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Materials for February 20, 2008
Faculty Assembly Meeting

Proposal for an Undergraduate Minor in American Sign Language

Introduction
The purpose of this document is to propose a new minor in American Sign Language (ASL) in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The new minor would draw upon the current coursework for the existing ASL Program. The program currently offers a four-semester course sequence in American Sign Language (which fulfills the CLAS foreign language requirement), advanced courses taught in ASL, and an Interdisciplinary Certificate in ASL and Deaf Studies. The core courses for the Certificate focus on conversational fluency, as well as a working familiarity with American Deaf culture, history, and current issues of concern to the Deaf community. Additional Certificate courses in the humanities and social science provide a theoretical framework for understanding and contextualizing ASL and the Deaf community.

Background
Extensive research has established that American Sign Language is an autonomous, natural language, comparable in complexity and expressiveness to oral languages, that American Sign Language is associated with a distinct culture of Deaf Americans, and that the study of American Sign Language provides opportunities for exploration and research comparable to those offered by spoken languages. Through the study of ASL, students come into contact with a language which is not only semantically and grammatically very different from their own, but one which also operates in a different sensory channel. As with the study of any foreign language, students come to understand the nature of their own language better by broadening their understanding of how languages may be constructed.

Scholars have conducted extensive research in recent years into the history and culture of the American Deaf community as well as its language. There is now a substantial and growing body of literature documenting a distinct Deaf culture in the United States. Students of ASL encounter a rich and diverse literature. Like most of the languages spoken in the world today, ASL does not have a written form, but it does have a large and rapidly growing literature recorded on film and videotape dating back to the early 20 th century.

The number of students enrolled in ASL classes nationwide increased 462% between 1998 and 2006, according to a survey by the Modern Language Association, making it now the fourth most studied language in American colleges and universities, just behind German and ahead of Italian (Inside Higher Education, November 14, 2007. http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/11/14/languages) This mirrors the relative enrollment in the languages at the University of Iowa (see table below). The American Sign Language program at the University of Iowa has been in existence since 1994. Since that time, the program has grown from offering one section of ASL per semester to offering fourteen per semester, and has a solid offering of advanced courses in ASL and Deaf Studies.

Need
Students in ASL have long expressed an interest in a minor. A survey of the students in the ten sections of ASL offered in the Spring 2002 showed that, out of a total of 160 students, 132 (82.5%) would definitely be interested in the minor. Seventeen indicated that they are uncertain, and only 11 students said they would not be interested. Based on these figures we could expect roughly 30 students to graduate per year with a minor in ASL initially, with the number increasing as the ASL program expands to meet existing student demand.

The minor will be useful and of interest to students and faculty in a wide variety of disciplines, in particular linguistics, anthropology, history, American Studies, psychology, education, speech pathology and audiology, and social work. A minor in ASL will serve as a valuable confirmation for employers and graduate schools of our students’ language proficiency and specialized knowledge in the field.

The ASL Program currently offers an Interdisciplinary Certificate in ASL and Deaf Studies. Since the Certificate was initiated in Spring 2003, 109 students have applied to the program, and 53 students have have received the Certificate. The proposed Minor in ASL will have a greater focus on the development of advanced language proficiency than the Certificate, which emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to issues relevant to deafness and Deaf Studies.

Requirements for a Minor in ASL
The minor in ASL may be earned by any undergraduate student. Students must 1) successfully complete the ASL I-IV sequence, 158:011 to 158:014, or demonstrate equivalent proficiency; and 2) earn a minimum of 15 semester hours of credit in approved courses. All classes must have a language component. A maximum of one course may be taken that is not chiefly taught in the target language.

The following courses may be counted toward the minor:
158:014 American Sign Language IV 4 s.h.
158:100/16A:104 History of the American Deaf Community 4 s.h.
158:101 Topics in Deaf Studies 3 s.h.
158:103 American Sign Language Literature 3 s.h.
158:104 Issues in Deaf Studies 3 s.h.
158:108 Independent Study 3 s.h.
158:110/07U:110 Teaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students 4 s.h.
158:111 American Sign Language Conversation 3 s.h.

