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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE)
FACULTY
SENATE
May 15, 2002
TO:
Doug Hastad
Chancellor
FROM:
Joe Heim,chii,,'
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Faculty Senate
RE:
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At its meeting 5-2-02,/the faculty senate unanimously endorsed the Audit & Review
Reports from the follQwing academic units:
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Exercise & Sport Science: (-;;2.00;;).. -O~..J
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Undergraduate
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Sport Management
Human Performance Graduate Program
Adult Fitness/Cardiac Rehabilitation
Fitness
As you know, the academic program review process was recently revised to include
input from an external review source. The Academic Program Review Committee,
chaired by Carol McCoy, is to be commended for guiding departments through the selfstudy process, coordinating the reports, and providing the faculty senate with a thorough
evaluation of the committee's conclusions and recommendations. For your
convenience, I've enclosed copies of the subcommittee reports.
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Enclosures
cc: J Ron Rada, Interim ProvosWice-Chancelior
Carol McCoy, Chair of the Academic Program Review Committee
Mike Nelson, Dean of the College of Science & Allied Health
John Magerus, Dean of the College of Liberal Studies
Garth Tymeson, Interim Dean of the College of HPERTE
Mark Sandheinrich, Chair of the Biology Department
Mike Winfrey, Chair of the Microbiology Department
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ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW
College of Liberal Studies: Modern Languages
Subcommittee Members
Carla Graham (English)*
Curtis Czerwinski( Chemistry)
Haixia Wang (English)
Carol McCoy(Medical LaboratorY, Science)
* responsible for completed written report
ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW
of the
DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES
COLLEGE OF LffiERAL STUDIES
April 12, 2002
On March 27,2002, members of the Academic Program Review Committee met with the
Department of Modern Languages, which is housed within the College of Liberal Studies.
The External Review of December 2002, generated the following recommendations:
1. A strong mission and goals statement would aid in planning and assessment.
2. More resources are needed to support and mentor probationary faculty. Emphasis
needs to be placed on the clarificationof issues that affect retention, promotion, and
merit. Annual review can be improved. Over all, the Department needs to foster a
research community and get faculty promoted.
3. More resources are needed to modernize the language laboratory and classrooms to
bring them up to date with digital technologies. Purchase of state-of-the-art facilities
will decrease the need for technical support. Also, use of lab space can be improved
4. Discussion needs to continue about the regulation of placement and the application of
entrance and exit standards that make sense to the differentlanguage programs.
5. Discussion needs to continue about how to follow curricular change with assessment.
6. Enrollment caps need to be evaluated continually,but is not an option in the Spanish
major. Distance Education with native speaker specialistsmay help with lower-level
courses.
7. Disparity in teaching load needs to be addressed.
8. Discussion of course scope and sequencing as well as articulation between high school
and college-level language study should be encouraged.
9. TESOL needs to address new licensure requirements, and more faculty is needed.
TESOL's relationshipwith the rest of the Department needs strengthening.
10. An Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) trainer should be brought in.
mE PROGRAMDIRECTOR'SRESPONSESTO mE APRSELF-STUDYREPORT
[insert]
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW
SELF-STUDY REPORT
1.
Purposes
a.
Provide department's Mission Statement (if extant) and a statement of the
department's overall goals and objectives.
The overall goals of the Department of Foreign Languages are:
to graduate students who are proficient at reading, writing, speaking and
\Dlderstandinga second language
. to graduate students with the knowledge and skills necessary to function effectively
in a foreign culture as tourists or as professionals
to graduate students who have acquired the critical thinking skiIIs necessary to
discern nuances of diverse cultures
to graduate students who have learned to appreciate the diversity among cultures and
within individual cultures
. to train future foreign language teachers who have excellent language skiIIs, are
familiar with the major issues of foreign language pedagogy and are committed to
developing vibrant foreign language programs in the schools
to maintain and further develop an on-goingpartnership with Wisconsin foreign
language teachers
to increase awareness of and commitment to global education at UW-La Crosse
to foster student research and creative activity
.
.
.
.
..
b.
Briefly describe the academic programs housed in the department and any
interdisciplinary programs to which the department is a major contributor. If one or
more of the department's academic programs have goals and objectives not listed above,
include them here.
The Department of Foreign Languages includes the following majors:
Spanish (29-30 credits of Spanish language, civilization and literature above the ;202
level)
Spanish with Business Concentration (29-30 credits of Spanish language,.civilization
and literature above ~e 202 level including Business Spanish, AND 24 credits of
.
.
.
.
.
specifiedbusinesscourses)
.
French (30 credits of French language, civilization and literature above the 202
level)
French with Business Concentration (30 credits of French language, civilization and
literature above the 202 level including Business French, AND 24 credits of
specified business courses)
Gennan Studies (27 credits of Gennan language, civilization and literature above the
202 level AND 9 credits of related coursework in English, History, Geography and
Political ScienceAND demonstratedproficiencyin Germanat the intennediatehigh
level)
.
.
Gennan Studies with Business Concentration (27 credits of German language,
civilization and literature above the 202 level AND 9 credits of related coursework
in History, Geography and Political Science AND 24 credits of specified business
courses AND demonstrated proficiency in GenTIanat the intennediate high level)
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
1
.
.
.
The Department of Foreign Languages includes the fol1owingminors:
Spanish (18 credits of Spanish language, literature and civilization courses above the
202 level)
.
French (18 credits of French language, literature and civilization courses above the
202 level)
German Studies (18 credits of Gennan language, literature and civilization couises
above the 202 level)
. Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (22 credits plus five
credits ofESL student teaching and three credits ofTESOL Methods for those
seeking teacher certification; 26 credits for all other majors)
.
ll. Curriculum
German Studies
a) Describe whether the department's academic programs are typical of your discipline, and if
they are distinctive in some ways.
The German Studies major at UW-La Crosse differs significantly from the traditional German
major as it has been known in American universities. The traditional Gennan major tends to
emphasize literature along with language skills development, using a survey of literary history as
the operative format. In the traditional approach to the discipline, students in the upper levels
read literature from the major historical periods.
In the UW-L German Studies major, students at the upper level continue with language skill
development, but emphasis on literature is reduced to leave room for more study of culture both
inside and outside the department. All German Studies majors and minors are required to
complete the same five required courses. Beyond these required courses, majors may take
any four additional three-credit upper-level courses in German. This open-ended approach allows
maximum flexibility in course offerings, course rotation and granting of credit for courses taken
abroad. In addition to courses in German, German Studies majors are required to complete a
course on German history in the history department and three additional courses selected from a
list of courses in history, political science, geography and earth science and a linguistics course
in the~Englishdepamnent. Also, UnlikeGerman programs at most uriiversities, our Irtajors are
required to study abroad.
The multi-disciplinary aspect of the program, along with the requirement that majors study in a
German-speaking country, gives the UW-L German Studies major distinctive features not found
in the traditionalGermanmajor.
.
b) Briefly summarize how the curriculum and instruction of your department reflects the
contemporary emphases and trends of your discipline.
The "studies" component of the Gennan Studies major reflects the contemporary thinking in the
discipline. According to the Guidelines for German Studies Programs published in the
newsletter ofthe German Studies Association (Volume XXII, #1, Spring 1997), the purpose of
German Studies is "to foster a curriculum that has a genuinely interdisciplinary orientation." (p.
30) This broadening of the field of study also reflects the career interests and background of our
German Studies majors. This year we also added the business concentration in German Studies,
following the model of the Spanish and French majors with business concentration. The business
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
2
option attracts students who know they want to major in a language, but are concerned about
career opportunities and the job market after graduation.
c)
State the minimum total number of credits required to earn the baccalaureate degree in your
academic program.
Students who wish to earn a BA in German Studies must complete 36 credits at the 300-400
level. This keeps the total number of credits below 120. The only exception would be the rare
case of a student who begins college study of German at the 101 level. Such a student would
have to complete an additional 16 credits of German. With the 48 credits of General Education,
3 additional credits required by the CLS common core, and an 18-credit minor, these students
would need to complete 121credits. It should be noted, however, that the vast majority of
majors and minors begin at least at the 201 level.
Spanish
a) Describe whether the department's academic programs are typical of your discipline, and if
they are distinctive in some ways.
The Spamsh language section of the department of Foreign Languages is fairly typical in that
students of Spanish develop skills in the language while acquiring knowledge of the culture and
literature of Spanish-speaking countries. The program is distinctive, however, in the variety of
options open to students in their choice of coursework, including studies in Business Spanish,
Contemporary Culture, Current Events and literature written by Hispanic writers living in the
United States. ill addition, our students are encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge
further by participatingin ForeignStudyExchangeprogramsin Spainand LatinAmerica,aridby
seeking internships. The majority of our majors spend at least one semester abroad and several
have held internships in Mexico or Spain. Such experiences supplement our courses and put into
practice those things learned in our classes.
Our second major, Spanish with a Business Concentration, has recently undergone substantial
changes in the business courses requ,ired,24 credits of this 54-credit major. This major differs
from the standard major in a few of its course requirements in Spanish. The business courses
have been selected for their <:urricularappropriateness to a foreign language student's needs and
interests. ill the Spanish portion of the major, students take Business Spanish and both the Latin
American and the Spanish Civilization courses in lieu of an upper-level literature course and
Advanced Grannnar.
