REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH M.A. DEGREES IN FRENCH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE AND SPANISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
(cips 16.0901 and 16.0905)
Executive Summary
1. General Description
The faculty of the department of Foreign Languages and Literatures requests authorization to implement Master of Arts degree programs in French Language and Literature and in Spanish Language and Literature, beginning in the fall of 2003. The program will be designed for students who desire the MA with a minor in education and advanced licensure, those who desire other minors (including French for students of Spanish and vice versa), and students who wish to pursue an MA in French or Spanish language and literature without a minor. Unlike the traditional MA in French or Spanish that emphasizes period and genre approaches to literature, our program will integrate the study of language, literature, culture and civilization. This MA program, which is designed to serve a variety of clienteles, including teachers desiring advanced licensure, is modeled along the lines of existing programs at NC State in English and History.
In keeping with the university's land-grant mission, one of the programs’ primary aims is to serve the needs and interests of foreign language teachers in North Carolina and, through them, their students. At present there is no program in the state designed especially to enable practicing language teachers to complete a Master's degree and, if they wish, to obtain "M" licensure without leaving their jobs. In this era of critical teacher shortages, this program allows teachers to keep teaching while they upgrade their linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical skills. Because of its ongoing close professional relationship with teachers, its awareness of the need for graduate course material that can be applied to classroom realities, its state-of-the-art foreign language technology center, as well as the strong scholarly qualifications of its faculty, the NC State Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures is uniquely qualified to provide this service to the state. We will offer all of our graduate courses in the late afternoons, evenings or in intensive summer sessions. In addition, to be more accessible, we will offer some of our courses via distance education. In working with teachers we will emphasize practical classroom applications of subject matter and instruction in the use of the latest technologies. The proposed program has the support of the faculty of the N.C. State College of Education and of the Foreign Language Consultant of the Department of Public Instruction.
2. Program Justification
As stated above, the program is in keeping with the university’s mission. An online needs analysis, as well as interviews with undergraduate students and with teachers, consultation with DPI and with the College of Education, indicates sufficient interest to warrant the program. Library, computer, technical, and classroom facilities are adequate to support graduate education in French and Spanish at the M.A. level. Existing M.A. programs in English, History, Sociology, and MALS will supplement, and not duplicate, the program. Existing faculty will be adequate if enrollment does not exceed projections in the early years. In the first year, we anticipate enrollment of five full-time and ten part-time students, with increments of five in the three succeeding years.
3. Program Requirements and Curriculum
Admission requirements include a B.A. degree, a GPA of 3.0 or above, and proficiency in French or Spanish. Thirty-six hours will be required for students who minor in education and seek “M” licensure, thirty-three for students with other minors, and thirty for those without a minor. Six hours of transfer credit and ten hours of 400-level classes (with the approval of the graduate advisor) may be accepted. All students will be required to submit a portfolio and a research project or long essay or project and to take an oral examination on the submission. Courses in the program will be of three types: 1) Teaching methodology courses taught in English, 2) Language and linguistics courses taught in French or Spanish, and 3) Integrated culture/literature courses taught in French or Spanish. Program displays included in the appendix of the proposal indicate different avenues toward completion of requirements.
4. Administration, Accreditation, and Evaluation
The M.A. in French and in Spanish will be administered by a Director of Graduate Programs, along with a committee on Graduate Studies from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. The DGP will report to the Department Head, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Dean of the Graduate School. Accrediting agencies include the DPI (to ensure that the program meets requirements for “M” licensure), the National Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. We will also conduct our own program evaluation prior to the fifth year, and have included a list of potential outside evaluators.
REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH M.A. DEGREES IN
FRENCH LANGUAGE & LITERATURES/SPANISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURES
(9.09.2002)
Submit Date: April 08, 2002
RTF Date: September 9, 2002
Constituent Institution: NC State University
CIP Discipline Specialty Title: Spanish Language & Literatures / French Language & Literatures
CIP Discipline Specialty Number: 16.0905 / 16.0901
Level: M
Exact Title of the Proposed Program: Masters of Arts in Foreign Languages
Exact Degree Abbreviation: M.A.
Does the proposed program constitute a substantive change as defined by SACS? No
a) Is it at a more advanced level than those previously authorized? Yes
b) Is the proposed program in a new discipline division? No
Proposed date to establish degree Month: August Year: 2003
I. Program Description
A. Brief description of the proposed degree program
The faculty of the department of Foreign Languages and Literatures requests authorization to plan a Master of Arts degree program in French and in Spanish. The program will be designed for students who desire the MA with a minor in education and advanced licensure, those who desire other minors, and students who wish to pursue an MA in French or in Spanish without a minor. The program is modeled along the lines of existing MA programs at NC State in the Departments of English and History.
