2003

Arts & Sciences Round-Up

AKRON, October 15 - The faculy of the Department of Modern Languages staffed a table at the annual "Arts & Sciences Round-Up" which is now held in the luminous atrium of the Arts & Sciences building.

Hundreds of students came by to chat with the professors and picked up brochures and information about the excellent courses and learning opportunities offered by the language department at The University of Akron.

Twelve students initiated into French honorary society

AKRON, October 3 - The University of Akron's chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society, inducted twelve new members in recognition of their academic accomplishment in the field of French.

The induction ceremony was held in Buchtel Hall's McCollester room, and was attended by the inductees, family members, friends, as well as retired faculty and other members of the society who work in the Akron area.

The meeting was addressed by Modern Languages Spanish teacher Marie-France Garcia, who gave a talk on the perennity of French-speaking communities and culture in North America.

The ceremonies closed with the awarding of the Delbert Gibson scholarship to the 2003-2004 recipient, Colette Kovach, who has begun student teaching in this the final year of her college studies.

Department participates in University "Mosaic"

On October 1st, members of the Modern Languages Department staffed a table in the Student Union building ballroom. They were participating in the annual Majors Mosaic, giving students information about major and minor programs of study. Of particular interest to students are the foreign study programs offered by the Department. In the photo at right, the Department Chair is seen explaining to prospective students the details of next year's summer program in Spanish, which is currently being planned for Costa Rica.

On October 10th, the annual Arts & Sciences "Roundup," specifically aimed at A&S students, will be held in the atrium of the Arts & Sciences building.

Departmental Policies posted on website

Departmental policies addressing Academic Dishonesty, the "C" Rule, and the appeals process (for grades and syllabus issues) have been posted on the departmental website and can be seen by clicking the Policies button in the menu bar at left.

2003 Summer Programs run
in France and Spain

Despite the tense international situation and the weakness of the American dollar, the Department successfully ran its study programs in Europe this summer. The Faverges Program wound up its 6-week run in late June; the website devoted to the Program had over 13,000 page visits, which clearly shows the interest that the program has generated in the community. The Santander Program ran from late June to early August, ending a few weeks before the start of the Fall semester.

A spherical group picture of the Faverges group at the base of the Eiffel Tower may be seen by clicking here.

Next year's study abroad offerings will be announced on the departmental website in the coming months.

French Major Receives Prize

Shaker Heights , April 27, 2003 : French major Heidi Schnee was awarded Second Prize in the Maison Française de Cleveland competition. The contest, which requires the student to write an essay and to submit to an oral interview, was held earlier in the month. Ms. Schnee joins a long list of winners from The University of Akron's Department of Modern Languages who over the years have garnished prizes in the annual contest.

Two Professors Granted Tenure

Akron, April 25, 2003: Drs. Jeanne-Hélène Roy and Matt Wyszynski have been granted tenure and promotion by The University of Akron.

Dr. Roy, whose specialty is in 18th C. French Literature and literary criticism, has been with the Department since 1995.
Dr. Wyszynski, who came to the university in 1998, is a specialist in Spanish Golden Age literature, and has been active in learning lab technology.

We at the department are proud of our colleagues and wish them a long and fruitful career here at The University of Akron.

New Latin Instructor

Akron, April 2003 : Lynne Sivy (part-time Latin instructor) had surgery April 17th and is at home recovering. Jay Lemanski, a new part-time employee, is teaching Lynne's classes for the remainder of the semester.

Students participate in language competitions

Akron, April 2003 : Several language majors have participated in statewide language contests in recent weeks; Geoff Huffman competed in a Japanese language contest in Columbus, and four of our French majors went to Cleveland for the annual Concours de la Maison Française. The competition awards cash prizes and books to the winners.

Summer Programs to run in France, Spain

Although the University's Office of International Programs has cancelled its summer China/Korea trip, the Department of Modern Languages will be sending student groups and their teachers to participate in summer programs in Faverges (France) and Santander (Spain). In the face of a war in Iraq, the ongoing economic doldrums, increasing weakness of the dollar, and now the SARS epidemic, we have managed to constitute two groups of undaunted students and look forward to productive summer sessions.