1. Training and development for LANIC staff members on an ongoing basis;
2. In-house training at the LANIC offices for visiting Latin Americans;
3. On-site training at conventions and other symposia;
4. On-site workplace training.

LANIC Staff Training

LANIC's award-winning Web Site is maintained and updated by a team comprised of permanent professional staff and student Graduate Research Assistants. Most student staff members serve for a period of between one and two academic years. All new staff members go through a semester-long training program aimed at providing them with the skills necessary to perform their basic job functions. The sessions include both conceptual and tools-based components. Topics include:
• Criteria for evaluation of electronic resources;
• Introduction to LANIC Style Guidelines;
• Web page maintenance and HTML composition using a text editor;
• Introduction to UNIX;
• Intermediate HTML.

Additional specialized training is provided on an as-needed basis for specific projects, including data base conversion, digital imaging, web site design, etc.

In House Training at LANIC

LANIC has received a modest amount of funding to provide travel support for in-house training of technical personnel from leading academic and research institutions in Latin America. Training periods will be short, 2 to 4 weeks (4 weeks preferable), and an agenda will be determined in advance to maximize LANIC resources and meet the specific needs of the trainee(s). To date, LANIC has hosted several trainees from institutions such as the Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales - CLACSO, the Instituto Internacional para la Educacción Superior en América Latina y el Caribe - IESALC/UNESCO, the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales - FLACSO, and the Guatemalan Congress.

In selecting candidates we consider:

• Institutional affiliation (university, NGOs, research institutions, etc.);
• Recommendation by a leading institution;
• Position within the institution - we are mainly looking for key technical personnel;
• Cost sharing by the supporting institution to ensure commitment on the part of potential trainees;
• Project in place - either an ongoing Internet presence or new initiative approved by the supporting institution. Each training program is focused on individual project needs and includes a significant hands-on component.

Trainees who have recently participated in this program have received instruction in the following areas:

• HTML & SGML Fundamentals
• Web Publishing Overview
• Fundamentals of Client/Server platforms
• Graphics for the Web
• HTML Tables and Extensions
• HTML Forms
• WebMaster skill building
• CGI Programming
• Perl Programming
• The Web Site Design Process
• Serving Data Bases on the Web

Candidates interested in in-house training at our University of Texas facilities must have a basic command of English, as many of the courses are taught only in English. For a sample of the types of courses offered through the University of Texas during the Spring 1999 semester, follow some of the links on the Training Classes page.

Training at Conventions

As part of ongoing efforts to increase and enrich scholarly communication via the Internet among the Latinamericanist community, LANIC has sponsored an Internet Training component at several major gatherings of Latin American Studies scholars.

These efforts included the establishment of Internet & Multimedia Training Centers at the Latin American Studies Association's LASA97 Congress, held in Guadalajara, Mexico, and LASA98 Congress in Chicago. In both cases, LANIC set up and managed an Internet-connected PC lab where a variety of hands-on courses, demonstrations and panels was offered in English and Spanish.

On-Site Training

LANIC also has limited funding to cover some of the expenses associated with on-site Internet training in the offices of key Latin American institutions. Training can be provided in English or Spanish covering a variety of Internet-related subjects and topics. On-site training programs typically run for about three days, with the host institution providing equipment and a training locale, and LANIC providing a trainer and printed training materials. Additional expenses are shared by LANIC and the host institution.

For more information...

If you would like more details about our training program, or have a training proposal that you would like to discuss further, please contact us at:
Latin American Network Information Center
Institute of Latin American Studies
Sid Richardson Hall 1.310
Austin, Texas 78712