UMD Has New Deaf Studies Minor
(reprinted from the AP)
The American Sign Language classes at the school were so popular, there was a waiting list.
The University of Minnesota Duluth is offering a minor in deaf studies this fall, thanks to a group of student activists who illustrated the need for more American Sign Language classes.
The students, members of Access for All, decided last year that petitioning wasn't enough. So they held a forum and invited legislators, community members, advocates, students and administrators.
"The chancellor heard the message and said: 'We're going to fund this,"' said Paul Deputy, dean of the College of Education and Human Service Professions. "I hold these students up as a model for how the political system can work with dialogue."
Deputy said that for a long time, there wasn't enough money for full-time faculty, even though the ASL classes were so popular there was a waiting list.
But the forum helped. The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved the minor last spring, and two instructors -- one deaf, one hearing -- were hired.
"It's a really big accomplishment," said sophomore Kristy Seaver. "Seriously, what other organizations work that hard and get a minor put in place on campus?"
Marilyn Simerson-Wallfred, a junior and member of Access for All, said it's gratifying to know her work was successful.
"To have it accessible and to not have to go to a different school is really nice," she said.
The group was given the outstanding student organization award for 2008.
Nancy Diener taught ASL classes at the University of Minnesota Duluth before the minor was added and has since been hired as an instructor. She said she hopes more students, deaf and hearing, will come for the formal program. About 20 deaf and hard of hearing students attend Duluth campus, and there are between 425,000 and 450,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in Minnesota.
"It's a really useful minor," Diener said. "It's applicable to so many majors," including business, education, human services and medicine. "It's a really amazing campuswide acknowledgment of the language and culture of deaf people, and a step up in improving diversity on campus."
About 100 students were enrolled in ASL classes last year. This year the number is 185.
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