Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts
Patrick Manning, Director Designate
Annual Report for 1999 (20 March 2000)
Highlights of the report
Ph.D program in World HistoryAppendices
Research in world history
Seminars and public affairs presentations of the Center
World History Resource Center
Professional development for teachers of world history
The College Board and AP World History
Achievement of goals for 1999
Goals for 2000
This annual report covers the calendar year 1999.
- Sarah Swedberg
completed the first Northeastern University Ph.D. in History in June 1999.
Ph.D. comprehensive exams in World History were taken in 1999 by Hector Melo, Whitney Howarth, and Deborah Johnston.
PhD candidate Hector Melo met untimely death in August. Hector's friends organized a memorial service on campus in September, and Pat Manning presented a seminar on his work on Latin American population in January.
Expected 2000 completion of Ph.D. by Pamela Brooks, Yinghong Cheng, and David Kalivas.
- The Migration
CD-ROM neared completion.
The Center continued to develop its proposal for a CD-ROM on Technology in World History.
The Center submitted a major proposal to NSF, based on its initiative in developing a World History Databank. The proposal was not approved, but will be revised and resubmitted in August 2000.
3. Seminars and Public Affairs presentations of the Center
- January 13, 1999, 340 Egan -- Peter Gran, Temple University
"The Rise of the Rich: Egypt and the transition from old to modern capitalism, 1760-1850"
- February 11, 1998 -- Kenneth Pomeranz, University of California, Irvine
"A Global Perspective on Early Industrialization?"
- February 17, 1999 -- Alan LeBaron, Kennesaw State University
"World History according to the modern Maya of Guatemala"
- February 26, 1998 -- Sanjay Subrahmanyam, EHESS
"Rethinking Early Modern South Asia within its Indian Ocean context".
- March 3, 1999 -- Prasannan Parthasarathi, Boston College
"New Comparative Perspectives on the British Industrial Revolution".
March 17, 1999
-- Peter Perdue, M.I.T.;
"The Industrial
revolution seen from China: Early, Late, Deep, or Sudden?Comment by R.
Bin Wong, University of California, Irvine.
"Chinese political
economies of commercialization and industrialization in comparative perspective"
- April 7, 1999 -- Parker James, Tufts University
"Sundiata: a CD-ROM for the World History Curriculum"
- April 21, 1999 -- Avi Chomsky, Salem State College
"National Movements in Central America"
- May 5, 1999 -- Jeffrey Sommers, Northeastern University
"Keeping Democracy Under Wraps: A World-Systems Approach to Public Opinion Management in the 20th Century"
- Tuesday, October 12 -- Sucheta Mazumdar, Duke University
"Sex Gender Systems in Transition: Asian and Asian American Women in the Age of Capital"
- Monday, November 8 -- Liu Xinru, University of Pennsylvania
"Migration and settlement of Yuezhi-Kushans -- interactions and interdependence of nomads and sedentary societies"
- Wednesday,
December 1 -- Adam McKeown, Northeastern University
"From Opium Farmer to Astronaut: The Transformations of Diasporic Chinese Businessmen since 1850."
4. World History Resource Center
The World History Resource Center entered its second year of operation during 1999. In June 1999 the Resource Center moved to 71 Lake Hall, in the space of the School of Education. Director Julie Gauthier left to become a full-time teacher of world history at Lexington High School. Funds were not available to replace her at the level of a professional director of the center.
With the generosity of the School of Education, however, it has been possible to support an undergraduate co-op Coordinator of the Resource Center since September of 1999. Stephen Arguetta worked half-time for the Fall quarter of 1999.
In addition, the Resource Center has responsibility for editing, publishing and housing the collection of World History Teaching Units to be published in cooperation with the teachers of the professional development programs.
5. Professional Development in World History
During the period of this report, the World History Center has become the preeminent institution for professional development of teachers of World History in New England and perhaps more generally. The following programs were carried out:
- World History
for Grade 9, Mass. Dept. of Education Summer Content Institute, 20-26 July
1998. 50 teacher participants. Staff: P. Manning, D. Johnston, J. Gauther,
and guest lecturers.