Unlike the traditional MA in French or Spanish that emphasizes period and genre approaches to literature, our program will integrate the study of language, literature, culture and civilization . Teachers or those who wish to pursue a teaching career will have the opportunity to integrate their studies with practical classroom applications and instruction in the use of the latest technologies. In keeping with the university's land-grant mission, one of our primary aims is to serve the needs and interests of foreign language teachers in North Carolina and, through them, their students. At present there is no program in the state designed especially to enable practicing language teachers to complete a Master's degree and to obtain "M" licensure without leaving their jobs. Because of its ongoing close professional relationship with teachers, its awareness of the need for graduate course material that applies to classroom realities, its state-of-the-art foreign language technology center, as well as the strong scholarly qualifications of its faculty, the NC State Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures is uniquely qualified to provide this service to the state. Our location in Raleigh will allow us to reach the densely populated area in and around Wake County. We will offer all of our graduate courses in the late afternoons, evenings or in intensive summer sessions. In addition, to be more accessible, we will offer some of our courses via distance education. Students will be able to design a program geared to their individual needs. The new Foreign Languages Technology Center makes possible hands-on experience with the resources of the Internet and the World Wide Web, multimedia, and the rapidly expanding field of foreign language software.
B. Educational objectives of the program
Our primary educational objectives are to enable students to obtain advanced proficiency in the French or Spanish language and to integrate the study of the language, literature and culture of the countries in which these languages are spoken. Those students who are or will be teachers will also learn to make effective use of the latest technologies in foreign language teaching. It is important to note that foreign language teachers need not only advanced proficiency in understanding, speaking, writing, and reading the language they teach; they also need up-to-date information on both historical and contemporary aspects of the cultures in which the language is spoken and on literary works and films suitable for classroom teaching at various levels, from elementary language to Advanced Placement literature. Faculty members will design courses based on their expertise and research and thereby enhance students' understanding of complex linguistic, cultural, historical, literary, technological and pedagogical issues. In order to make intelligent choices about which new technologies to use in the teaching of foreign languages and cultures, they also need experience with the resources of the Internet, the World Wide Web, and new audio and visual productions. We will offer two methodology courses: one in current issues and trends in the theory and practice of second language acquisition and one in the applications of technology to the foreign language classroom.
C. Relationship of the proposed new program to other existing programs at the institution
Drs. Jack Wheatley, Terrance O'Brien, and John Kolb of the N C State College of Education, have assured us of their faculty's full cooperation and support for the development of this program and have given us much good advice. Many of our students will no doubt choose the education minor option, which includes an advanced methods course and a course in instructional technologies, as they pursue their "M" licensure. Some of our students, however, will not need or want teaching licensure. For students who choose not to minor in education, minors in sociology, history, English and world literature as well as in Spanish (for students of French ) or French (for students of Spanish) offer excellent opportunities for well-balanced programs. In addition, graduate students in other fields will be able to take courses leading to a minor in French or Spanish. Within CHASS, the English and History departments would encourage their students to take graduate courses in foreign literature and culture if such were available. Qualified students from the University's thriving Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program would also take advantage of graduate-level foreign language and literature courses.
II. Program Justification
A. Describe the proposed program as it relates to ...
1. The institutional mission and the strategic plan
A central mission of North Carolina State University is to offer service to the people of the state and to their educational, social, and governmental institutions. As an urban institution, we serve a diverse and growing metropolitan population which includes a recent large increase in numbers of Spanish-speaking residents. Much of our clientele pursues their education on a part-time basis. The proposed program is in keeping with this service-oriented mission, especially in the domain of improving education in the state. In line with the Mission of North Carolina State University, the proposed program "responds to public needs" by offering a unique graduate degree program with a "commitment to technology" tailored to the needs of full-time teachers. In addition, the proposal advances the commitment "to implementation of new programs" which provide "excellent preparation of graduate students for work in ... the public schools" cited in the Strategic Plan of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. According to this same Strategic Plan, "North Carolina ranks among the lowest in the nation in proportion of population with MA degrees, indicating a large untapped market." In keeping with our research mission, faculty will also be able to tie their own research interests to the teaching of graduate students in French or Spanish. Our program will bring teachers and other students up to date in the study of language, literature, culture and related technologies.
