Memorandum of Understanding between
la Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar of Quito, Ecuador and
the University of Tennessee,Knoxville
This Memorandumof Understandingestablishesthe objectivesto be pursuedby the
UniversidadAndina Sim6nBolivar (UASB) locatedin Quito, Ecuadorand the University
of Tennessee,
Knoxville (UTK) locatedin Knoxville, Tennessee,
USA in four principal
academicareas:Africana Studies,Global Studies,Latin AmericanLiterature,andLatin
AmericanStudies.Collaborationsandpartnershipscarriedout by the faculty and
studentsof both universitieswill contributeto strengtheningthe teachingandresearch
missionsof eachinstitution, especiallywith regardto interdisciplinary,intercultural,and
transnationalapproaches
to teachingandlearning.
The specificobjectivesare asfollows:
1.
Selectedfaculty in the four principal academicareaswill do short-tennteaching
at the partnerinstitution. Nonnally, UASB faculty will participatein semesterlong classesfor two or threeweeksin eitherthe Fall or Springtenns at UTK.
Suchvisits will supportthe teachingefforts of the UTK faculty membersassigned
to the classesin questionvia lectures,tutorials,andother activitiesdeemed
appropriateby the UTK andUASB professorsinvolved in the courses.With
regardto UTK faculty teachingat UASB, most collaborationswill takeplacein
late Mayor Junefor a period of betweentwo and five weeks,dependingon the
needsofUASB andthe availability ofUTK faculty. UTK faculty will eitheroffer
completegraduatecoursesin their areasof expertiseor servein a supportrole via
lectures,tutorials,andbrief colloquies. The host institution will be responsible
for detenniningthe requirementsfor eachvisit (e.g.,languagerequirements,areas
of expertise,generalparametersof the courses)andwill makethe final selection
of the visiting faculty. Eachhostinstitution will providevisiting faculty with
housing.
2.
Facultyfrom eachinstitution will be availableto serveon thesesand dissertation
examiningcommitteesof the partnerinstitution, consistentwith the expressed
needsof the faculty andstudentsof eachuniversity. Participatingfaculty will
receivean appropriatehonorariumfor their servicesfrom the host institution.
3.
Eachuniversity will host graduatestudentsfrom the partnerinstitution for shorttenn researchvisits (up to four weeks)by providing housingwhen availableand
appropriatefaculty mentors.
4.
With the leadershipof Mr. RenatoLandin,who servesasUASB's IT Director,
andMr. William Rhodes,who is the IT Administratorin UTK's Electrical and
ComputerEngineeringdepartment,UASB andUTK will developvideo
conferencingandstreamingvideo capabilitiesto enhancecollaborativeteaching
andresearchby faculty and students,aswell asto makeaccessibleappropriate
lectures,presentations,and conferencessponsoredby eachinstitution. UTK's
Infonnation andTechnologyEngineeringServices(ITES) will providetechnical
supportandexpertisefor projectsinvolving streamingmediaserviceswhich
includehigh-capacityandhigh-bandwidthvideoconferencing,streamingvideo,~
2
5
6.
andaudio-conferencing
in supportof researchandteachingin all academic
disciplines.
UASB andUTK librarieswill exchangepublicationsand servicesthat are
pertinentto the goalsandobjectivesof the linkage. Specifically,UASB will
providethe UTK library with its publications(i.e., professionaljournals and
monographs)that dealwith the AndeanRegion,andUTK will supportefforts to
digitize part ofUASB's library collection,including materialsfrom the Fondo
DocumentalAfro-Andino. UASB andUTK librarieswill establishlinks to their
respectivewebsites.
UASB andUTK faculty will seekexternalfunding from major nationaland
internationalfoundationsandagencies(e.g.,Fulbright, Ford, Social Science
ResearchCouncil,National Endowmentfor the Humanities,National Science
Foundation,Organizationof AmericanStates)to supportcollaborativeprojectsin
researchandteaching.
The UASB/UTK linkagewill be coordinatedat eachinstitution by a steeringcommittee
madeup of one faculty memberfrom eachof the four generalacademicareasmentioned
above: Africana Studies,Global Studies,Latin AmericanLiterature,and Latin American
Studies.Dr. CatherineWalshwill chair the UASB steeringcommittee,and Dr. Michael
Handelsmanwill chair the UTK steeringcommittee.No activity may takeplacein
the nameof this agreementwithout the expressedconsentof both steeringcommittee
chairs. The two steeringcommitteeswill work jointly to establishan agendaof activities
mutually agreedupon,andthey will superviseand evaluateall programactivities.
The two steeringcommitteechairswill prepareandpresentjointly to the appropriate
administratorsan annualreportin which the year's activitiesandgoalsfor the following
yearwill be discussed.
The selectionof all participantsin this linkagewill be the responsibilityof the host
institution, specificallythe steeringcommitteeandthe academicunit that will work most
closelywith the visitors. The selectionprocesswill confonn to the generalrequirements
of the hostuniversity.
This Memorandumof Understandingwill be valid for threeyears,beginningwith
the signingof the document.It may be renewedby mutual agreement.Either institution
may terminatethe agreementuponnotifying the partnerinstitution threemonthsin
advance.
Signedon July 27, 2006,
EnriqueAyala Mora
Rector
UniversidadAndina Sim6nBolivar,
sedeEcuador
Loren Crabtree
Chancellor
University of Tennessee,
Knoxville