World History at Dorchester High, supported by Boston-Annenberg Challenge, July 1998 through June 1999. 12 teacher participants. Staff: P. Manning, W. Howarth, R. Mitchell.
World History for Grade 9, for Boston teachers, supported by Center for Leadership Development; 11 workshops from October 1998 through May 1999. 15 teacher participants. Staff: P. Manning and guest lecturers.
March 1999, NERC Pre-conference clinic in World History. A day-long session for 80 teacher participants at the Boston meeting of the New England Regional Council of the National Council for Social Studies. Staff: D. Johnston, J. Gauthier, and guest lecturers.
World History for Grade 9, for Northeast Alliance of High Schools, supported by Mass. Dept. of Education, December 1998 - January 1999. 21 teacher participants.
Symposium in World History, May 7-8, 1999. Hosted by World History Center at Northeastern University in collaboration with 20 outreach organizations. Two-day symposium with 24 sessions from grades 4 to 12. Over 100 teacher participants.
World History for Grade 10, Mass. Dept. of Education Summer Content Institute, August 1999. 18 teacher participants. Staff: P. Manning, D. Johnston, J. Gauthier, and guest lecturers
World History for Grade 10, for Northeast Alliance of High Schools, supported by Mass. Dept. of Education, October - December 1999. 13 teacher participants. Staff: P. Manning, J. Diskant, and guest lecturers.
November 1999, Mass. Council for Social Studies, Hyannis. Staff: D. Johnston and teacher-presenters. 18 teacher participants.
World History in Lexington, for elementary, middle, and high school teachers of history in the Lexington Public Schools, November 1999 - February 2000. 26 teacher participants. Staff: D. Johnston, P. Manning, and guest lecturers.
In total, the World History Resource Center made substantial presentations on teaching world history to over 350 individual registrants in 1999. The number of individual teachers reached was somewhat less because of those who attended multiple sessions.
6. The College Board and AP World History
During the course of 1999, Center Director Patrick Manning was appointed to the AP World History Development Committee. This ten-member committee oversees the preparation of the course and exam, to be initiated in 2001-2002, which will enable high school students to gain college credit for their work.
Later in 1999, Manning and Deborah Smith Johnston of the Center were selected to develop an AP World History National Training Workshop, to be held at Northeastern in July 2000, to train 36 teachers and professors to become consultants for the College Board, giving workshops on the new course to several hundred teachers.
In a further step, the Center has been asked to prepare a proposal for work in 2001 to prepare teaching units and guides on AP World History that will be published by the College Board.
7. Major Goals for 1999: a report on their achievement.
- Obtain funding
and approval for employing a full-time administrative assistant for the
Center.
- Obtain funding
for computer and media equipment for the Resource Center.
- Submit four
major grant proposals and four smaller proposals.
- Extend Advisory
Board to include external members.
- Obtain funding
for a full-time administrative assistant for the Center.
Obtain funding for computer and media equipment for the Resource Center
Extend Advisory Board to include external members.
- Pursue major
funding for World History Databank, through application to NSF and other
agencies.
Obtain funding for a professional director for the Resource Center
The Advisory Board of the Center convened for its first official meeting in October of 1999. Advisory Board members for 1999 were as follows:Barry Bluestone, Department of SociologyWilliam Crotty, Department of Political ScienceGlenn Pierce, Division of Academic ComputingMargaret Woo, School of LawBryant York, College of Computer Science
Center Associates received official appointments at the Advisory Board meeting. With this action, the Center passed out of its informal period, though many of the appointments were made retroactive to 1998, when their applications were submitted.
Faculty Associates
Sarah Swedberg (1998-2000). "The Cranch Family in Massachusetts and the Early Republic."