2. Student demand
In Winter 2001, an on-line "M.A. Proposal Needs Analysis" was conducted. Non-student respondents included 11% French teachers, 11% French/Spanish teachers, 56% Spanish teachers, 22% Other. The results indicated high interest among the respondents:
- 92% want to be kept apprised of the program's progress
- 81% feel it is important or very important that the program be at NC State
- 72% are interested in a Spanish M.A., 14% in a French M.A., and 17% in both
- 67% are interested in Advanced Licensure (Survey appended)
3. Societal need
At present there is no program in the State designed specifically to enable practicing language teachers to complete a Master's degree and to obtain "M" licensure without leaving their jobs. In this era of critical teacher shortages, this program allows teachers to keep teaching while they upgrade their linguistic and pedagogical skills. Our educational system continues to suffer from deficiencies, and SAT scores remain low. Studies indicate that students of foreign languages consistently attain better verbal scores than other students. Better teaching is a top priority in all subject areas, but particularly, as our colleagues at the Public Schools of North Carolina (DPI) have pointed out to us, in foreign languages. The most effective way to improve teaching is to have better-educated teachers. In addition to recent developments in instructional technologies and Standards-based language teaching, there is in our field a vital new emphasis on cultural diversity in general, and on Latin America and the Francophone world in particular. At the same time, the rapid pace of social, political and economic change in the current world continues to make the study of culture ever more complex. As a result, teachers trained some years ago are finding it increasingly difficult to function as effectively as needed in today's schools. Our program will not only bring teachers up to date in the study of language, literature, and culture, but also give them the tools to continue keeping abreast of new developments - especially through use of new instructional and communications technologies. (See appended letter from Bernadette Morris, Foreign Language Consultant, DPI.)
4. Impact on existing undergraduate and/or graduate academic programs of your institution
A graduate degree program in French and Spanish will enhance our current undergraduate degree programs in French and Spanish by affording the opportunity to offer courses at the graduate level which go beyond the current scope of the undergraduate curriculum. During Exit Interviews with graduating seniors, many have indicated the desire to continue their studies at the graduate level immediately or in the future. This program will serve their needs, as well as those of adults in the Raleigh metropolitan area who desire an advanced degree in French or Spanish, and of teachers desiring a master’s degree with advanced licensure in French or Spanish.
Current foreign language faculty members are qualified and eager to offer graduate-level courses in French/Spanish studies and in instructional technologies and, if enrollment in the first two years is as expected, they should be able to cover the new courses within that time period. However, multiple retirements have stretched existing resources so that, if the program grows, we will ask for at least one new position after the first two years. Since courses will be offered in late afternoons, during summers and by distance education, existing classroom space will be adequate with no additional resources needed in this area.
NC State currently has only one terminal masters' degree classified as low productivity Given the large number of masters' degrees offered at this institution, there seems not to be a danger of proliferation of low-productivity degree programs.
B. Discuss potential program duplication and competitiveness
1. Identify similar programs offered elsewhere in North Carolina
Within the University of North Carolina system, only UNC-G (Greensboro - 75 miles from NC State), ASU (Boone - 190 miles), UNC-C (Charlotte - 170 miles) and UNC-CH (Chapel Hill - 25 miles) offer M.A. degrees in foreign languages. UNC-CH, the public institution of higher education closest to NC State has a traditional literature-oriented M.A. in both French and Spanish as well as an M.A.T., offered through the School of Education. The Department of Romance Languages at Chapel Hill offers no graduate courses in the evenings or summers. It would therefore be impossible for a teacher to obtain the M.A. in French or Spanish there while teaching. UNC-G has an M.A. and an M.ED., both run by the Department of Romance Languages. Several courses are scheduled in the afternoons, evenings and summers. However, students are unable to complete the M.A. by taking courses exclusively in the summer. ASU has an M.A. in Foreign Languages that provides the possibility of completing an M.A. in three summers. Some afternoon and evening courses are available. Like UNC-CH, UNC-G and ASU currently offer primarily traditional chronologically oriented literature courses. As of Fall 2001, UNC-C has an M.A. in Spanish which includes coursework in language, literature, translation and culture but no education-related coursework. UNC-W (Wilmington - 140 miles) recently established an 18-hour graduate certificate program in Hispanic Studies which does not lead to a graduate degree. The two (2) private institutions offering Master's degree programs are Duke University (Durham - 22 miles) and Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem - 100 miles). Duke offers a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) which is not designed for teachers. Their other graduate programs either do not include French/Spanish or are PhD. programs. Wake Forest offers the Master Teacher Fellows Program for full-time graduate students and the Master Teacher Associate (MTA) Program for licensed teachers only. Once the program is established, we will be happy to explore possible collaborative arrangements with other UNC institutions. These could include distance education consortia and study abroad programs.
The proposed graduate program at NC State will provide much-needed services to area teachers because of our central location and because of the program's unique nature. The only other public institution offering an M.A. in our metropolitan area of approximately one million people, UNC-Chapel Hill, does not tailor its courses to the specific needs of teachers by integrating the study of language, literature, culture, and applications to the classroom, nor does it allow the possibility of completing the M.A. through summer or evening study. None of the other M.A. programs, to our knowledge, incorporate distance learning or educational technologies into their curricula.