American Sign Language

In March of 2010, the American Sign Language English/Interpreting Program received full and unconditional accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE). Among the strengths noted by the CCIE are:

• The high caliber of dedicated students. In the words of the Program Director, “The strength of the program is the students.”

• A very high percentage of graduates achieve RID national certification within two years of graduation and pass the Massachusetts State Screening Assessment within six months of graduation.

• The qualification s of the full- and part-time faculty members: All hearing and Deaf faculty members/Academic Specialists hold advanced degrees, RID certification, ASLTA credentials, and/or other credentials recognized in the field of interpreting.

• The comprehensive practicum component with directed/guided observations, a practicum seminar, onsite fieldwork experiences and assessments in a variety of quality settings equipped to provide students with exposure to various groups across the life span who have various language preferences.

The American Sign Language Program is dedicated to preparing individuals who can interact in a positive and supportive manner with members of the American Deaf Community. The Program does this by providing a wide array of course offerings as well as volunteer, internship and practicum opportunities. For its ASL/English interpretation majors, the Program is committed to providing opportunities that will allow them to acquire the linguistic, cognitive and ethical decision-making skills as well as the socio-cultural knowledge necessary to serve as professional ASL/English interpreters.

For students pursuing a dual major in ASL Studies and another academic discipline, the Program is committed to enabling them to integrate their communicative competence and socio-cultural knowledge in order to work positively with the Deaf Community in a variety of meaningful roles. For students taking American Sign Language in fulfillment of their university language requirement, the Program is committed to providing the communicative competence and cultural sensitivity needed to interact successfully with members of the American Deaf Community.

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American Sign Language