Our Spanish minor has become more flexible in its requirements in the last two years. Beyond
the 202 level, students have 12 credits of required courses in language and civilization, and the
remaining 6 credits can be in any area-literature, civilization or language.
b) Briefly sunnnarize how the curriculum and instruction of your department reflects the
contemporary emphases and trends of your discipline.
To bring its language sequence in line with the holistic approach that current research supports,
the Spanish section replaced its "smorgasbord" approach to the 300-1evellanguage courses with
two four-eredit courses-SP A 303-304-that are prerequisites to most all other coursework in
the major, as well as the Spanish minor. They were developed collectively three years ago with
support from a sunnner College of Liberal Studies grant to provide a developmental bridge
between om introductory level courses (Spanish 101-202)and the ot4er upper division courses.
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
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.'
Assessment of student ability following our previous and more traditional array of four separate
skills courses showed that these courses did not offer sufficient articulation either of materials,
content or student outcome objectives. The need to provide a more integrated skills approach,
rather than to teach four separate courses focusing on more independent skills development, had
become more pressing in response to the more connnunicative approach generally practiced in
our own lower level courses and in many college preparatory programs in the high schools.
Finally, these new "bridge" courses allow for better grouping and sequencing of students
throughout our program of study since they are prerequisites to other upper-level courses. The
Spanish staff continues to meet monthly to fine tune these two new courses, which have provided
a challenging core entry requirement into our major and minor coursework.
c) State the minimum total number of credits required to earn the baccalaureate degree in your
academic program.
The Spanish language section of the Department of Foreign Languages offers two majors
requiring 29-30 credits of upper division coursework each: the more traditional major (literature
and civilization); and the Spanish Major with Concentration in Business Administration.
Students pursuing the business concentration must also complete 24 credits in business. The
minimum total with general education requirements and minor does not exceed 120 credits for
either program, if the student counts the business concentration as his/her minor.
French
a) Describe whether the department's academic programs are typical of your discipline, and if
they are distinctive in some ways.
The French language section of the department of Foreign Languages is fairly typical in that
students of French develop skills in the language while acquiring knowledge of the culture and
literature of France. The program is distinctive, however, in the variety of options open to
students in their choice of coursework. This includes studies in Business French, Contemporary
Culture, and Francophone literature (literature written in French by writers from non-European
countries). ill addition, our students are encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge further
by participating in Foreign Study Exchange programs and by seeking internships. The majority
of our majors spend at least one semester in Caen,France, <lndseveral have held internships or
teaching assistantships in France. These include working in the mayor's offices in the city of
Epinal, the bakery at EuroDisney, and teaching in Toumus (near Dijon). Such experiences
supplement our courses and put into practice those things learned in the classroom.
b) Briefly summarize how the curriculum and instruction of your department reflects the
contemporary emphases and trends of your discipline.
There are three areas in which the French language section emphasizes contemporary trends in
the discipline. The first is in the area of culture and civilization. The traditionally narrow view
of studying French architecture and art in an historic.al context has been broadened with the
introduction/restructuring of four courses in the curriculum. The first, FRE320 - French
Civilization to the Revolution, examines French civilization chronologically and thematically
from its origins to the French Revolution. Topics may include socio-political and cultural
history, the history of gender and sexuality, feudalism, absolutism, the Enlightenment, popular
culture, art and architecture. Texts include political treatises, court documents, and literature
belonging to the canon. A new course, FRE325 - Modem and Contemporary France, continues
examining French civilization from the French Revolution to the present. As in FRE320, topics
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
4
.
includesocio-politicalandculturalhistory,historyof genderand sexuality,and popularculture,
art and architecure. In addition this course deals with regional and national identity, antiSemitism, colonialism, and mass media. FRE321 - Studies in Francophone Civilizations
provides an in-depth study of the civilization of French-speaking areas other than France:
Belgium, French Polynesia, Louisiana, Quebec, Francophone Africa. Finally, FRE326 is a onecredit course which uses current French television programs-news, game shows, talk shows-,
magazines and newspaper articles. This provides the students with a more international view of
the current news and facilitates comparisons between French and American culture.
A second area reflecting contemporary trends is found in FRE315 - Business French. This
course is designed to prepare advanced students in French to communicate effectively in the
business world. Intensivepractice in oral comprehension, speaking, writing, and utilizing
specialized vocabulary is coupled with studying current economiclbusiness situations in France
and the French-speaking world.
The third area in which the French language section emphasizes contemporary trends is in the
consistent incorporation into the curriculum of materialslliteraturetaken :£romthe Francophone
world. In almost every course, consideration is given to the fact that French is spoken in widely
diverse environments (in some forty countries worldwide). Our students study the history,
culture, and literature of-Francophone countries and come to a better understanding of France's
influence in the world.
c) State the minimum total number of credits required to earn the baccalaureate degree in your
academic program.
The French language section of the Department of Foreign Languages offers two majors
requiring 30 credits of upper division coursework each: the more traditional major (literature and
civilization); and the French Major with Concentration in Business Administration. Students
pursuing the business concentration must also complete 24 credits in business. The minimum
total with general education requirements and minor does not exceed 120 credits for either
program, if the student counts the business concentration as his/her minor.
Less COmInonly Taught LangUages
Over the last 15 years UW-L has sought various strategies to offer languages beyond French,
German and Spanish. Courses in Norwegian, Chinese and Russian have been offered
sporadically, funded through the Fulbright Commission, various faculty exchanges, the
generosity of the dean's office and time donated by faculty members.
Since the fall semester of 1999 the Department of Foreign Languages has benefited from a UW
System-funded initiative, the Collaborative Language Program, to increase student access to
courses in the less commonly taught languages through distance education. Grant money funds a
coordinator, based in Madison, as well as the distribution ofthe courses through two-way
interactive television, and native speaker facilitators in each classroom. UW-L students have
been able to take Japanese 101-202 from Superior and Oshkosh, and Russian 101-202 ITom
Stevens Point and Madison.
In addition, since 1999UW-L has been hosting a visiting scholar from Guangxi Teachers
University in China who has taught Chinese 101-202,Chinese Culture, Survival Chinese and a
unit in Foreign Literature in Translation. She has also workedwith three studentsat the 300
Foreign languages APRSelf Study 05/31/01
5
level in advanced independent study. We have offered to make the 101-202 courses available
through distance education and the Collaborative Languages Program, but so far other campuses
have not chosen to participate.
In the 2000-01 academic year a grant from the Israeli government has al10wed us to offer Hebrew
101 and 102. The Israelis are willing to expand the grant to allow us to offer 201 and 202 in
2001-2002.
Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages
a)
Describe whether the department's academic programs are typical of your discipline, and
if they are distinctive.in someways.
.
The undergraduate minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is an
interdisciplinary program that is coordinated through the Department of Foreign Languages. In
addition to Foreign Languages, the following departments and programs contribute to the
.
TESOLminor: English,Anthropology,CommunicationStudies,Psychology,Reading,Special
Education, and Curriculum and Instruction.
The required courses in the following areas are typical of undergraduate TESOL programs:
English grammar, linguistics, intercultural communication or sociolinguistics, multicultural
studies, and teaching methodology.
There are four features that are distinctive for an undergraduate TESOL program:
1. In the required Introduction to TESOL course, TESOL minors share class time
(approximately 40 hours) with international students enrolled in the university's ESL Institute,
and TESOL minors are required to complete internships in which they work with ESOL students
in the public schools, with ESL students on campus, and/or with ESL students in community-
based programs.
.
2. All TESOL minors have extensive experience with web-based bulletin board discussion
forums.
.
3. Education majors with a minor in TESOL are required to study not only language
development but also language disorders through coursework in the department 'of Special
Education.
4. TESOL curriculum is detennined by a student's special emphasis. There are four tracks:
a) ESL Teacher certification, not K-12, all education majors
b) K-12 teacher certification, elementary/middle education major
c) K-12 teacher certification, middle/secondary education major
d) TESOL minor, all other majors
b)
Briefly summarize how the curriculum and instruction of your departInent reflects the
contemporary emphases and trends of your discipline.
Like other effective TESOL programs in past decades, the UW-L program currently includes
instruction in grammar and linguistics, multicultural studies, lesson and unit planning,
assessment, classroom management, and the distinction between teaching English as a foreign
language (EFL) and teachIng English as a second language (ESL). However, the curriculum and
instruction in the UW-L TESOL program also reflects the following contemporary trends in the
field:
1. The cwriculum is interdisciplinary.
Foreign languages' APR Self Study 05/31/01
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2. Students have extensive interaction with non-native speakers of English prior to student
teaching.
3. Web-based learning plays a significant role in the curriculum.
4. Methodology courses address the following areas:
a) the coordination of bilingual, special education and ESL programs
b) cognitive academic language proficiency (J. Cummins)
c) national TESOL Standards for pre-K - 12 ESL students
d) sociopolitical issues
c)
State the minimum total number of credits required to earn the baccalaureate degree in
your academic program.
