2008 Woodie Awards
Language center created at Hampshire
Daniel Scheer, Hampshire College Correspondent
Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: News
Last summer, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a non-profit organization, awarded Hampshire College $730,000 for the creation of a multidisciplinary language program.
Hampshire College President Ralph Hexter hopes the grant will provide an opportunity for students to be better prepared for real world challenges that await them.
"The support of the Mellon Foundation accelerates our making Hampshire College into a community more reflective of the world in which we live," said President Ralph Hexter in a press release.
The grant will further the President's mission to enhance students' responsibility and cultural understanding of the world. Dean of Faculty Aaron Berman described the grant as a "pool of money for faculty development and to support faculty initiatives to integrate languages into courses." Berman hopes that the grant will "develop Hampshire College into a language-learning community."
The Language Learning Community grant gives Hampshire students the opportunity to learn any language.
"It is highly flexible," Berman explained.
Hampshire is often known as an alternative college that engages experimental projects.
"We feel that we have certain characteristics that other schools don't," Berman commented. Indeed, Hampshire lacks traditional, academic departments and uses a portfolio-based grading system.
"We do not fit easily in a traditionally-based system," he said.
The grant finances a new program coordinator and post-doctorate graduate students. Berman insisted that the grant money will not add to administrative bureaucracy.
"We are currently hiring a language coordinator, who will be a resource person for faculty and students more than an administrator."
The language program will accommodate the individually-focused studies of each Hampshire student. "It's relatively easy to do an independent study here," Berman noticed. Hampshire students often pursue individualized studies abroad in field studies or direct enrollment in universities. Approximately 35 percent of Hampshire students study abroad.
According to Berman, students and faculty traditionally learn a language as a means to eventually read and interpret classic texts.
"Lots of people approach learning a language as a tool to do something," he said. "We want to provide students a tool for their work."
Five College students also have the option to benefit from the program.
"With the support of their home institutions, sure, we hope so," Berman said. "We are enthusiastic supporters of the Five Colleges."
The Mellon Foundation has several programs in addition to higher education that receive funding; including museums, the performing arts and the environment. Focusing on long-term investments, the foundation's online mission statement says its focus is to develop "thoughtful, long-term collaborations with grant recipients and invests sufficient funds for an extended period to accomplish the purpose at hand and achieve meaningful results."
Hampshire College President Ralph Hexter hopes the grant will provide an opportunity for students to be better prepared for real world challenges that await them.
"The support of the Mellon Foundation accelerates our making Hampshire College into a community more reflective of the world in which we live," said President Ralph Hexter in a press release.
The grant will further the President's mission to enhance students' responsibility and cultural understanding of the world. Dean of Faculty Aaron Berman described the grant as a "pool of money for faculty development and to support faculty initiatives to integrate languages into courses." Berman hopes that the grant will "develop Hampshire College into a language-learning community."
The Language Learning Community grant gives Hampshire students the opportunity to learn any language.
"It is highly flexible," Berman explained.
Hampshire is often known as an alternative college that engages experimental projects.
"We feel that we have certain characteristics that other schools don't," Berman commented. Indeed, Hampshire lacks traditional, academic departments and uses a portfolio-based grading system.
"We do not fit easily in a traditionally-based system," he said.
The grant finances a new program coordinator and post-doctorate graduate students. Berman insisted that the grant money will not add to administrative bureaucracy.
"We are currently hiring a language coordinator, who will be a resource person for faculty and students more than an administrator."
The language program will accommodate the individually-focused studies of each Hampshire student. "It's relatively easy to do an independent study here," Berman noticed. Hampshire students often pursue individualized studies abroad in field studies or direct enrollment in universities. Approximately 35 percent of Hampshire students study abroad.
According to Berman, students and faculty traditionally learn a language as a means to eventually read and interpret classic texts.
"Lots of people approach learning a language as a tool to do something," he said. "We want to provide students a tool for their work."
Five College students also have the option to benefit from the program.
"With the support of their home institutions, sure, we hope so," Berman said. "We are enthusiastic supporters of the Five Colleges."
The Mellon Foundation has several programs in addition to higher education that receive funding; including museums, the performing arts and the environment. Focusing on long-term investments, the foundation's online mission statement says its focus is to develop "thoughtful, long-term collaborations with grant recipients and invests sufficient funds for an extended period to accomplish the purpose at hand and achieve meaningful results."
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John
posted 9/11/08 @ 4:03 PM EST
New free language learning software available from www.valodas.com
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