About

Mission & Goals

Mission

The Institute for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean (ISLAC) is the USF hub for faculty, students, administrators, and local and global partners interested in learning more about or connecting with Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latino/a/x communities in the United States, especially in Florida. 

ISLAC is composed of affiliated faculty and students from different departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and other USF units. ISLAC underscores Tampa’s unique, historical, and cultural relationships with the Latin America and Caribbean regions and with local populations, thus it is a leading organization in the production of knowledge about these regions in the Tampa Bay area.

ISLAC embraces excellence in teaching, research, and student success across disciplines. On one hand, it brings together research, community engagement, and outreach, while it also supports academic programs such as a master’s degree in Latin America, Caribbean, and Latino Studies, and a graduate and undergraduate certificate. 

ISLAC encourages teaching, inquiry, dissemination of knowledge, and practical solutions to improve the understanding of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latino/a/x histories, cultures, and issues in the U.S.

Vision

The vision of ISLAC is to be a center of local and global reference centralizing expertise and knowledge about Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the Latin American and Caribbean diasporas in the world. To this end, it brings together a multidisciplinary applied global and local focus, connecting units, departments, and colleges across the USF system to improve the educational and leadership experiences of students, staff, and faculty establishing global and local partnerships. ISLAC also envisions advising the administration on relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries and Latino communities in the Tampa Bay area.

Strategic Goals

Over the next five years, ISLAC will concentrate on the following strategic areas:

·         Promote interdisciplinary inquiry, research, and teaching with global impact

·         Lead a path to student success, providing funding, mentoring, academic support, investing in cultural enrichment, personal development, and career opportunities

·         Foster global and local community engagement by establishing meaningful partnerships, and providing expertise and applied research