The TESOL minor for education majors requires 22 credits in addition to five credits ofESL
student teaching and three credits ofTESOL Methods. The TESOL minor for all other majors
requires 26 credits.
m. Degree of Program Success:
French, German and Spanish
a) To what extent is the department meeting the goals and objectives of its academic programs?
Student enrollment indicators
Enrollment remains strong in the major and minor programs as well as in the General Education
courses offered in the department. During the past five years, the number of students electing to
major in Spanish or French and to minor in German has remained consistent with national norms.
Since creation of the Gennan Studies Major, enrollments in German have risen substantially.
Assessment of student learning
The Department of Foreign Languages has expressed its goals and objectives in terms of
proficiency guidelines as established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (ACTFL). Evidence of the success of the program comes from ongoing assessment
of students by faculty in relation to these guidelines (in and out of the classroom) and from other
informal indicators, including evaluations of students doing internships in a foreign setting, and
those working iil schools, business and government.
Each member of the department is asked to complete the Oral Proficiency Interview training
offered by AC1FL, which enables the department to apply a uniform standard in evaluating
student outcomes. Assessment of student progress in meeting department goals and objectives is
accomplished largely within individual classes, where students are assessed in each skill. The
following measures of assessment are typically used at the 300-400 level:
Listening: Students regularly do written and oral summaries and reactions to news broadcasts,
songs, documentary and feature films, presentations by native speakers, television and radio
Foreign Languages AP~ Self Study 05/31/01
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segments and other aural texts. Listening comprehension sections fonn part of a typical foreign
languageexam.
.
Speaking: Oral interviews and presentations (some fonnal and some infonnal,prepared and
spontaneous) are a regular part of all foreign language courses. Video and audio-taped
evaluations are a systematic part of the evaluation done in phonetics courses.
Reading: Reading assessment is conducted in a variety of ways including the use of written and
oral summaries and reactions to a variety of texts, and the specific isolation of separate reading
skills, such as cognate recognition, understanding meaning in context, identifying key words or
ideas in a text, or getting the gist of a passage by skimming, all of which may be tested in an
exam fonnat.
Writing: The Writing in the Foreign Language Major Program is nearing completion and will
soon be presented to the General Education Committee for approval. ABpart of this program, the
department has set writing goais and objectives for all course levels beginning with 201and 202,
courses which are preparatory to the minor and the major. This program will put in place a
system whereby students beginning the major will be asked to keep a portfolio of selected fonnal
and infonnal writing from each course as they move through the major. Once a year, the Writing
in the Major Committee will assess selected portfolios (including samples
from low-, mid-, and high-perfonning students) in order to assess the effectiveness of the
writing-in-the-major program. Faculty have agreed on a common set of evaluation criteria and a
common process which they will use in assessing student writing. Students in all classes have
their writing monitored regularly through both informal writing (journals, free writing, and
homework) and fonnal writing (exams, lab assignments and compositions),
Culture: Language teaching implies teaching about the culture or cultures of the speakers of
each language. In recent years the concept of culture as taught in foreign language classes has
been expanded to include not only art, music and architecture but also more everyday
manifestations of cultural distinctiveness such as family structure, business practices, or the place
of minorities. Cultural awareness is assessed not only through testing of cultural knowledge;but
also by asking students to take information gathered from a variety of sources and evaluate it
critically, see patterns within the culture and make comparisons with their own cultures.
Assessment Activities by Language
Each section of the department undertook an independent assessment effort in the spring
semester 2001. What follows is a summary of each of those efforts. The complete departmental
assessment report will be submitted as an appendix when it is completed later this summer.
French
Method: Evaluate sample written assignments from French 202,304 and 325. All assignments.
represented unedited student work completed outside of class time.
Results:
1.
2.
There is clear progression from one level to the next both in tenns of the quality of the
written language and in the level of critical thinking demonstrated.
A recurring weakness in the work of average to below-average students, even at the
structures
thataretaught
advanced level, is mastery of more complex grammatical
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
8
u
--_u_--
u-
repeatedly at various levels of the curriculum-subjunctive,
_u_-----
- u
-- -
--
u-
_U-
if clauses, indirect discourse,
paSSIve vOIce.
3.
In an earlier assessment (Fall, 2000), we noted that freshmen placing into FRE 202 write
at a considerably more proficient level than students who progress through our own 101202 sequence. There are several possible causes for the discrepancy between these two
groups of students. The most obvious would be that those coming in from high school
are not properly placed. Another is that while the "knowledge" of grammar may be
similar between the two groups, the ability to apply it is superior in the group coming in
from high school because they have had several years to internalize the structures and
become more proficient at composition. The students coming through our program, on
the other hand, may have "learned" the same material but had less time to fully "acquire"
it. A third possibility is that those who do well enough in high school to place into the
202 level as freshmen are gifted language students by nature and have probably always
been high perfonners in French, whereas those who start at a lower level with us either
did poorly in high school French or did not start language study until college. In the
latter case, there is ample evidence to demonstrate that acquisition of a foreign language
is more difficult the later one begins study.
Recommendations:
1.
Find ways to systematically recycle the more difficult structures in the literature and
civilization courses as well as all levels of language courses. For exaniple, in a literature
course, a valuable discussion about a narrative work can be generated by asking students
to propose alternative plots: If X had done Y instead of Z, he would have;. ." In future
meetings we wi)) elaborate further the structures to be targeted in this way and
brainstonn ways to integrate them into the literature "andcivilization courses.
2.
Work with UW System Center for Placement Testing next fall to update the norms used
for placing freshmen in our courses.
3.
We adopted a new textbook this semester in FRE 201 and will continue with it in French
202 in the fall. This book is strong in its treatment of communicative skills, and we hope
that it win help the students coming through our sequence to improve their selfexpression. We will continue to monitor this issue after students have completed the
new textbook.
4.
Work with the high schools and the Department of Public lnstruction to encourage the
study of foreign languages as early as possible.
German
Method: The German faculty assessed writing through examination of the essays submittedwith
the senior portfolios (students graduating this year) and the take-home [mal essays for Gennan
311 (primarily students who have not yet studied abroad).
Results: As would be expected, the writing of graduating students was superior to that of the
students in German 311. In particular, the latter group displayed notable weaknesses in the
following areas: word order, relative pronouns, conjugation of strong verbs, vocabulary, subjectverb agreement, consistency of style.
Recommendations:
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
9
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Focus on word order, subject-verb agreement, correct verb tense choice and formation,
and vocabulary development in every course, both language courses per se and literature
and civilization courses.
Continue to require all majors to study/work abroad.
Consider a seminar for returning Oldenburg Sprach Institut students so that they can
maintain the strong level of language acquired abroad after their return.
Use a vocabulary text (Master German Vocabulary) in upper level courses.
Require mastery of the vocabulary in the Kapitel section of Kaleidoskop, the German
202 text.
Require students in 202 to learn, review and recycle often the strong verbs in German.
Spanish
Method:
1.
Comparison of reaction papers to films in the Battistozzi film series ITomstudents in
SPA 304 and 430.
2.
Extensive discussion at Spanish sectional meetings throughout the semester regarding
student proficiency levels in all courses.
Results:
1..
The papers ITomSpanish 430 were substantially better than those ITomSpanish 304.
The 304 students had significant patterns of errors in past tense forms and uses,
vocabulary, and basic grammatical features such as subject-verb agreement. The 430
students had little trouble in these areas but did demonstrate problems in the use of
relative pronouns, hypothetical clauses and consistency of register and style.
2.
In general, the faculty is not satisfied with the skills of the students coming into the 300level courses. They believe that the program could be improved by more attention to the
100- and 200-level courses that prepare students for advanced study.
Recommendations:
1.
hnplement more and better structured listening activities in all courses below SPA 304.
2.
Use more grammar drill at the lower levels to develop better language "reflexes" for
speaking. ..
3.
Develop minimum exit-level requirements for each course ITomSPA 201-304 and tie
these requirements to specific grades. Be sure students are aware of these requirements'
at the beginning of the course.
4.
Re-calculate the norms used at UW-L for the UW system placement test. There appears
to be a gap between entering freshmen and continuing students in a given course. At
some levels freshmen are placed too high and at others they are placed too low.
TESOL
Method:
1.
2;
3.
Evaluate student work ITomESL 300 (Introduction to TESOL) and C-I 463 (TESOL
Methods) according to rubrics tied to student learning outcomes
Discuss performance ofTESOL graduates with ESOL public school faculty
Observe student teachers
Results:
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
10
TESOL students and graduates demonstrate the following strengths:
A. ability to organize content-based lessons for English Language Learners (ELL)
B. knowledge of a variety of resources and experts in the TESOL field
C. ability to use standard academic English effectively in tasks related to ELL instruction
D. ability to communicate effectively with international students
E. enthusiasm for working in a multicultural environment
TESOL studmts and graduates demonstrate need for improvement in the f(mowing areas:
A. Understanding of assessment methods for the ESOL classroom
B. Understanding of cultural differences related to immigrant vs. refugee status and the role of
the family in English language learners' academic performance
C. Awareness of ways of communicating program needs to administrators, politicians and the
community
.
D. Application of teaching strategies to promote ELL academic language and critical thinking
development
Recommendations:
1.
