Programs in American Sign Language
Important notice regarding Elementary and Intermediate ASL:
UPDATED February 13, 2013
All American Sign Language courses at the Kent campus are subject to priority registration for students enrolled in an ASL major or minor, Deaf Education major, Educational Interpreting major, or Moderate/Intensive Special Ed major (students in those majors, contact your own advisors for permission; advisors must notify MCLS). Offerings of ASL at the other seven KSU campuses do not use priority registration. Registration priority and approvals at the Kent campus will be issued in the following order:
- Majors and minors with priority registration (e.g., Honors, athletes)
- Majors
- Minors
- All other students.
A waiting list has been established for non-majors/minors who wish to obtain a seat in a Kent campus ASL course. To be added to this list, please contact Valerie Reed (vreed5@kent.edu). Provide your Banner ID and the course number of the desired ASL course. Students on this list will be notified of the availability of seats according to the priority registration dates shown below. Because very few seats for non-majors/minors will be available at the Kent campus, students who wish to pursue American Sign Language to fulfill the foreign language requirement are encouraged to (1) enroll in a section on one of the regional campuses or (2) explore whether taking a minor in ASL at the Kent campus would be an appropriate program choice. Note: Students beginning ASL at a regional campus to satisfy their foreign language requirement must continue at the regional campus. (ASL majors and minors beginning at a regional campus should contact Prof. Trocchio (ctrocchi@kent.edu) for advising and to plan when they will start taking courses at the Kent campus.)
PLEASE NOTE: Kent campus students who complete an Elementary ASL course on the Kent Campus will have the opportunity to complete the foreign language requirement at the Kent campus. All current ASL students will automatically receive the approvals necessary to enroll in the next course. Those needing assistance should contact Valerie Reed (vreed5@kent.edu). Provide your Banner ID and the course number of the desired ASL course.
Priority Registration Dates:
All students interested in ASL must contact the MCLS department for a "special approval" or to be placed on a waiting list. Provide your Banner ID, the course number of the desired ASL course, and your program (ASL major or minor, Deaf Education, Educational Interpreting, Moderate/Intensive Special Ed, or none of the above).
Priority registration for Spring 2013 will proceed in the following order:
Priority registration for Summer 2013 will proceed in the following order:
Priority registration for Fall 2013 will proceed in the following order:
As one of the largest ASL programs in the nation, within one of the larger Deaf communities, we recognize our responsibility to our students, the Deaf community, and our students' future employers (both hearing and Deaf).
American Sign Language at Kent State University: The Mission Statement
Residing within KSU’s Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies, the ASL program’s primary goal is presenting American Sign Language as a diglossic language, which is based in a culture and a community, and is in interaction with other world languages.
Through immersion and bilingual-bicultural comparison classes, community interaction, individual and small group research, extra-curricular activities, lab activities, modeling, active learning and use of digital video technology, the ASL program at KSU works to ensure that students gain documented proficiency in ASL, validity within the Deaf community, and networking within the professional community.Student progress is closely monitored through a multifaceted data-tracking system, to ensure adequate progress and the high level of skills, self-awareness, and ethics needed for direct employment (in fields such as education, advocacy, nonprofit administration, mental health, media, and performing arts), or successful application for further study (in areas such as psychology, anthropology, linguistics, medicine, law, social services, rehabilitation and linguistics).
Programs:
Students interested in Deaf Education or Educational Interpreting should explore the Bachelor of Science in Education in Intervention Specialist Programs offered by the College of Education, Health and Human Services.
See also:
- Faculty in the American Sign Language Program
- ASL Resource Page
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List of all departmental programs and requirements