CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOREIGN LANGUAGE COUNCIL Executive Council | Members & Departments | Constitution Resolution on the Diversity of Language Offerings Statement on Class Size | Job Announcements Useful Resources | ADA Resources Future Meetings | Conferences of Interest EXECUTIVE COUNCIL as of September 2007 President Edith Benkov San Diego Vice President Brian Castronovo Northridge Secretary-Treasurer Suzanne Toczyski Sonoma Northern Representative Dominique Van Hooff San Jose Southern Representative Aparna Nayak-Guercio Long Beach Past President Gretchen Angelo Los Angeles [top] CSU FLC Members 2007-2008 & Department Websites CSU Bakersfield ~ José Reyna (chair) & Joanne Schmidt, http://www.csub.edu/ModLang/ CSU Channel Islands ~ Terry Ballman (chair) & Antonio Jiménez Jiménez CSU Chico ~ Patricia Black(chair) & Antonio Arreguin Bermudez, http://www.csuchico.edu/flng/ CSU Dominguez Hills ~ Miguel Dominguez (chair) & Ivonne Heinze-Balcazar, http://www.csudh.edu/cla/french.asp, http://www.csudh.edu/cla/jap.asp, and http://www.csudh.edu/cla/spanish.asp CSU East Bay ~ Iliana Holbrook (chair) & Marcelo Paz, http://isis.csuhayward.edu/dbsw/modernlanguages/Home_Page.php CSU Fresno ~ Barbara Birch (chair) & Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, http://www.csufresno.edu/forlang/ CSU Fullerton ~ Jan Eyring (chair) & Setsue Shibata, http://www.fullerton.edu/catalog/academic_departments/flng.asp Humboldt State University ~ Rosamel Benavides (chair) & Russell (Carlos) Gaskell, http://www.humboldt.edu/%7Ewlc/ CSU Long Beach ~ Hiroko Kataoka & Jean-Jacques Jura, http://www.csulb.edu/depts/rgrll/ CSU Los Angeles ~ Sachiko Matsunaga (chair) & Gretchen Angelo Maritime Academy ~ Robert Manheimer, http://www.csum.edu/gms/ CSU Monterey Bay ~ Yoshiko Saito-Abbott and Maria Zielina, http://csumb.edu/academic/descriptions/wlc.html CSU Northridge ~ Brian Castronovo (chair) & Elías Ramos, http://www.csun.edu/~fl51594/ Cal Poly Pomona ~ Isabel Bustamante-Lopez (chair) & Joseph Farrell, http://www.class.csupomona.edu/efl/ CSU Sacramento ~ Wil Corral (chair) & Laurette Sutor & Béatrice Russell (alternating semesters), http://www.csus.edu/fl/ CSU San Bernardino ~ Terri Nelson (chair) & Ruth Burke, http://flan.csusb.edu/ San Diego State University ~ Edith Benkov (chair) & MaryAnn Lyman-Hager (LARC),http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/%7eeuro/es.html (European Studies), http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/linguist/index.html (Linguists) and http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/spanish/index.htm (Spanish) San Francisco State University ~ Elisabetta Nelsen (chair) & Bérénice Le Marchand, http://www.sfsu.edu/~foreign/ San Jose State ~ Dominique van Hooff (chair) & Jean-Luc Desalvo, http://www2.sjsu.edu/foreignlanguage/foreign_lang.html Cal Poly San Luis Obispo ~ Brian Kennelly (chair) & John Thompson, http://cla.calpoly.edu/mll/ CSU San Marcos ~ Verónica Añover (chair) & Michael Hughes, http://www.csusm.edu/languages/ Sonoma State University ~ Jeffrey Reeder (chair) & Suzanne Toczyski, http://www.sonoma.edu/forlang/ CSU Stanislaus ~ James Tuedio (chair) & Carlos Andres, http://www.csustan.edu/Admin_Services/Catalog/Degrees-n-Majors/Arts-Letters-n-Sciences/Departments/Modern-Languages/index.html [top] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONSTITUTION OF THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE COUNCIL OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY Article I: Name The name of this organization shall be "The Foreign Language Council of the California State University." Article II: Purpose The purpose of this organization is to encourage the advancement and effective teaching of Foreign Languages in the CSU and the State of California. Article III: Nature of Organization The Foreign Language Council is an independent professional organization of professors of foreign languages in the CSU. To insure participation in foreign languages matters in California and the nation, the Council is affiliated with the California Language Teachers Association (CLTA) and the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages (ADFL). Article IV: Voting Membership 1. Voting membership on the Foreign Language Council shall be made up of no more than two (2) full-time faculty members from each campus, one of whom shall be a Department Chair or Coordinator of his/her designated replacement. The second representative shall be nominated and elected by faculty members who teach foreign languages. If a representative cannot attend a meeting, the campus may send an alternate. 2. Membership for elected representatives of the Council shall be for two (2) academic years. 3. On campuses where languages are taught in only one department all Council representatives shall be elected from that department. 