Work in cooperation with TESOL faculty at Cardinal Stritch University to increase
student knowledge of ELL assessment.
2.
Work with the instructor of Cross-Cultural Psychology to develop assignments that
emphasize the implications of cultural diversity on educational initiatives.
3.
Create assignmentsthat train studentsin thewritingof lettersto administrators. .
4.
Create assignments that ask students to demonstrate explicit teaching of critical thinking
skills and identify public school teachers who model these strategies well.
Individual Assessment Beyond the Classroom
Three groups of students currently undergo additional formal assessment near the end of their
completion of the major or minor: those planning to student teach, those returning from study
abroad and German Studies majors. These procedures provide us with a cross section of our
entire student population and serve as indicators of the success of the program.
Students wishing to student teach in French, Spanish or German must be certified by the
department as proficient in the language they wish to teach. Currently, all students are evaluated
by means of an oral interview to determine that they have reached a level equivalent to or above
Intermediate High on the AC1FL Oral Proficiency scale. Of 45 student teachers evaluated fi:om
the fall of 1995 until the fall of 2000, only one student received a marginal rating. All candidates
achieved the minimum level of proficiency and many demonstrated a speaking ability equivalent
to an Advanced rating on the AC1FL Oral Profic.iencyscale. If professors who know an
individual student's written work agree that he or she has demonstrated satisfactory language
proficiency in course work, no additional assessment will be required. If there is question as to
the student's proficiency level, a professor of that language will administer an additional written
test. Certificates stating that candidates have or have not reached the required proficiency for
student teaching are kept on file and a list of approved candidates is forwarded to the School of
Education.
Foreign languages APRSelf Study 05/31/01
11
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When students return to campus from study abroad, the department requires that majors take an
additional three-credit course in the target language on our campus. This allows the department
to assess progress in the language based on the foreign study. For students who for some reason
are unable to meet this requirement, arrangements are made to assess their language skills
through an oral interview and a spontaneous writing sample.
Spanish students returning from foreign study and requesting transfer credit for the capstone
course in language (SPA 430 Advanced Grammar and Syntax) must take a validation exam in
order to receive that credit. This exam gives the Spanish faculty an additional measure of the
level of progress students returning from abroad have attained.
-
German Studies majors must turn in a portfolio of work done in German before, during and after
completing the study abroad requirement. In the last semester of course work, German Studies
majors are required to write an essay exam in which they demonstrate intermediate-high
proficiency in writing. The German faculty assesses these essays and portfolios annually.
Informal Means of Assessment
Various informal indicators assure us that majors and minors in the department are indeed
achieving the level of competency in the language which is outlined in our department goals and
objectives. Cooperating teachers in public schools in different parts of the state (Kettle Moraine,
Milwaukee Public Schools and local area schools) have commented very favorably on the
preparation of our teaching candidates in the last five years. The employment rate for teaching
candidates isc10se to 100%. Numerous students have participated successfully in internships
abroad, in teaching, in business and in government programs. Feedback from our study abroad
sites indicates that our students are well prepared for those programs. The Director and teaching
staff of the Universitas Castellae Program in Valladolid, where many of our Spanish majors and
minors study, have been particularly complimentary regarding the quality of students we are
sending on that program. The methods instructor for the Puebla Education Study Program has
given strong praise to the students who participated in that program.
General Education Courses
The 100-200 level language courses.which are part of the General Education Program aim to give
students a functional comrilUnicativeability in a second language as well as increasing ability to
use knowledge about a second language to assimilate to a foreign culture. By the end of the 202
level a student should be able to handle basic travel needs in the foreign country, largely dealing
with native speakers used to dealing with non-native speakers. Evaluation of students in these
courses uses many of the same types of assessment measures as the courses in the major and
minor: oral exams and interviews, dialogues and presentations, essays, exams, journals, and
written reactions to course content, listening exercises in the language lab and in exams, and
presentation and critical evaluation of cultural information
Curriculum Assessment and Recent Changes
In monthly language sectional meetings, specially designated department meetings, and semiannual retreats, the department conducts ongoing discussions of the efficacy of its programming.
Department members keep current with new trends in foreign language education by attending,
hosting and presenting at area, state and regional meetings on language pedagogy. A number of
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
12
new initiatives in the past five years reflect an effort to meet the changing needs of students and
new developments in curriculum in the field.
The language component of the French curriculum was revised in 1996. Four previously
unsequenced courses were replaced by three new courses, each of which is prerequisite to the
others. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the new sequenced courses improve student learning
because of the greater homogeneity of each class and the possibility of building on previous
knowledge. In 199Qwe revised the civilization curriculum by adding a general education course
taught in English (FRE 220), and dividing the existing French-language civilization course into
two courses. (See section II for further details.)
The new German Studies Major was in place beginning in the fall of 1998 and now offers
students the opportunity to complete an interdisciplinary major through work on campus in the
Department of Foreign Language and the Departments of English, History, Geography and
Political Science and through additional coursework in Germany. Statistics from the initial
semesters of the new program show promise for its success. In the fall of 1999 there were 19
declared German studies majors; in the fall of 2000, there were 30.
As mentioned above, Spanish has revised its major and minor curriculum, deleting three old
courses and adding several new ones. In order to provide better sequencing in courses (a need
indicated by previous assessment), the Spanish section now requires students to begin the minor
and the major with two four-credit courses, Spanish 303 and 304, Integrated Skills Development
I and ll. These courses provide a thematic approach to the five skills-listening, spealdng,
reading, writing and culture-based on authentic oral and written "texts"- One or both of these
courses are now prerequisite to most of the other major and minor classes, thus insuring that
students come to their content courses in the major with a more uniform background. While
differences in aptitude, attitude and application still account for some variety in ability levels
present in a given class, informal feedback from faculty indicates that, in general, students in
upper-level courses in the major are more uniformly prepared. Writing samples from the 303
class and the 430 (language capstone course) began to be gathered beginning in the spring of
2000 for the purpose of assessing progress from the beginning or entry level of the major to the
exit level. This information will be useful in assessing both the effect of the new courses and the
success of the Spanish major program overall. Other new courses include Spanish 351 - Films in
Spanish, Spanish 410 - Advanced Conversation and SPA 326 - Current Events, a course common
to the other languages as well. The film course diversifies our course offerings, so that students
have optionsother thanliterature,civilizationand businessin fulfillingtheir elective
.
requirements. The advanced conversation course offers students returning from overseas study
the opportunity to maintain the oral fluency gained in their experience abroad. Since the content
of the course changes with changes in world news, the current events class can be taken more
than once in fulfillment of both elective and required course credit and fills several roles.
Students with double majors often need a one-credit class in order to maintain their language
skills while completing requirements for the second major. Non-majors with a background in
foreign language also take this course to maintain their contact with the foreign language.
Student input regarding curriculum and overall program success is obtained through various
measures, incltJding the traditional SEI and other formative evaluation tools such as informal
mid-term course evaluations and short spontaneous written feedback to specific aspects of
vanous courses.
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
13
Informally the department also receives important student input when students return to campus
from studying abroad. Conversations with teachers about the experience, the student's language
skills before and after the sojourn in a foreign land, andthe student's work in subsequent courses
allow teachers insight into student thinking about the program.
Exit interviews with student teachers at the end of each semester also provide valuable feedback
from students regarding how well our curriculum prepares them for their chosen career. A
frequent comment from these students is that they need more :frequentand more intensive
opportunities for oral expression in all of their classes. They also express an eagerness for more
information about the cultures of the various countries where the languages they are teaching are
spoken.
b)
Identify the single most significant strength of the academic program( s) in the department.
We believe that our greatest strength is the high level of commitment to excellence in teaching.
The department composite fractional median on student evaluations has ranged in recent years
:from4.1787 to 4.5633 out of 5.00. Faculty participate in teaching all levels including General
Education courses, all faculty have been certified as writing emphasis instructors, and all but the
most recent hires have received training from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages in Oral Proficiency Interviewing techniques. Our mentoring of probationary faculty
emphasizes critical reflection on the teaching experience followed by constant efforts at
improvement.
c) Identify and describe the single area requiring most attention.
Many faculty members in foreign languages fmd that the teaching and service load leaves little
time for scholarship. Foreign language teaching is a labor-intensive task. There is no course that
does not require large amounts of writing-many short papers at the lower levels and fewer long
ones at the higher levels-and many courses also include at least-one individual oral interview.
Furthermore, while most of us are trained as researchers in literature and cultural studies, we
spend at least two-thirds of our time teaching language courses. This gap makes it difficult to
toggle back and forth between two very different areas. Faculty in our department need
assistance in finding creative ways to bridge this gap or to "buy" time that will allow them to
focus on a research project.
TESOL
a) To what extent is the department meeting the goals and objectives of its academic programs?
Goals and objectives for the TESOL program are determined by emphases in the discipline
Oisted above), the needs of the public schools served by the ESL teachers we train, and the
special interests of the students themselves. With this in mind, the cooperating ESL teachers in
the public schools and the TESOL students themselves provide the strongest input on the success
of the program.
.