Course work totaling twenty semester hours are currently available. Students may take either 158:100 or 158:110, both of which are taught in English, as long as they register for optional discussion sections conducted in ASL, which will entail additional course requirements intended to advance language proficiency (Italian and German both offer similar arrangements).

158:014 is taught every semester (currently 6 sections per year).
158:100, 158:101, and 158:111 are each taught on a two year rotation cycle by Baynton.
158: 103 and 158:104 are each taught once per year by Marsh.
158:110 is taught once per year by Harper.

Sample course sequence – starting in the fall of the first year:
Year 1 - Fall: ASL I Spring: ASL II
Year 2 - Fall: ASL III Spring: ASL IV (4 s.h.)
Year 3 - Fall: ASL Literature (3 s.h.) Spring: Issues Deaf Studies (3 s.h.)
Year 4 - Fall: Deaf History (4 s.h.) Spring: ASL Conversation (3 s.h.)
Total: 17 s.h.

Sample course sequence – starting in fall of the second year:
Year 2 - Fall: ASL I Spring: ASL II
Year 3 - Fall: ASL III Spring: ASL IV + Conv. (7 s.h.)
Year 4 - Fall: Topics + Education (6 s.h.) Spring: Issues (3 s.h.)
Total: 16 s.h.

Sample course sequence – starting in the spring of the second year:
Year 2 - Spring: ASL I
Year 3 - Fall :ASL II Spring: ASL III
Year 4 - Fall: ASL IV + Hist + Topics (11) Spring: ASL Conversation + Issues (6 s.h.)
Total: 17 s.h.

Additional Resource Requirements
The minor in ASL will require no additional resources. All the courses needed for the minor are currently being taught. Administration of the program would be handled as part of the regular teaching and service responsibilities of the affiliated faculty. The Language Media Center has built an extensive collection of video materials and interactive software to support and supplement classroom instruction.

Course Descriptions
158:011 American Sign Language I 4 s.h. 
Approved for GE: Foreign Language.
This course is part of a possible sequence of courses approved for GE: Foreign Language. This is an introductory course in American Sign Language (ASL). Note that this in not a course in "Signed English." ASL is a distinct, natural language with rules of grammar and usage as different from English as any foreign language. Consequently, a course in ASL is comparable to, and no less difficult or rigorous than, other language courses. The class meets four hours per week with an additional hour of lab study required. Exams test both expressive and receptive skills, including the use of appropriate vocabulary, grammar, functional usage, and cultural knowledge. This is the first course in a four-semester sequence of courses. Taught in American Sign Language.

158:012 American Sign Language II 4 s.h. 
Approved for GE: Foreign Language.
This course is part of a possible sequence of courses approved for GE: Foreign Language. Prerequisite: 158:011 or consent of instructor. This course is a continuation of 158:011. Advanced grammatical constructions and vocabulary are introduced. Goals for the course include improved conversational fluency as well as familiarity with American Deaf culture. The class meets four hours per week with an additional hour of lab study required. Exams test both expressive and receptive skills, including the use of appropriate vocabulary, grammar, functional usage, and cultural knowledge. Classes are conducted entirely in American Sign Language. This is the second course in a four-semester sequence of courses. Taught in American Sign Language.

158:013 American Sign Language III 4 s.h.
Approved for GE: Foreign Language.
This course is part of a possible sequence of courses approved for GE: Foreign Language. Prerequisite: 158:012 or consent of instructor. This course is a continuation of 158:011 and 158:012. Advanced grammatical constructions and vocabulary are introduced. Goals for the course include improved conversational fluency as well as familiarity with American Deaf culture. The class meets four hours per week with an additional hour of lab study required. Exams test both expressive and receptive skills, including the use of appropriate vocabulary, grammar, functional usage, and cultural knowledge. Classes are conducted entirely in American Sign Language. This is the third course in a four-semester sequence of courses.  Taught in American Sign Language.