4. On campuses where languages are taught in more than one department, the departments involved, through consultation, shall decide how the two campus representatives are to be distributed among the departments. Once this distribution has been determined, representatives shall then be elected. Article V: Officers of the Foreign Language Council 1. The officers of the Foreign Language Council shall be: President Vice-President Secretary/Treasurer Representative-at-large (North) Representative-at-large (South) 2. The officers shall be elected by the membership of the Council. The President and Vice-President shall be elected in odd-numbered years and the two Representatives-at-large in even-numbered years. The term of office shall be three (3) years for the Secretary/Treasurer and two (2) for all other officers. The term of office for each officer shall normally begin with the close of the spring meeting. In the event of special elections to fill vacated offices, the officer shall assume his/her duties immediately upon election. At least one of the Representatives-at-large shall be faculty member from a language other than French, German, and Spanish. 3. A Nominating Committee of five members shall be elected from the Council membership at the fall meeting and shall serve for two years. The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations from the membership, and shall prepare a slate of nominees. Any Council member may be nominated by petition signed by five voting members of the Council and submitted to the Nominating Committee. Nominations shall close no later than six weeks before the spring meeting. 4. Election of officers shall be conducted by mail ballot. Ballots shall be distributed by the Secretary immediately upon the close of nominations, and shall be returned by mail and postmarked no later than ten (10) days prior to the spring meeting. Each Council representative shall receive one (1) ballot. If no nominations are received or fewer than one-half of the current membership voted by mail prior to the meeting, officers may be nominated and elected from the floor at the spring meeting. 5. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Council and Executive Committee, and direct the affairs of the organization. 6. The Vice-President shall carry out duties assigned to him/her by the President, and shall preside in the absence of the President. 7. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep accurate records of the membership and proceedings of the organization, and shall have custody of these records. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of all Council funds, shall keep an accurate record of these funds, and shall prepare an annual financial report. The fiscal year shall be the academic year. 8. The Representatives-at large shall serve as a liaison between the Executive Committee and campuses, and shall facilitate the planning of the agenda for Council meetings. 9. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice-President shall assume that office through the current academic year. Any other vacancy among the officers shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee until the next regular election. Article VI: Recall of Officers 1. If an officer does not carry out his/her duties, and by such neglect places the work of the Council in jeopardy, he/she shall be notified by the Executive Committee about the initiation of the recall process. 2. At least 25% of the voting membership shall be required to initiate the recall process. A signed written petition shall be sent to the Executive Committee. 3. Two-thirds (2/3) of the total membership of the Council shall be required to vote in favor of the removal of an officer to complete the recall. Article VII: Operation of the Council 1. The Executive Committee of the Council shall be composed of the five elected officers, plus the (non-voting) immediate past president. The Executive Committee shall set the agenda for meetings, manage the budget and conduct the affairs of the organization. 2. The President in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall appoint such additional committees and their chairs as needed to conduct the affairs of the organization. 3. The Council shall hold two (2) meetings annually one in the fall and one in the spring. 4. Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Committee, or by written petition from the majority of the membership to the Executive Committee. 5. A quorum shall exist when a majority of the campuses are represented at a meeting. Article VIII Fiscal Affairs 1. Changes in the amount of the annual dues shall be proposed by the Executive Committee and voted on by the Council at the fall or spring meeting. The annual dues for the Council shall be by campus. Dues shall be collected by the Secretary/Treasurer. 2. A registration fee for each meeting may be required of each Council member attending the meeting. Article IX: Amendments to the Constitution 1. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed at any meeting or by written petition to the Executive Committee by at least 25% of the membership. 2. An amendment to the Constitution shall be adopted when two thirds (2/3) of the membership of the Council vote in favor of it. 3. Voting will be by mail, the schedule and procedures of which shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Article X: Representation from the Chancellor's Office and the Academic Senate of the CSU The Foreign Language Council may invite to Council meetings, the Chancellor of the CSU and the Chairman of the Academic Senate of the CSU, or their designated representatives, to serve as ex-officio, non-voting members. This Constitution was ratified by the voting membership of the Foreign Language Council at its April 24, 1987 meeting in Los Angeles, California It was amended on October 23, 1998. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RESOLUTION ON THE DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE OFFERINGS April 16, 2004 WHEREAS, the California State University is dedicated to the serving the needs of the community and its diverse populations, and WHEREAS, the population of California, with its ties to communities and countries throughout the world, is in a key position to foster cultural understanding and political and economic connections, and WHEREAS, linguistic diversity is a key element in understanding the many cultures in California and the world, and WHEREAS, the diversity of language offerings is threatened in many of our schools and universities, and an October 2003 report by the National Association of State Boards of Education warns that foreign language programs risk becoming a "lost curriculum," and WHEREAS, the current situation in the world exemplifies the danger that arises when cultures are unable to communicate with and understand each other, and WHEREAS, it is not always easy to predict which languages will be economically or geopolitically important to our nation in the future, and WHEREAS, developing proficiency in the language and culture of a country requires many years of study, Therefore, be it RESOLVED that The California State University Foreign Language Council declare the diversity of language offerings in university departments to be a crucial aspect of the mission of the California State University, and be it further RESOLVED that the Council enjoin its member departments to maintain diversity of language offerings with financial and programmatic support, and be it further RESOLVED that the Council vehemently oppose any attempt to eliminate programs on the basis of temporary budgetary problems, misconceptions about the nature of linguistic and cultural study in our departments, or unwillingness to support the necessary diversity of our programs, and be it further RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to Charles Reed, Chancellor of the California State University, as well as the Academic Vice Presidents and Deans of the appropriate colleges at all twenty-three California State University campuses. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CSU-FLC STATEMENT ON CLASS SIZE April 16, 2004 The current budget crisis in the state of California has been used on some campuses as a justification for raising course enrollment limits in various disciplines. The CSU Foreign Language Council, mindful of the Supplemental Budget Language that directs campuses to spare instruction wherever possible, strongly opposes any outside pressure on departments to raise enrollments. Modern language pedagogy stresses the communicative approach, wherein students spend the vast majority of classtime conversing on topics relevant to their interests and skill levels. The linguistic elements and cultural input that form the basis of this communication are thus practiced and internalized under the supervision and with the guidance and corrections of the instructor. Students in communicative language classes often work in pairs or groups, which makes the instructor's interaction with individual students even more crucial. The instructor's responsibilities in this mode of instruction include correct modeling of the linguistic elements being practiced as well as individual and group correction. Furthermore, instructors must work with students to develop critical thinking skills necessary to interpret cultural values and institutions. An excessive number of students in the class seriously diminishes each student's learning experience. The longstanding benchmark enrollments for our courses reflect sound pedagogical practices that produce the desired learning outcomes. These benchmarks cannot be set aside without proper consultation, and must be modified only with the input of the faculty who best know their own discipline and the pedagogical expectations to which they are held. Although we acknowledge the difficult budgetary situation, the need for cost-cutting cannot be allowed to undermine the quality of instruction. Increasing course enrollments in language courses is not merely an additional burden for the teacher; far more importantly, it prevents the students from experiencing sufficient meaningful practice in the language and results in a dangerous shift in the nature of the learning experience. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CSU LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY – LOS ANGELES seeks an ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SPANISH LITERATURE.  ----- Ph.D. or A.B.D in Spanish or related field (such as Romance Languages and  Literatures) from an accredited institution of higher education. Doctorate  is required for re-appointment (2 years after hire). Native or near-native  fluency in Spanish and strong communication skills in English. Expertise in  Peninsular poetry and/or theater, and ability and willingness to teach a  wide range of language, survey, and specialized literature courses at the  upper-division and graduate levels, including courses on late Modern to  Contemporary Spanish literature (including narrative). Experience or  training in proficiency-oriented teaching methods. Knowledge of or  familiarity with the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. Potential for research,  scholarly and/or creative activity involving students whenever possible.  