In order to better address program objectives, several programmatic changes have been made
within the last five years:
Foreign languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
14
1. Two n~w m~thodology courses have been created: Introduction to TESOL and TESOL
Methods. Previously, there was one methodology course,Teaching a Second Language, in
which TESOL minors, French, Spanish and German Educationmajors and minors all enrolled.
ESL student teachers in La Crosse and Milwaukee Public Schools have reported on the critical
importance ofTESOL coursework in cognitive academic language proficiency and sociopolitical
concerns, two areas that had 'not been covered extensivelyin the previous methodology course
(due to the lesser importance of these issues in U,S.-based foreign language education). The
coordinator of the La Crosse Public Schools ESOL program has also applauded the inclusion in
the TESOL curriculum of the "Cognitive Academic LanguageLeaming Approach" (A. Chamot
& I.M. O'Malley). Also, in the Introduction to TESOL course, the interaction between
international students and TESOL minors (who are mostlyAmerican students) has been very
well received.
'
Web-based learning through Web Course in a Box and, later, Blackboard has been
ipcorporated into both courses to encourage student communicationwith other teachers and
students in the field. Student response has been enthusiastic. This approach has addressed
needs of students with various career goals related to TESOL, from public school teaching, to
counseling, to teaching English abroad.
2. Three courses added from departments outside of Foreign Languages have made significant
contributions to the TESOL curriculum: Language Studies for Secondary Teachers, Language
Development and Disorders, and Intercultural Communication, The Intercultural
Communication course has provided TESOL students with additional opportunities for
interaction with ESL students on campus. ESL teachers (La Crosse Public Schools) and student,
teachers have reported on the practical applicati.onsof the Language Development and Disorders
coursework on accommodating students' diverse learning styles and abilities. In TESOL
methodology coursework, many students have incorporated information from the Language
Studies for Secondary Teachers course, which is indicariveof its value to the program.
3. Advising for TESOL minors has become available on-line every semester. This has resulted
in greater student confidence in following the complexities that are inherent in an
interdisciplinary program. Once again, this assessment is based on favorable student response.
b)
Identify the single most significant strength of the academicprogram(s) in the department.
The most significant strength of the TESOL program is the wealth of opportunity it provides for
students to work with non-native speakers of English. Through the Introduction to TESOL
course and the internships, TESOL students interact withpeople from a wide variety of cultures.
This experientialleaming promotes an understanding of diversity that no textbook can provide.
d)
Identify and describe the single area requiring most attention.
An area that requires significant improvement in the TESOL program is the curriculum related to
sociopolitical concerns. There should be a greater focus on the special needs ofHmong and
Hispanic students, who make up the majority ofESOL students in Wisconsin. Two steps should
be followed to make improvements in this area:
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
15
1. Research is required to enhance TESOL Methods instruction related to Hmong and
Hispanic issues.
2. The TESOL Methods instructor should work more closely to coordinate curriculum with
the professor who teaches Cross-Cultural Human Development and Cross-Cultural Psychology,
the two courses most TESOL minors take to fulfill the multi-cultural requirement for the minor.
IV.
Previous Academic Program Review and New Program Initiatives
a) Describe the actions that were taken in response to the recommendations of the most recent
previous Academic Program Review, and the results of those actions. [April 1994]
Recommendation 1
The committee recommended that the department continue to seek support for additional
faculty positions.
.
1994 response: The issue of additional faculty positions has been raised at each Focus meeting
between the Dean of the college and the members ofthe Department. We are aware of the ne~d
for an additional position in Spanish and will consider this in future staffing decisions. Position
cuts forced the elimination of the exchange positions in Chinese and Russian for the 1994-1995
academic year.
May 2001 status: The need for at least one'additional tenure-track faculty position jn Spanish
continues to be an issue. The Spanish language section maintains the same number of faculty in
2001 as it had at the time of the April, 1994 Program Review. In the fall, 1995 semester there
were 476 students enrolled in Spanish courses. There were 616 students enrolled in Spanish
courses for the Fall, 2000 semester. The departmentcontinuesto rely on adjunctstaffto teach
the introductory levels of Spanish.
.
The Chinese exchange program was reinstated in the fall of 1999. After the elimination of the
Russian exchange in 1994,Russian was taught for several years as an overload by one of our
French faculty. Thanks to the UW System Collaborative Languages Program, Russian is now
offered to UW-L students via distance education from UW Madison. In addition, this program
has allowed us to offer Japanese via distance education from UW Oshkosh and UW Superior. A
grant from the Israeli government began funding the teaching of Hebrew in fall, 2000.
Recommendation 2
The committee recommended that the department write a proposal to the administration
addressing the issue of additional space in Main Hall.
1994 Response: A proposal is being prepared that addresses the space needs of the Department
of Foreign Languages. In addition to classroom space, offices are needed for two full-time
members of the teaching faculty. The conference room that was created when Main Hall was
remodeled in 1980 has been used for 8 years as a faculty office and now as a computer laboratory
for faculty and students. The proposal will address the possible remodeling and reuse of existing
rooms.
May. 2001 status: Renovation of rooms 311 and 313 created four new offices (311-A,B,C,D)
and a supplyroomarea. Present spacelimitations require academic staff to share office space.
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
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_n - ---
--
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-U
-m-
u-
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U-m-
m-
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With respect to the issue of classroom space, some classes are now meeting in buildings other
than Graff Main Hall. (See Section VI. a, Physical facilities, for further information on space
issues in Graff Main Hall.)
Recommendation 3
The committee recommended that creative approaches to course scheduling be implemented in
order to address enrol/ment issues.
1994 Response: New approaches in the offering of elementary Spanish (Spanish 101 and 102)
are currently under consideration by the department curriculum connnittee. New policies
concerning upper-level Spanish courses are also being considered. A summer couse in
intermediate Spanish was scheduled but did not have sufficient enrollment. Consideration will be
given to offering an elementary course in the summer session of 1995, although there are some
reservations in the department about summer elementary language courses.
May. 2001 status: For the last several years we have not offered SPA 101 in the fall semester in
order to be able to offer more sections of SPA 303 to accommodate the large number of freshmen
coming in with strong backgrounds in Spanish. Summer offerings at the lower levels have not
been successful, and this year the department lost its Tier 1 summer teaching position due to past
low enrollments. We will offer a section of SPA 331, ahigh-demand course, in summer 2001.
Recommendation 4
The committee recommended that money for equipment purchases be sought through outside
grants and/or foundation funding.
1994 Response: Various possibilities are being explored in a search for outside funding. It
should be noted, however, that grants for equipment in the humanities are very limited and
extremely competitive.
May. 2001 status: The department has had a major lab modernization proposal in the UW
System queue since 1998, and we expect that proposal to be funded soon. hI the meantime,
technology funding from the College of Liberal Studies has allowed us to begin to replace aging
lab equipment in ways that can be integrated into the new system when it is funded. See section
VI. b, Supplies and equipment, for further information about equipment.
Recommendation 5
The committee recommended that departmental concerns about staff salaries will be addressed
by the administration and that the department review its merit policies.
1994 Response: Salary equity recommendations have been sent to the Dean of the College of
Liberal Studies. The question of salaries in the Department of Foreign Languages has been
discussed by the Chair of the department with members of the Faculty Senate PTS Committee.
During the coming year the department will address the possible relationship between its merit
policies and salary compression.
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
17
-U_-
n-m-
-
U-
-
-n
---
May. 2001 status: Salary equity and salary compression have been addressed in a more
systematic way both by the College of Liberal Studies and by the Faculty Senate in the last three
years. Compression is still an issue at the Assistant Professor level.
Recommendation
6
The committee recommended that the university support the development of a German Studies
Major.
.
1994 Response: The revised German Studies Major proposal is ready to be submitted to System
administration. The Chair of the department is anxious to send this fmal draft forward so that the
program, if approved, can be implemented as soon as possible.
May. 2001 status: The German Studies Major was implemented as of the Fall, 1998 semester.
There were 30 German Studies majors and 35 German Studies minors listed for the Fall, 2000
semester. This compares to 27 German Minors reported for the Fall, 1994 semester, at which
time only a GermanMinorwas available. Germanenrollmentfiguresfor the Fall, 2000 semester
totaled 172, compared to 138 in fall, 1995. There is now a chapter of the National German
Honor Society. All majors must study in a German-speaking country. The majority go for one
semester to Oldenburg, Germany, a few go for the entire year, and a handful fulfill the
requirement by a summer course in a language institute.
b) Note any continuing or new concerns related to your department's ability to achieve its goals. .
1. A top priority concern: Encouraging and creating time and opportunity for research and
scholarly activity.
2. Classroom modernization for technological uses. We have access to a multi-media
technology cart stored in the College of Liberal Studies office. So far competition for this
cart has not been a problem, but it seems likely that we will soon need to have a second cart
available on the third floor. Some classrooms in Graff Main Hall do not yet have live
Internet connections.
3. Modernization ofthe foreign language laboratory. The current lab was installed in 1980, with
subsequent addition of video and computer equipment and other "piecemeal" improvements
over the years. As mentioned elsewhere, we have been in the queue for lab modernization.
fimds for the past three years, and we hope to receive those funds very soon.