158:014 American Sign Language IV 4 s.h. 
Approved for GE: Foreign Language.
This course is part of a possible sequence of courses approved for GE: Foreign Language. Prerequisite: 158:013 or consent of instructor. This course is a continuation of 158:011, 158:012, and 158:013. Advanced grammatical constructions and vocabulary are introduced. Goals for the course include improved conversational fluency as well as familiarity with American Deaf culture. The class meets four hours per week with an additional hour of lab study required. Exams test both expressive and receptive skills, including the use of appropriate vocabulary, grammar, functional usage, and cultural knowledge. Classes are conducted entirely in American Sign Language. This is the fourth course in a our-semester sequence of courses. Taught in American Sign Language.

158:100 History of the American Deaf Community 3 s.h. 
In this course we will explore the creation of a distinct language and culture of Deaf people in America during the 19th and 20th centuries. We will examine how the meaning of deafness has changed in response to larger cultural and social changes in American history, and what effects these changes have had upon social policies concerning deaf people and American Sign Language. We will address such questions as why hearing people in both academia and popular culture have recently become fascinated with American Sign Language (a fascination last seen in the mid-19th century), why American Sign Language was suppressed for most of the 20th century, and why and how the Deaf community has maintained its language and culture in the face of persistent opposition.
The readings will be eclectic, including social and cultural histories, historical documents, and representations of deafness in film and fiction. Grades will be based upon written exams, papers, presentations, and consistent, informed participation in classroom discussion.  Taught by Baynton. Same as 16A:104

158:101 Topics in Deaf Studies 3 s.h. 
Prerequisite or corequisite: 158:013 or consent of instructor. This course is a discussion class that will cover topics such as issues in deaf education, Deaf Culture vs. hearing impairment, misunderstandings about signed languages, the place of hearing people in the Deaf community, and Deaf characters in literature and film. Readings will include Train Go Sorry by Leah Cohen, Mother Father Deaf by Paul Preston, A Journey into the Deaf-World by Bahan, Hoffmeister, & Lane, and A Deaf Adult Speaks Out by Leo Jacobs. Taught in American Sign Language by Baynton.

158:103 American Sign Language Literature 3 s.h. 
Prerequisite or corequisite: 158:014 or consent of instructor. This course will introduce students to the world of American Sign Language literature, as recorded on videotape and film (and whenever possible, in live performance). ASL literature encompasses traditional folklore, story telling, poetry, drama, oratory, jokes, and non-fiction narrative. Students will learn to analyze these genres in their social and cultural contexts as expressions of Deaf experience, and explore how historical and current issues in Deaf culture are represented in literary form. Taught in American Sign Language.

158:104 Issues in ASL and Deaf Studies 3 s.h.
Prerequisite or corequisite: 158:013 or consent of instructor. This course will introduce students to issues in ASL and Deaf Studies. The focus will be on linguistics, culture, and literacy. However, the primary focus may change each semester. Taught in American Sign Language. 

158:110 Teaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students 3 s.h.
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. This course discusses deaf education-related issues: management techniques, communication strategies, teaching strategies, instructional materials, hands-on activities, assessments, and parent involvement. Additional issues relating to the use of technology, ethnic and cultural diversity, classroom management, pre-reading techniques, literacy development, and educational program options also will be discussed. This class incorporates PowerPoint presentations, group discussions, in-class activities, reading assignments, student presentations, and written exams. Course taught in ASL with sign language interpreters. Textbook required: Teaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Content, Strategies, and Curriculum by Steward, David & Kluwin, Thomas 2001. Taught in American Sign Language/English by Harper. Fluency in American Sign Language is not required. Same as 07U:110

158:111 American Sign Language Conversation 3 s.h. 
Prerequisite or corequisite: 158:013 or consent of instructor. This course provides students with the opportunity to improve their receptive and expressive conversational skills in ASL through small group discussion and class presentation. Eclectic readings on topics in Deaf studies, Deaf culture, ASL literature and linguistics, and other related topics will provide the basis for the discussion. Print texts in English as well as videotexts in ASL will be used. Consistent attendance and participation is essential. Taught in American Sign Language by Baynton.