Office of the Dean

Fall and Summer 09 Planning Initiative Grant Awards


The School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Strategic Planning Initiatives Grants. Please refer back to this site for further announcements of grant awardees.

Initiatives Grants:

  • Silvia Rodriguez: (Priority # 2E and # 2H). To analyze results of surveys on cultural awareness and attitudes in the service learning classes to determine if the students’ cultural competency has been affected by the class, and how. This may also lead to the development of an assessment instrument for measuring cultural attitudes that can be used for other students in other language programs in LCWA.
  • The departments of French, Francophone, and Italian Studies, German and Slavic Studies, and Hispanic Studies: (Goal #1C). For external testing of our language majors’ proficiency as they graduate from our programs.
  • The department of Hispanic Studies: (Goal # 1C). To begin proficiency testing of international business majors with a minor in Spanish. This will establish whether or not our program is meeting the needs of our international business majors.

Spring 09 Planning Initiative Grant Awards

  • Mrunalini Karambelkar: To create courses at the 200-level in Hindi in order to expand our offerings of Critical Languages. This will enable students to take Hindi for their general education requirement, and potentially build the program into a minor. This proposal meets the following initiative Goals: # 1E, # 2A ($2000).
  • Lisa Signori: To complete training as an Oral Proficiency Interviewer in French. This will enable us to offer OPI testing to our French majors, as well as use OPI testing as a diagnostic tool in our program. This proposal meets the following initiatives Goals: # 1C ($1100).
  • Godwin Uwah: To attend a conference on Language and Culture for International Business in order to exchange ideas on how to expand our current offerings in International Business and /or how to restructure our current model. This proposal meets the following initiatives goals: # 2F ($1230).
  • Felix Vasquez: To develop a 400-level Advanced Business course emphasizing communicative competence in that field. This proposal meets the following initiatives goals: #2 F ($1,600).
  • Marianne Verlinden: To develop a general translation course that will develop translation and interpreting skills in specialized areas. This proposal meets the following initiatives goals: # 2 G ($1,600).
  • The departments of French and Francophone Studies, German and Slavic Studies, and Hispanic Studies for external testing of our majors’ proficiency as they graduate from our programs. This proposal meets the following initiatives goals: # 1C ($1200 total for all tests).