Demonstrated potential for effective teaching or teaching experience using a  variety of methodologies. Willingness to teach in the Summer quarter (in  place of another quarter) starting the second academic year. Demonstrated  ability and/or interest in working in a multiethnic, multicultural  environment. Address applications, required documentation (curriculum vitae,  three letters of recommendation, and official transcripts) and/or requests  for information to: Dr. Sachiko Matsunaga, Chair, Department of Modern  Languages and Literatures, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151  State University Drive, Los Angeles, California 90032-8112. Review of  applications will begin on November 20, 2008.  The University is an Equal  Opportunity/Title IX employer.  [top] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ USEFUL RESOURCES Language Associations ~ http://www.languageresourceonline.com/lang_assoc/LA_teachers.html, a general reference for language associations, including: ADFL, http://www.adfl.org Modern Language Association, http://www.mla.org/ American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language, Association of Teachers of Chinese, http://clta.deall.ohio-state.edu/ American Association of Teachers of French, http://www.frenchteachers.org American Association of Teachers of German, http://www.aatg.org Association of Teachers of Japanese, http://www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese, http://www.aatsp.org Association of Teachers of Russian, http://www.americancouncils.org California Council on Teacher Certification website, including information on Single Subject Matter Standards for All Subjects as well as Languages Other Than English: www.ctc.ca.gov; contact information: Helen Hawley, 916.445.8778 or hhawley@ctc.ca.gov American Council on Education project on the Internationalization of the Curriculum, available at: http://www.acenet.edu/programs/international/collaborative/curriculum/ To contact Tom Blair, President of the California Community College Foreign Language Council, e-mail him at : tblair@ccsf.edu CLTA Summer Seminar Program Contacts: CLTA website: www.clta.net Arianna Harris, Seminar Registrar, California Foreign Language Project, Phone: 650.849.7956 Email: artemis@stanford.edu Lorraine D'Ambruoso, Executive Director, California Language Teachers Association, Phone: 408.264.6996, Email: lorda@ix.netcom.edu Duarte M. Silva, Executive Director, California Foreign Language Project, Phone: (650) 849-7955, Email: duarte.silva@stanford.edu [top] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ USEFUL RESOURCES REGARDING ADA COMPLICANCE ADA 508 Compliance ~ GENERAL INFORMATION Compiled by:  Patricia Miller, Director- Barbara Ann Ward Language Center, CSU-Northridge Spring 2007, from a variety of sources Understanding access limitations 20% of the American population has a disability (the elderly included), that is approximately 55 million individuals. http://www.webaim.org/info/resources/ Popular Resource Video: Keeping Web Accessibility in Mind Video: Experiences of Students with Disabilities Legislation Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act http://www.section504.gov Executive Order 926, the California State University Policy on Disability Support and Accommodations http://www.calstate.edu/EO/EO-926.html CSU updated policy and timeline: http://www.calstate.edu/adaaff/codememos/AA-2007-04.pdf Current Campus Policy (CSUN): http://www-admn.csun.edu/vp/policies/900_oversight/900_08.htm ; http://www.csun.edu/~comp508/ CSUN ADA compliant template: http://www.csun.edu/ua_tplates/tplates_home.html SAMPLE of ADA compliant CSUN site using CSUN template: http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/classics.htm Sample ADA compliant CSUN site: http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/ ADA Section 508 - Basic timeline and overview Added by Congress to Title V of the Rehabilitation Act in 1986 Local, State & Federal Agencies that procure, maintain and/or use Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) must provide equal access for all persons with disabilities 1996 Department of Justice ruling makes it clear that ADA accessibility requirements apply to Internet resources.  (http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/foia/cltr204.txt) Accessibility is a universal issue that involves all disciplines Academic freedom VS statutory requirement The major categories of disability types are: Visual ~ Blindness, low vision, color-blindness  Hearing ~ Deafness  Motor ~ Inability to use a mouse, slow response time, limited fine motor control  Cognitive ~ Learning disabilities, distractibility, and inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information Common WWW Access Hazards Cannot see graphics because of visual impairments Cannot hear audio because of hearing impairments Slow Internet connections and modems will not allow for easy download of large files Poorly constructed/organized sites with unclear directions make navigation precarious for ESL individuals and for those with learning disabilities. Access Mindful Hardware and Software Information delivery is dependant on appropriate Assistive Technology: ¨Screen Readers & Magnification Devices: SIMULATION: http://www.webaim.org/simulations/screenreader ¨Close captioning & Video Description = Software that allow to create captioning and decoding for the hearing impaired http://www.CCmaker.com ¨Adaptive keyboards or keyboards overlay= ¨Alternative Augmentative Communications devices with programmed menus that allow non-verbal individuals to ‘speak’ aloud by pressing buttons. General Types of Assistive Technology (Computer Input and Output Devices) that may be used by an individual accessing the web 1.            