Graduate Associates
top of page
Boston-Annenberg Challenge, 1999. $25,000 for a professional development program, "World History at Hyde Park High." Not funded.
College Board, 1999. $70,000 for preparation and delivery of an AP World History National Training Workshop to be held at Northeastern in July 2000. Funded for $70,000.
Dibner Foundation, 1999. $50,000 for pilot work toward research and production of an instructional CD-ROM on Technology in World History. Not funded.
Lexington Public Schools, 1999. $14,000 for professional development program, "World History in Lexington," for teachers from grades 4 through 12 in Lexington schools. Funded for $14,000.
Massachusetts Department of Education, 1998. $35,000 for a 1999 Summer Content Institute, World History for Grade 10, in association with the Boston Public Schools. Funded for $35,000.
National Science Foundation, 1999. $4.2 million for a five-year program, "A Collaborative Model for Researching the Global Past," to establish a World History Databank at Northeastern. Not funded.
Northeast Alliance of High Schools (Georgetown and Reading) and Massachusetts Department of Education, 1999. $14,500 for professional development program, "World History for Grade 10," for Northeast Alliance teachers. Funded for $14,500.
Appendix 5. Center Administration, space, and personnel
Space. In July of 1999 the Resource Center moved from 276 Holmes, in the History Department, to 71 Lake, in the Education School. Facilities there underwent renovation to improve the space significantly. The distance from History will be compensated, hopefully, by the proximity to Education, though the distance of the Resource Center from the director and administration of the World History Center added some logistical difficulties. The Resource Center experienced serious water damage in October of 1999, as water came through the ceiling from the Biology lab above. Losses reached an estimated $500 in books and papers, plus a substantial loss of time in cleanup. Two smaller episodes of water damage from above took place in January 2000. There is a need to ensure that this library will not undergo further such damages.With support from the College of Arts and Sciences, the main space of the World History Center underwent significant renovation from August to October. The results created an office for the Center Director in 263 Holmes (as his prior space in Meserve was passed to incoming History Department chair Tom havens), plus a Center administration office in 259 Holmes and a second Center office in 257 Holmes. The main open space in 270 Holmes was thus reduced in size, but a reorganization of furnishings made it into an effective work space
.Personnel. During 1999 the Center has benefitted from the service of numerous individuals, including faculty members, stipended graduate students, co-op employees, part-time employees, and work-study employees. They are listed by the project of their work within the center.
top of page
- administration
of seven budgets of projects, contracts, and subcontracts
application for eight grants, of which six were funded
- membership
formalized with recognition of the center
- PhD -- continuing
students 1999: Christopher Harris, Jeremy Neill, George Reklaitis, Jack
Rogers, Kathleen Simone, Bin Yang
MA -- continuing students 1999: Michael Mezzano, Tiffany Trimmer, Elizabeth Tobon,
MAT ó completion of plan for internship. Entering students Seth Blumenthal, Chad Harris, James Heffron, Dolores Martinez, James Street.
BA/BS -- new courses 1997-98
- World History
Symposium, "Exchange and Conflict," May 1999
NER-WHA Symposium (Mass. College of Liberal Arts), September 1999
preparations for WHA international conference, June 2000, at Northeastern
- Eric Martin,
webmaster (1998-99)
- preparatory
work for Teaching Units, conducted by Tiffany Trimmer
- from 1200 subscribers
(December 1998) to 1350 subscribers (December 1999)
Whitney Howarth and Pat Manning as co-editors
Appendix 7. Goals for 2000, by specialized area
- expand to membership
of 6 faculty plus 12 grads
- seek university
and external support for doctoral field research
- support expansion
of MAT program and internships
- seek external
funding for public affairs
- Outreach Symposium
for 200 teachers, May 5-6Migration CD-ROM conference, November
- reach 1000
hits per month.purchase new server to handle heavier load. Cost: $3000.
- publish and
distribute at least 30 Teaching Units
- expand from
1200 to 1400 subscribers
- revise constitution
expand membership of secondary teachers
