The American Sign Language Club has garnered a lot of popularity this semester, prompting the question as to why American Sign Language (ASL) is not offered as a course at the University of Rhode Island.
Even being the fourth most popular language in the nation, ASL is not represented as such in the university. ASL club president Cara Caputo cannot stress enough how much the lack of an ASL course baffles her and other club members.
“The club has worked really hard [in the past] to try and get it on the curriculum,” Caputo said.
For multiple years the school has continued to not offer ASL as a foreign language course. With the club gaining in numbers, growing seven members last semester to roughly 40 active members now, Caputo plans to continue this fight to persuade URI to offer ASL as a foreign language course.
Fortunately for all students in the university, the Foreign Language Department has begun to take notice on the rising interest in ASL. This fall they will be submitting a proposal for ASL courses at the 101 and 102 level to the Curricular Affairs Committee.
Norbert Hedderich, one of the leaders of this proposal, wants to make it known that “we are working on it” and hopes that these courses will be offered one year from now in the fall of 2017.
“There’s quite a process for filing a new course,” Pamela Rohland, assistant dean of students, said. “It has to be a good proposal. It has to be complete and reviewed by people who know ASL or who have experience teaching ASL.”
Rohland has helped the foreign language department over the years. She is a faculty member on campus who has ASL skills and in the past has been part of the system in assessing a student’s proficiency in the language.
“I’m really glad the ASL club is interested in pushing this issue,” Rohland said. “The student voices [are] what makes things move. If there’s a need, a wish, then the university responds.”
According to statement released on the Rhode Island Foreign Language Association’s (RIFLA) website, as of May 2016, ASL is respected equally to other world languages. This means that it should be offered the same number of credits as all other languages available in Rhode Island state schools. ASL should also have representation in the same department as other languages, or be housed in its own ASL/Deaf Studies department, according to RIFLA.
While URI does not specifically offer a language course in ASL, it does offer a course that teaches some basics of sign language. This is CMD 175: Gestural Communications. And while students do learn some basics, Caputo wants to point out that “it’s not a sign language course.”
A way to get a head start on ASL or just to learn about a thriving culture across the entire nation, is to join the ASL club on campus. Students who join are met with a relaxed and calm learning environment, where they can meet friends and learn a new language.
“We want people to feel comfortable because some people get embarrassed to sign in front of others,” Caputo said.
Many members of the club also participate in “If you Sign, You are in,” a Rhode Island group sign language group on Facebook. They host events all across Rhode Island such as bowling and ice skating. Anyone with limited or advanced ASL experience is welcome to these events.
“No one’s ever upset that you don’t know how to sign properly,” Caputo said. “The fact that you’re trying is so much better than not trying at all.”
The ASL club meets weekly on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in Quinn Hall.