About the UVSC ASL & Deaf Studies Program

The ASL & Deaf Studies Program at UVSC is growing rapidly. From its birth as just a couple of beginning-level ASL classes offered in the evening during the mid 90's, the program has expanded to offer some 75 sections a year of classes ranging from those same beginning courses to advanced classes in Deaf culture, literature, ASL grammar and linguistics, interpreting, and more. Students can use these courses toward a number of different ends, including two bachelor's degrees in Deaf Studies, a minor in Deaf Studies, an ASL emphasis for the Integrated Studies B.A., or to satisfy the foreign language requirements for an A.A. or a B.A. degree. Many students take these courses in preparation for taking interpreting certification exams.

In the Fall of 2006, UVSC will launch its new Advanced Certification Interpreter Preparation Program (ACIPP). The ACIPP is an intensive program of study designed to allow interpreters to advance their level of certification in a much shorter time than is now possible. The ACIPP is possible thanks to a joint effort between UVSC and the Utah Public Service Commission. This new program will have a ripple effect throughout the ASL & Deaf Studies program. As we hire new faculty and add new courses in support of the ACIPP, we will be able to offer additional opportunities to students seeking entry into the interpreting profession as well as into any of the many other Deaf-World-related professions they choose.

We are currently preparing a B.A. degree in Deaf Studies (with an available emphasis in interpreting) which we hope will be available for those graduating after Fall 2006. We also administer specialized classes for Deaf students (taught in ASL) which teach them English literacy in preparation for their taking the regular English classes at the college.

In 2004, UVSC faculty members Bryan Eldredge and Minnie Mae Wilding-Diaz founded Deaf Studies Today!, the only academic conference for professionals in Deaf studies in the nation. The inagural meeting of this conference, held in April of 2004, was a resounding successs. Plans for the second meeting are well under way. That conference is scheduled for April 6-8, 2006, and more information is available online.

While we have seen a lot of growth in a short time, we envision much more. As the student population continues to grow we expect to offer an even broader range of classes and offerings, many of which are already in the works. All of these efforts are aimed at providing our students with a rigorous academic program that will prepare them with the skills and knowledge they need for success.

We hope you will find here useful information of a variety of sorts. First and foremost we want to provide you with specifics about our program, so you will find pages (a FAQ) designed to answer some of the most commonly asked questions, faculty photos and bios, as well as contact information. We have also added other kinds of information about ASL and the Deaf-World, including bibliographies with references to over 700 different ASL and deafness-related source materials and links to web pages (both within and outside of UVSC) that contain information you might find useful. There is even a page listing local organizations, companies, and other entities that provide ASL and Deaf-related services and information.

If you think of something you would like to see here but cannot find it, please let us know and we will do what we can to add it for you.

So take a few minutes to look around. We hope to have you as part of our program.