Text to Speech (Output)  Microsoft 2.            Screen Readers Software (Output) IBM homepage 3.            Screen Enlargers (Output) 4.            Speech Synthesizers (Output) 5.            Voice Activated Control - Speech to Text (Input) 6.            Physical Input Devices: trackballs, mouth sticks, head wands, pencil grips and keyboards (Input) Accessibility verification tools and support WebAim– AIS Toolbar = Free software for checking web site accessibility: document structure, colors, HTML, CSS, links, images. You can obtain the Download from the Site of Web Accessibility Tools http://www.webaim.org/resources/ais/ HiSoftware – AccVerify/Repair = AccVerify is a software product from HiSoftware (www.hisoftware.com) which is used to validate web pages for compliance with web accessibility guidelines such as Section 508c, or the W3C. AccVerify will review your web pages and generate reports which indicate where you have accessibility problems.  It also uses an Interviewer to assist you in making many of the visual checks required of your web pages.  A history can be kept of your accessibility reports so you can compare your current web page’s errors to those in the past. http://www.uwlax.edu/itssupport/accverify NOTE: A basic guide to using AccVerify/Repair software can be found at: http://www.uwlax.edu/itsupport ADA compliance and Special Characters: http://www.utexas.edu/learn/html/spchar.html Color Contract/Color blindness check (Web Accessibility Tools Consortium): http://juicystudio.com/services/colourcontrast.php The Color Contrast Analyzer (CCA) is useful to help determine, in particular, the legibility of text on a web page and the legibility of image based representations of text. Assessing conformance with Checkpoint 2.2 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and checkpoint1.0 of the WCAG requires that"foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits, or when viewed on a black and white screen." Use the CCA to test color combinations against the W3C's suggested algorithms for determining "sufficient contrast" [Added subsequent to the information above, courtesy of CLTA:] "A World Awaits You: A Journal of Success in International Exchange for People with Disabilities" features Accessing Foreign Languages as its November 2007 Issue  November 6, 2007- While U.S. high school students with disabilities increasingly enroll in foreign language courses, they still lag behind their non-disabled peers. In the seventh online issue of A World Awaits You (AWAY), published by Mobility International USA and the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, foreign language educators, English language instructors, disability providers and students with disabilities share their strategies of success in the foreign language classroom. This web-based, cross-disability journal describes successful experiences, lessons learned, and frequently asked questions such as:  What teaching strategies or classroom accommodations benefit students with learning, cognitive, hearing or vision disabilities? How can I use adaptive technology in learning a foreign language at home and abroad? What do I need to know about sign interpreting in a foreign language class? Why is it beneficial to learn a foreign language overseas and how do I manage once there? Are there opportunities for me to teach my native language overseas?   To read this AWAY issue, go to: http://www.miusa.org/ncde/away  For more information on how people with disabilities can participate in all types of international exchange programs, contact:  National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange Tel/TTY: (541) 343-1284 Fax:  (541) 343-6812 Email: clearinghouse@miusa.org Web: <http://www.miusa.org/ncde>   The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and administered by Mobility International USA. [top] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FUTURE MEETING DATES CSU-FLC Fall Meeting dates are determined on a year-by-year basis. The Fall 2008 meeting will take place on October 3, 2008 in San Luis Obispo. Note: Spring Meetings generally coincide with the CLTA's annual conference, the schedule for which is as follows: February 25-March 2, 2009 ~ Sacramento, CA March 10-14, 2010 ~ San Diego, CA [top] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONFERENCES OF INTEREST   Registration site for State-wide Conference on ARABIC AND PERSIAN ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA EDUCATION.  The site for online registration for the State-wide Conference on Arabic and Persian Issues in California Education:  http://sisyphus.sdsu.edu/contacts/new/register.php?id=20  The following is the conference information on larcnet:  http://larcnet.sdsu.edu/conferences.php#aissues. Page last updated July 28, 2008 Contact: suzanne.toczyski@sonoma.edu [top]