW-Washington web page for further details (Click Here).

In May, 2001, the UW-Rock County campus entered into a Partnership Agreement with the UW-Whitewater and Blackhawk Technical College, to offer a Collaborative Liberal Studies Program. The Agreement will allow students to complete a four year Bachelor's degree at the UW-Rock County campus and it facilitates the transfer of credits between and among the institutions. Contact your local student services office for additional details.

Thanks in large part to the pioneering effort of Dr. Thomas Pleger, some UW College anthropology students can enroll in a pre-major in archaeological studies via a uniqueProgram Articulation Agreement between the UW-Fox Valley and the UW-LaCrosse Dept. of Archaeology. The Agreement will provide preparation for transfer of UW-Fox Valley students to the UW-LaCrosse Archaeology major program. The Agreement will hopefully serve as a model upon which other, similar relationships can be forged between the UW Colleges and four year institutions of the UW System.

COURSE OFFERINGS

It is important to understand that not all courses are offered on every campus. The department is committed to a two year course sequence at each campus which will help students fulfill their social science, ethnic study, elective, or Inter-disciplinary requirements.

You should address specific questions about the departmental curriculum and course offerings to your local campus faculty member, or to the campus Student Services Office. Visit our Faculty By Campus Location page, for the names and addresses of departmental members at each campus location.

ANTHROPOLOGY

On-Line Catalog Course Descriptionsare now available in a .pdf format.

The following courses are taught on a regular basis at many campuses, subject to the expertise and interests of the resident faculty member:

ANT 100 General Anthropology (3-4 credits) SS
ANT 102 Archaeology and the Prehistoric World (3 credits) SS
ANT 105 Introduction to Physical Anthropology (3-4 credits) NS, and if 4 cr. also LS
ANT 200 Cultural Anthropology (3 credits) SS
ANT 250 Women in Cross-Cultural Perspective (3 Credits) SS
ANT 308 Archaeology of North America (3-4 Credits) SS/ES
ANT 314 Indians of North America (3 Credits), SS/ES

SOCIOLOGY

On-Line Catalog Course Descriptions are now available in a .pdf format.

The following Courses are taught on a regular basis at many campuses, subject to the expertise and interests of the resident faculty member:

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology (3 Credits) SS
SOC 220 Marriage and the Family (3 credits) SS
SOC 130 Contemporary Social Problems (3 Credits) SS
SOC 231 Crime and Criminal Justice (3 Credits) SS
SOC 234 Race and Ethnicity (3 Credits) SS/ES
SOC 238 Sociological Perspectives on Gender (same as WOM 138) (3 Credits) SS
SOC 270 Introduction to World Population (3 Credits) SS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Faces and Old

Joseph Downer-Marcel joined the faculty as Assistant Professor of Sociology at the UW-Sheboygan in the fall, 2001. Dr. Downer-Marcel earned his M.A. in Sociology at the Sta. Maria La Antigua, in Panama, and his Ph.D. in Sociology/Urban Studies at Michigan State University.

The Department welcomes Janet M. Speth (Anthropology); David Tabachnick (Sociology); and Stephen Halebsky (Sociology) to the teaching faculty for the 2001-2002 academic year. Ms. Speth is Lecturer of Anthropology at the UW-Fox Valley campus, and Dr. Halebsky and Tabachnick are Lecturers of Sociology at the UW-Richland Center campus.

Faculty Activities

Dr. Allan Meyers, Anthropologist at the UW-Rock Campus, has joined forces with Spanish Prof., Dr. Rose Galindo, to teach an interdisciplianry summer course entitled, ANTH 291/SPA 277 Culture, History & Archaeology in the Yucatan Peninsula (3 Credits)

This interdisciplinary program explores the cultural heritage of the people inhabiting the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico during a 21 day class period from May 21 to June 11, 2002. It highlights Mayan archeological sites, Spanish colonial haciendas, and modern Yucatecan cities. Day trips from the larger cities acquaint students with the contrasts of urban and rural life in the region. The course considers the past and present cultural systems of Yucatan, including such topics as economy, politics, religion, art, and architecture.

The course includes participation in a week-long archaeological field project at Hacienda Tabi, an 18h and 19th century plantation site. The field project illustrates the role of archaeology in understanding not just the pre-Columbian past but also Spanish colonial history and the evolution of contemporary Yucatecan society. After the trip, students complete a project that integrates the perspectives of the different disciplines involved. Prerequisite: Spanish 101 or equivalent. Interested students should immediately contact the Student Services Office for information about class availability and to confirm class dates and tuition costs.

Dr. Philip G. Groth, Sociologist at the UW-Rock County, was the 2000-2001 recipient of the UW Colleges Barrington/Musolf Faculty Research Award. Dr. Groth was recognized for the achievement by the Chancellor at the Fall 2001 Convocation. Dr. Groth's award winning research paper was published in an article entitled, "The Human Ecology of Louisiana Shrimp Fishing," published in The Journal of Applied Sociology (Vol. 18, No. 1, 2001). Dr. Ron Lippi, Anthropologist at the UW-Marathon campus, was the recipient of the same award in 1999-2000.

Dr. Philip G. Groth, created and posted on his web site a detailed annotated bibliography of sociology entitled, "Re-inventing Sociology." The bibliography is one contribution to the department's curricular assessment plan. The bibliography contains a number of articles which are used to supplement texts that have global, scientific and critical thinking goals. The articles in this collection are used to enhance student proficiencies like reading with critical perception, distinguishing knowledge from values, and cogently analyzing data.

Dr. Thomas C. Pleger, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the UW-Fox Valley, was appointed to the position of Associate Dean of the UW-Fox Valley for the 2001-2002 academic year. He will contine to teach at the campus on a half time basis. Dr. Pleger provides assistance with staffing and planning for the Campus Dean and oversees the campus curriculum, course timetable, and the hiring and retention of Instructional Academic Staff.

Dr. Pleger was honored by the Wisconsin Archaeological Society on September 16, 2001 as the recipient of the Lapham Research Medal for distinguished service in anthropological research in Wisconsin. The award is named in honor of Increase A. Lapham (1811-1875) who came to Wisconsin in 1836 and was one of Wisconsin's pioneer scholars and first professional archaeologist. Dr. Pleger received the Lapham Research Medal for his contributions and research concerning the Old Copper and Red Ocher Complexes of the western Great Lakes. Dr. Pleger is the second UW Colleges professor and the second UW-Fox Valley Anthropology professor to receive the Lapham Award. Dr. Pleger's predecessor, Dr. Carol I. Mason, Professor Emeritus, received the award in 1982 for distinguished contributions to Wisconsin archaeology.

Professor Ron Lippi of the UW-Marathon continues to publish and circulate the departmental newsletter. He invites department faculty, staff or students to send information or articles about your research interests and professional activities for inclusion in a forthcoming edition. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the Departmental Newsletter, or wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact Dr. Lippi directly.

This page was written and created by Janice Pierce at the request and under the guidance of the UW Colleges Department of Anthropology and Sociology. If you have comments or additions to this page, please contact Janice Pierce. Created on 03-10-98. Last updated on 02/10/02.