4. Maintenance and modernization of individual office spaces. Some faculty offices still have
the carpet that was installed when Main Hall was remodeled in 1980. We have been
replacing it a little at a time as funds allow.
5. Need to implement the "writing across the major" initiative. We have had a nearlycompleted proposal for the last year, but it has taken a back seat to this self study. When we
get this program approved, faculty teaching loads will be more equitable because the writing
will be spread evenly across the curriculum.
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
18
6. Compensation to the departmentlcol1egefor teacher training activities. Three-eighths of Dr.
Hinds()n's load and one-fourth of Janis Hanson's consist of student teacher supervision and
foreign language or TESOL methods courses. That represents five Spanish courses we are
unable to offer through permanent faculty and staff.
7. Need for more effective mentoring of junior as wen as of senior faculty.
c) Identify any program initiatives included in the current university strategic plan budget
document. Report on the status of these initiatives.
For several years the College of Liberal Studies included an additional position in Spanish in its
request to the Joint Budget Committee. However, since such requests for positions were always
denied, this year the College request did not include any such items. Therefore, there are no
Foreign Language program initiatives in the current strategic plan budget document.
The original Forward Together document contained the fol1owinggoal: "Encourage
implementation of a requirement which ensures that al1students are proficient in one other
language." To date, two smal1steps have been taken in this direction.
1.
The General Education program has been modified so that nine of the 48 required credits
can be selected from anywhere within the program. This change al10wsstudents whose
programs do not otherwise restrict their options within General Education to take up to two
additional foreign language classes without increasing their total credits to graduation.
2. The futernational Business major requires proficiency in a foreign language at the 202 level.
The only other students who are required to take foreign language are those who are pursuing a
Bachelor of Arts. Of the majors within the College of Liberal Studies, only English-and Foreign
Languages require the Bachelor of Arts. While the department does not necessarily endorse a
universal language requirement, particularly if there is not adequate funding to support it, it is in
favor of strategies that would encourage more students to continue the study of foreign languages
at the urriversity. One positive step would be to require a minimum number of years of high
school foreign language study for admission to UW-L. Combined with the incentive of
retroactive credits; this would encourage more students to take at least one semester of foreign
language at the university leve1.
d) New Program fuitiatives:
French/German Studies/Spanish major with Applied Emphasis. One of the current trends in the .
teaching of foreign languages is "languages across the curriculum." fu some institutions this
approach involves formal cooperation between faculty members from the language departments
and other departments on campus. While members of the department have been involved in such
courses with colleagues from History, Sociology, Education, Management and Geography, we
are working on a simpler plan for the moment. We intend to create a new one-credit course
caned Applied French/German/Spanish. Students would emol1 for the course concurrently with
a course in another department-for example History, Political Science, Art, Music-and work
Foreign languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
19
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u-u
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- -.
with a faculty member in Foreign Languages to find additional readings in the target language
related to the topics being studied in the other course. To complete the Applied Emphasis,
students would complete three such one-credit courses. We would like to be able to require an
internship as well, but further research needs to be done to determine whether adequate
opportunities are available.
Plans have been underway for some time to expand the Spanish curriculum. These plans include
dividing Latin American Civilization into two separate courses, fol1owing similar divisions of the
French and German civilization courses. There appears to be interest in providing a Medical
Spanish or Spanish for Health Careers Professionals course given the expanded presence on this
campus of programs in aUiedhealth, recreation, sports medicine, therapies and medical
teclmician training, and b~ologicalstudies.
We plan to submit a proposal for a Writing in the Major Program to the General Education
Committee next fal1. If our proposal is accepted, it will allow us to distribute writing activities
more evenly throughout the curriculum and relieve the burden that is currently placed on
instructors of writing emphasis courses. Since the proposal includes assessment measures, it
should also help us to carry out assessment ina more regular and systematic fashion.
v.
Personnel
a)
Please describe professional development opportunities and expectations for faculty
members in your department.
Members of the Department have regularly taken advantage of professional development
opportunities provided by the College of Liberal Studies, the Faculty Development Committee
and the Research and Grants Committee. (See annual reports.) In addition, faculty from all three
languages have participated in summer seminars funded by the Fulbright-Hays Commission, the
.
NationalEndowmentfor the Humanitiesand other externalagencies.The Departmentsupports
travel to professional conferences and workshops, giving high priority to those that address
recognized departmental need (e.g. training in Oral Proficiency Testing, workshops for the
Language Lab Director), and national or international conferences at which the faculty member
is presenting a paper. All permanent members of the Department with the exception of two of
the most recent hires have attended a workshop in Oral Proficiency Testing.
An additional area which combines faculty development and service to the university is the role
foreign language faculty play in the development and maintaining of relationships with UW-L's
partner institutions around the world. Members of the department visit the various exchange
sites, help negotiate agreements, evaluate the work of students returning from study abroad, and,
because of their knowledge of the languages, often provide a crucial link between UW-L and the
partner institutions.
b)
Please describe the relative emphasis your depaI.1mentplaces on teaching, scholarly
achievements and service when making recommendations regarding retention and
promotion.
The Department of Foreign Languages, in its Policies and By-Laws, has established minimum
criteria for the evaluation of teaching, scholarship, and service for promotion.
Foreign Languages APR Sel~Study 05/31/01
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1. For promotion to Associate Professor
a. Teaching. To be promoted to the rank of Associate Professor a faculty member in the
Department of Foreign Languages shall be well respected within the Department for
excellence in teaching and shall have taken an active role in improving the level of
instruction within the Department. Evidence of the above may include the following.
i. Active participation in the selection of textbooks and other course materials;
ii. Attention to concerns expressed in student and peer evaluation of instruction, with
specific actions taken to address significant concerns;
iii. Innovations in testing, course format, or other pedagogical matters;
iv. Direction of independent study;
.
v.
Advisingbothdepartmentalmajorsand undeclaredstudents
b. Scholarly activity. To be promoted to the rank of Associate Professor a
faculty member in the Department of Foreign Languages shall have an established
scholarlyprogram.
.
The Department of Foreign Languages divides scholarly activity into two
categories: Professional Development and Research and Publication. Scholarly
activity can be in any of the fields related to language study and teaching:
language acquisition, cultmal studies, literary studies, language pedagogy.
i. Professional Development. In this category are included earned university
credits beyond the highest degree attained; participation in seminars, institutes
and workshops; chairing a session at a professional meeting; foreign study and
travel; and books and professional journals that are read.
ii. Research and Publication. This category includes publications that have been
authored and copyrighted, with the place and date indicated; grants that have
been authored and submitted whether funded or unfunded; papers or
presentations at professional meetings; manuscripts that have been submitted,
whether accepted for publication or not; and on-going research.
c. Professional service. To be promoted to the rank of Associate Professor a faculty member
in the Department of Foreign Languages shall take an active role in service to the department
and participate in University and professional service.
Evidence of the above may include the following.
i. Service on departmental, College or University committees;
n. Particip~tion in the organization of professional conferences;
iii. Cooperative ventures with teachers in area secondary schools;
iv. Service to the community that is related to professional competencies
2. For promotion to the rank of Professor
a. Teaching. To be promoted to the rank of Professor, a faculty member in the Department
of Foreign Languages shall continue to perform all that is expected for promotion to the
rank of Associate Professor. In addition, the faculty member shall take a leadership role
in enhancing the curriculum of the Department. Evidence of the above may include the
following.
i. Creation of new courses or significant revision of existing courses;
ii. Attention to the curriculum as a whole, making sure that it continues to be
responsive to the needs of students, and promoting responsible change when
warranted;
iii. Taking an active role in the creation, maintenance, and improvement of study abroad
opportunities for students.
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
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b. Scholarship. To be promoted to the rank of Professor, a faculty member in the
Department of Foreign Languages shall build on the record of scholarship established
prior to promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.
c. Service. To be promoted to the rank of Professor, a faculty member in the
Department of Foreign Languages shall provide strong leadership in department service
and be welJ respected at the school or colJege level for University and prof~ssional
service. Evidence of the above may include the following.
i. Chairing University conunittees;
ii. Serving on the Faculty Senate;
iii. Holding an office in a professional organization;
iv. Serving on UW System connnittees.
c)
..
.
.
Please describe the departmental staffmg plan, including your estimate of the number of
faculty to be hired in the next five Years. Describe the procedure the department will use
to link ongoing curricu'1um1programdevelopment to the recruitment and hiring of new
faculty.
The Department anticipates no retirements in the next five years.
Due to a resignation effective at the end of the 2001-2002 academic year, a search has begun
for a new tenure-track faculty member in Spanish for fall, 2002.
As mentioned in section VI. c, we continue to seek permission to hire an additional tenuretrack faculty member in Spanish as well as fonnalization of the .50 academic staff position in
German that was promised upon Dr. Pifer's retirement.
.
.
The Spanish section of the Department currently has a good balance between specialists in
peninsular and Latin American literature and civilization. Our most recent hire has training
in the interdisciplinary field of Cultural Studies, and we hope to hire a second person with
that background.
VI. Support for Achieving Academic Program Goals
a) Physical facilities:
We have made significant additions in this area with the construction of several offices in 1997.
The department office is in 315 Graff Main HalJ, in a suite of twelve faculty offices. This main
suite also includes a small conference room that holds about 8 people, and a smalJ workroom.
