Marquette University is once again offering a free Spanish for Higher Education Professionals course to employees. The course will run over six weeks in the summer semester.
In-person instruction will take place from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, May 22 through June 28. The course includes additional asynchronous coursework via D2L. The summer cohort is limited to 16 participants.
This course has been designed to educate and prepare our higher educational professionals with the skills needed to support Marquette’s growing Latino student community as we move toward becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. Faculty and staff enrolled in the course will develop a working knowledge of basic Spanish as well as a culturally sensitive understanding of our Latino student community.
Employees enrolled in the course will learn to:
- Use socially and linguistically appropriate forms of Spanish to initiate conversations with Spanish-speaking students and their families
- Use appropriate and culturally sensitive strategies to interact with Spanish-speaking students and their families
- Demonstrate acceptable control of basic Spanish grammar and pronunciation
- Demonstrate awareness of the linguistic and cultural diversity of Latinx communities in Milwaukee and the U.S. and of social issues affecting these communities
- Engage in dialogues around HSI and broader DEI efforts through culturally responsive programming, workshops and discussions. Speakers will include Latinx members of the Milwaukee community as well as Latinx Marquette students.
Individuals who meet and agree to the following criteria will be considered for participation:
- Full-time employee at Marquette University
- Demonstrated interest in supporting and advocating for our Latinx students
- Supervisor approval
- Available to participate in all sessions
- Willing to complete all assigned work
To be considered for the summer 2024 cohort, interested individuals should complete and submit the application by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 29. Applicants will be notified of their status prior to the start of the summer term.
This course was made possible through the Explorer Grant Challenge and is the result of a collaboration among the University Staff Senate, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures and the Department of Human Resources. Piloted in spring 2023, the course has already had a positive impact on the campus community.
Read what past participants have said about their experience:
“The modules — the cultural competency content as well as the language/vocab we focused on — were carefully and thoughtfully curated. I thought the content was spot on for what we would need in our jobs.”
“I feel driven and more confident to continue learning Spanish and interact with students’ families at programming.”
“Thank you so much for offering this course! It has been a great experience in not just expanding my knowledge, but in connecting with colleagues around the institution. I’ve felt very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate and hope that I am able to do good things with all that I’ve learned.”
For more information, contact LK Pinhancos, teaching instructor in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
