FROM: Roy Howard, Board Member

TO: Advisory Board Members: Jean Hall (Bowden Hall) , Patricia Cano (Bowden Hall), Bill Toth (Bowden Hall), Ed Hall (Bowden Hall) (and information to Donna Rees (Bowden Hall) and Tony Macías Watts Hall))

The GLCI has been inactive since last summer soon after we received approval to be an affiliate of WNMU and have an account (the GLCI was recognized on April 25, 1995). However, today the first deposit went into the account, the first of what may be many deposits.
The original thinking was “to create a university based institute that would conduct and coordinate an intensive English and Spanish language courses and a variety of related projects and activities”; so, when I received a call from the Choices program, I immediately called Pat Cano, and we started the ball rolling. I apologize for not contacting all of you sooner (though most of you are aware). Here is what happened.
El Refugio received a grant for short training projects for the needy in Grant and Luna Counties. under the name, “Choices Program”. The director called on campus and eventually talked to me, looking for a teacher for “Spanish for Business Purposes”. I pursued the possibility of the GLCI sponsoring the 16 hour class, and even obtained signatures from Dr. Gilbert and Dr. Selo. The account was opened, and teachers recruited. The first (two week) class went well, and the second (last) class is due to start in mid-May. This small project should leave the GLCI with about $300 clear! The students and teachers have been very enthused, the Community has heard about us, and the door is opened at last.
• I know that we will be invited again, should Choices, or related programs have similar opportunities in English or Spanish. They are pleased to find an organization with infrastructure and backup, rather than dealing directly with individual teachers.
•But why wait? Tony and I propose that the GLCI immediately advertise in the community the start of a similar, 32 hour short course. As with the first course one of the objectives is to refer students to university courses after the brief introduction to Spanish for Business Purposes. The course would run June 5 to July 2.
•There is a third opportunity right now. Tony Macías has been receiving numerous calls over the past year, pressuring for an Intensive English Program type of course. He believes that this Level Two ESL is most appropriately administered by the GLCI, rather than Adult Basic Education. Since this has been on our agenda since last year, I too, have been gathering current information about IEP program administration. I think the time is right to begin preparations, with a startup date in August.
•Therefore, I would like to suggest we hold a business meeting before finals week to seek approval and guidance from you, the governing board, and set an agenda for the next few months. The agenda for this meeting will include a presentation of the proposal that the GLCI sponsor another Spanish for Business Purposes course (on our own to start in June), and an intensive English (32 week residence) course (cash tuition paid by the students) beginning in August, 1996 with at least 2 full time teachers.

I have asked Isabel (-6416) to take your calls about times available for a meeting.