Offices for other department members are located in 351, 349E (shared) and 321, with the Amity
Scholars' office in 343. One department member with a dual appointment in Foreign Languages
and History has an office in Wimberly HalJ. h1fall, 2000, three academic staff members shared
an office.
Classrooms are located primarily in Graff Main Hall: 303,307,203,205,207,208,229.
Some
of these rooms are shared with Psychology and Philosophy. Other classes have been held in
recent semesters in Wimberly HalJ, Center for the Arts, Wing Communications Center and
Morris Hal1. Competition for classroom space in Main Hall is intense, and one of the above
rooms (229 Graff Main HalJ) is too small for most of our classes. The chairs of Foreign
Languages, Psychology, Philosophy and Ethnic and Racial Studies have met to try to find ways
to share the burden of teaching out of the building or at less popular hours. Meeting the
teclmology needs of foreign language teaching is sometimes challenging when we teach out of
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
22
the building. If there were a way to create at least one more classroom in Graff Main Hall (or at
least enlarge room 229), it would make scheduling much easier.
One of the difficulties of being located in Graff Main Hall is that we must compete for spacenot
only with other academic departments but also with administrative offices. While not directly
related to the department's mission, the loss ofthe second-floor lounge in Graff Main Hall has
had an impact on collegiality and morale within and among the departments located in the
building. The lounge was converted to a cafe in 1997in response to a study that indicated a need
for a greater sense of community on campus. When the cafe proved unprofitable for the food
service, the response was to convert the space to an administrative office rather than back to an
employee lounge. A new "lounge" space has been created in the basement, but it has not become
the kind of meeting place that the old lounge was. Faculty tend more than ever to eat lunch at
their desks and the sense of community is lower than before the creation of the cafe.
We have found the addition of the CLS technology cart to be quite useful as we make increasing
use of the Internet and multi-media in our courses. However, it is somewhat cumbersome to
transport, particularly to third-floor classrooms. We continue to make heavy use of video
equipment that must be transported :tromthe Language Lab on third floor to classrooms on
second. Not only do these transfers cause additional wear and tear on the equipment, but this
spring a series of elevator failures caused several faculty to modify lesson plans at the last minute
because equipment could not be brought to the second floor. A permanent ETC cart win be
installed in room 208 (shared with Psychology) this summer or next fall. Because our teaching
makes :trequent and intensive use of multi-media and computer materials we would benefit :trom
the permanent installation of more AV equipment in classrooms.
The Language Laboratory is located in 321 Graff Main Hall. The space is adequate, but the
computers, audio and video equipment are aging and in need of replacement. In the fan of 2000
the department re-submitted a Lab Modernization Proposal first submitted in 1998 to reconfigure the space by adding a small-group video viewing room in the back of the lab, and move
to a digital delivery of most material by means of new computers, servers, and software.
Currently students are using the lab for learning tasks that include audio-tape listening, video
viewing, multimedia computer programs and writing in the target languages.
b)
Supplies and equipment
Like most departments, the Department of Foreign Languages never has enough money to meet
its needs in supplies and expenses. In particular, photocopying costs seem to rise every year.
Faculty are being encouraged to conserve by using transparencies, posting non-copyrighted
materials on the Web or the FTP server, and making "course packs" for student purchase.
Photocopying requests are currently being monitored to determine patterns of use. If necessary
the department will resort to special course fees.for those courses with high per-student copying
costs.
With the help of funds :tromCLS the department has been able to provide all full-time faculty
members with Pentium ill computers. These are networked to a central printer in the main
office. Our primary need in this area is for ongoing training. Individual faculty members try to
take advantage of training offered by the Instructional Technology Learning Center. As a
department we have begun to address this issue by offering "technology sharing" workshops
where faculty who are using various technologies share their expertise with others.
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
23
c)
Personnel
The Department of Foreign Languages has 11 permanent full-time faculty, of whom 8 are
tenured. We also have two academic staff with 5Q%rolling contracts: one who directs the
language laboratory and one who teaches Spanish and TESOL and a program assistant 2 with a
92% appointment. In the 2000-2001 academic year these permanent staffwere supplemented by
academic staff teaching Spanish (four courses in fall, three in spring), Hebrew (one course each
semester) and German (two courses in fall, one in spring), as well as an exchange scholar
teaching Chinese (two courses in fall, three in spring).
In addition, each year we host five young scholars from French-, German- and Spanish-speaking
countries to assist in our classes. Recruited through Amity Institute in San Diego, these young
people live together in a university-owned house on Madison Street, audit classes at the
university, and assist in the department twenty hours a week. They enrich the learning
environment for our students by animating small-group conversation sessions, serving as cultural
informants, coaching students in pronunciation and participating in language club activities.
The biggest issue in personnel for the department is the number of Spanish courses that are
taught by academic start:: Fall 99 -7; Spring 00 - 5; Fall 00 -4; Spring 01 - 3. While the
situation appears to have improved in the last year, we are not sure that this is a permanent trend.
We have been fortunate to fmd highly qualified academic staff who are outstanding teachers, but
this situation puts an extra burden on the tenured and probationary faculty since academic staff
do not generally participate in advising, study abroad credit evaluation or other service activities,
and they provide little input in curricular matters.
When the German Studies major was in the planning phase, there was a verbal commitment from
the CLS office to transfer .50 FTE from French to German upon Dr. Pifer's retirement. In fact,
the department now has one fewer faculty member in French, but the .50 position in Gennan is
still being filled on a semester-by-semester basis. The department has been well served by a
loyal academic staff member in German who continues to teach on a semester-by-semester basis.
We would put German Studies on surer footing if we could offer this person the relative security
of a rolling contract.
A third issue is the impact of the less commonly taught languages on department and college
student credit hour production. While the Israeli government is funding our Hebrew classes and
the exchange agreement with Guangxi Teachers University makes the offering of these courses
quite economical, the faculty who teach them are still counted in the FTE of the department and
college. Since these are experimental courses, enrollments are still quite low, so the college still
"pays" for these courses in reduced SCH/FTE ratios. This situation could be corrected by
transferring the FTE to a university-wide location such as the Office of International Education.
Such an arrangement is currently being pursued with the administration.
d.
External funding
In addition to numerous internal Faculty Development and Research grants, the department and
. its membershave receivedthe followingexternalfundingsincethe last
Review.
AcademicProgram
1994-5
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
24
Battistozzi - Community Colleges Humanities Association/NEH grant for Summer Institute of
Latin American Literature (Chile)
Dorado - University of South Carolina grant for workshop on teaching Business Spanish
1995-6
Spanish faculty - UTIC grant to revise 300-level Spanish curriculum
1997-8
.
Hindson - UTIC grant for Area Foreign Language Teachers Workshop
Socha - Fulbright award for travel sennnar in Mexico
1998-9
Olson - National Endowment for the Humanities grant for seminar in Germany
Campbell- French government grant to participate in workshop in France on using technology to
teach French
1999-2000
Stroud - Fulbright-Hays Commission Gennan Studies Fellowship
Kuderer - American Association of Teachers of Spanish Scholarship for Summer Study in Spain
Dorado - UW-Madison Center for International Business Education and Research grant to attend
the Conference on Languages for Business and the :professions
Provencher - University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Center for Race and Ethnicity,Faculty
Reading Seminar Grant to provide financial support to acquire books in the area of racial and
ethnic studies and to organize a semester long faculty/student seminar devoted to these topics
(and their relation to GLBT issues), Spring 2000.
2000-01
Rusterholz - Fulbright grant to co-lead a group of high school French teachers to Benin, West
Africa
.
Provencher - Center for the Study of Media and Society, Research Grant, GLAAD Organization
(Gay & Lesbian Alliance AgainstDefamation), to write a commissioned paper on gay male
representations on US television, Spring 2001.
Grant from the Israeli governml?ntto hire Hebrew instructor
1999-present
Since 1999 the department has been a participant in the Collaborative Languages Program,
funded through a CIF grant from UW-System. The grant provides funding for two-way
interactive television distribution of courses in less commonly taught languages (currently
Russian and Japanese for UW-L) among UW System campuses as well as for native speaker
facilitators in the classrooms of the receiving sites.
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
25
m
n-
-------
--
---
--------
Academic Program Review Unit Data Sheet
Department
I
Year:
1. Staffing (Fall Term)
Instructional FTE(unclassified)
Number of Full-time Faculty
Number of Tenured Faculty
Number of Graduate Faculty
Number of Support Staff (classified)
)
UDDS: 28-4000
Unit: ForeiQn LanQuaQes
Data For The Academic Program Review
1996-1997
I 1997-1998 I
1998-1999
I
1999-2000
I 2000-2001 I
13.99
10
8
2
1
14.00
10
10
3
1
13.75
11
9
3
2
14.98
10
9
3
1
13.83
11
8
3
1
Group Instruct Lower Div
Group Instruct Upper Div
Group Instruct Graduate
Group Instruct Tot
Individual Study
General Education
b. Number of Contact Hours
9.01
6.17
0.00
15.18
1.36
5.15
8.72
6.56
0.86
16.14
1.44
5.19
9.63
8.30
0.00
17.93
1.35
4.58
10.30
6.78
0.13
17.21
1.75
5.38
7.53
8.34
0.21
16.08
1.34
5.00
Group Instruct Lower Div
Group Instruct Upper Div
Group Instruct Graduate
Group Instruct Tot
Individual Study
General Education
c. Number of Student Credit Hours
10.6
6.17
0.00
16.77
1.36
5.53
9.15
6.56
0.86
16.57
1.44
5.48
10.77
7.97
0.00
18.74
1.35
4.85
11.98
6.31
0.13
18.42
1.75
5.65
.8.09
7.99
0.21
16.29
1.34
5.35
157.15
86.15
0
243.30
1.59
125.97
152.45
98.78
0.86
252.09
1.66
128.24
158.59
96.77
0.00
255.36
2.29
112.86
183.38
93.54
0.27
277.19
2.15
132.97
152.85
99.16
0.21
252.22
2.04
123.01
$51,296.81
$100.90
$24,676.83
$236.12
$30,321.30
$39,182.57
$28.40
2+1=2
4+0=4
3+2=5
1+5=6
10+8=18
1+0=1
0
0+0=0
1+1=2
5+0=5
4+4=8
10+5=15
1+0-1
0
3+0=3
1+1=2
4+1=5
5+2=7
13+4=17
0
0
1+2=3
153.67
4+3=7
149.22
6+2=8
141.12
2. Instructional Workload (fall term/FTE)
a. Number of Course Credits
Group Instruct Lower Div
Group Instruct Upper Div
Group Instruct Graduate
Group Instruct Tot
Individual Study
General Education
3. Financial Support (FY expenses)
a. Supply and Expenses
b. Capital Equipment Expenditures
c. Non-GPR Funding (grants)
4. Students for Program One: French (fall enrollment)
a. Number of Majors(1st and 2nd total)
Freshmen
2+1=3
0+0=0
Sophomores
Juniors
4+2=6
Seniors
2+3=5
8+6=14
Undergraduate Majors
1+0=1
Undergraduate Specials
Graduate Students
0
b. Number of Graduates (FY: 1st and 2nd Maiors)
Baccalaureate
2+3=5
Credits at Time of Graduation
149.30
Masters
Institutional Research Office, UW-La Crosse, APRUnitDataSheetFLG04302001, Sheet1, 4/30/01, page 1.
4+1=5
3+0=3
5+2=7
2+2=4
14+5=19
1+0=1
0
Academic Program Review Unit Data Sheet
I Year:
I
1996-1997
I
1997-1998
4 continued. Students for Program Two: German Studies (fall enrollment)
a. Number of Majors(1st and 2nd total)
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
Undergraduate Majors
Undergraduate Specials
Graduate Students
I
1998-1999
2+0=2
0+0=0
0+1=1
0+0=0
2+1=3
0
0
b. Number of Graduates (annual)
Baccalaureate
Credits at Time of Graduation
Masters
4 continued. Students for Program Three: Spanish (fall enrollment)
a. Number of Majors( 1st and 2nd total)
Freshmen
16+1=17
9+0=9
20+0=20
10+11=21
Sophomores
Juniors
17+7=24
20+10=30
Seniors
25+12=37
19+12=31
58+33=91
78+20=98
Undergraduate Majors
2+0=2
0
Undergraduate Specials
Graduate Students
0
0
b. Number of Graduates (FY: 1st and 2nd Majors)
Baccalaureate
18+9=27
Credits at Time of Graduation
149.31
Masters
19+3=22
153.05
I
1999-2000
I 2000-2001 I
2+0=2
2+0=2
4+3=7
3+5=8
11+8=19
0
0
3+0=3
6+1=7
4+1=5
7+4=11
20+6=26
0
0
w11
~
6+1=7
10+6=16
25+13=38
27+22=49
68+42=110
0
0
. 3+0=3
6+3=9
9+.14=23
31+26=57
49+43=92
1+0=1
0
23+17=40
152.24
21+22=43
154.42
4 continued. Students for Program Four (fall enrollment)
a. Number of Majors(1st and 2nd total)
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
Undergraduate Majors
Undergraduate Specials
Graduate Students
b. Number of Graduates (annual)
Baccalaureate
Credits at Time of Graduation
Masters
Institutional Research Office, UW-La Crosse, APRUnitDataSheetFLG04302001, Sheet1, 4/30/01, page 2. .
9+1=10
3+4=7
3+9=12
26+26=52
41+40=81
1+0=1
0
Budget expenditures:
Personnel
Travel
Supplies
Capital eqpt
94-95
95-96
650304.92 657153.02
6350.00
6511.00
22755.00
29445.00
6379.95
812.50
Foreign Languages APR Self Study 05/31/01
96-97
97-98
690595.65 686568.70
7550.00
7903.00
22870.00
24588.00
218.00
148.00
98-99
778630.13
9602.00
30541.00
0.00
99-00
755150.72
7686.00
28834.50
0.00
26
--
-
m
-
--
--
- -.u
- --
- --
-
- -
- --
- -
CONCLUSIONS& RECOMA1ENDAllONSOF THEAPR
The 2001-2002 APR Committee commendsthe Department of Modem Languagesfor a
well-written self-study document andfor its thoughtful responsesto prior reviews.
TheDepartmenthasaclearstatementof its goalsandkeepsassessment
in mindat all
levelsof instruction. It follows all regulationsof theDepartmentof PublicInstruction
(DPI), and adheres to the proficiencyguidelinesof the American Council on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Its use of the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) not only
assesses students' abilitiest>utprovides feedback for course/program revisions.
The Department's goals are wide-ranging: language proficiency, practical application of
language skills, sensitivityto diverse cultures and individuals,and a commitment to global
.education are part of the language major's achievementsat UW-La Crosse, and teachergraduates with a B. S. in Education will ensure the strength oflanguage programs in our
state's schools. The curriculum of the Department is strong, especiallywith its Business
Concentrations in French, Spanish, and German, and the even broader interdisciplinary
offerings of the German Studies program.
The APR Committee recognizes three areas of concern already expressed by the faculty in
Modem Languages:
.
Assessing and Improving Instruction
.
Faculty/staff Concerns
.
Technology
Assessing and Improving Instruction:
1. The Department uses the Oral ProficiencyInterview at the end of the student's
program. Faculty describe the burden created by the time needed to conduct a 20-minute
interview with each degree candidate, yet they also indicate a need to hold an earlier
interview as well, perhaps mid-way through the student's program.
2. The faculty realize the need to test other skills (writing and reading) as well, though the
new, commendable Writing in the Major program will help there. They have also
considered an entry-exam to the major, perhaps at the end of303.
3. Another area of instruction improvementrelates to students returning from Study
Abroad programs, and how to advise them so that course work will complement and
support their growing fluency. In general, students seem to be wanting more speaking
opportunities following that experience.
Faculty and Staff Concerns:
1. The Modern Languages Department desperately needs new positions.
2. The Spanish program is burgeoning, and setting a cap on enrollment has been
considered.
3. Retention, promotion, and merit issues are of great concern. Questions include
. how to provide more mentoring for junior faculty
. how to nurture a research tradition within the Department
how to clarifymerit policies and implement them
. how to get faculty promoted
.
Technology:
External reviewer, faculty, and this APR Committee all agree that lab modificationis
critical to the ongoing success of the Department. Only a combinationof technological
updates in both lab and classroom, including the purchase of computer carts and laptops;
more access to Internet language sites; and increased use of Distance Learning, where.
appropriate, will keep the Department current.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Assessing and Improving Instruction:
1. Continue to pursue resources to support the implementationand potential expansion
of the Oral Proficiency Interview, including the Dean's commitment to fund refresher
training for faculty and/or release-time for faculty doing mid-program OPI's. Also,
continue to consider the use of taped demonstrations of oral skills.
2. Develop means of assessing student learning in writing and reading. Although the new
WIM program will help here, other methods might be devised.
3. Keep exploring the potential usefulness of an entry exam to the various majors_.
4. Continue to support returning Studies Abroad students via advising and placementin.
courses that will continue to increase their fluency.
. 5- Continue to provide classroom work that demands oral performance and the
development of increased grammatical competency.
6. Continue to work to find ways to monitor the burgeoning Spanish program.
7. Keep supporting the growth of and need for a strong TESOL program.
Faculty/Staff Concerns:
- '
u_.
-- -
-
-- -
. -. ---
1. Keep pressing for new faculty positions.
2. Providemore mentoring for junior faculty as regards retention, tenure, and promotion.
3. Encourage a research tradition that considers ways to support the following:
.
forums that showcase faculty projects
.
colloquia shared with other departments, such as English
.
.
.
.
collaborative projects
the use of summers to get conference articles ready for publication
grant applicationsthat will allow for release time
upper-division courses that keep faculty members' research interests and expertise
fresh.
4. Be sure the connection of the foregoing to merit and promotion is clear. Be sure all
promotion and merit expectations are clear for all. Face-to-face annual review would
help here.
5. Stayinvolved in Universitygovernance.
Technology:
1. Keeppressing for lab modification and technologicalupdates.
2. Access grant-support for Distance Learning.
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