· Web view2015-10-02 · AY 2014-2015 ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY TEMPLATE . Reporting School/College: St John College. Program Reviewed: French B.A. Date Submitted to

AY 2014-2015 ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY TEMPLATE

Reporting School/College: St John College

Program Reviewed: French B.A

Date Submitted to Department/Division Chair: September, 2015

Overview and Program Review Summary: Please summarize this program’s mission and its relationship to the vision and mission of St. John’s University, and the program’s School/College. Identify similar programs regionally and nationally and distinguish this program from them. In addition, summarize your findings as they relate to (1) program quality, (2) market growth potential, and (3) student learning. Also, summarize any significant changes, achievements (by faculty and students and the program itself), and plans for the future. Finally, based on the information gleaned from the data in the self-study, give an overall rating of the program’s Enrollment/Market Potential by categorizing it as one of the following: (1) Enhance; (2) Maintain; (3) Reduce support, Phase out, Consolidate, or Discontinue. (Suggested limit 1 page)

The mission of the French Program is to add an international component to St John's students' education and

make them citizens of the world by discovering new cultures. Students can major or minor in French, and prepare for an

international career by combining a double major in another field. St. John’s University offers students in French

internships that allow them to use the language in a professional setting, therefore enhancing their linguistic as well as

their cultural skills.

The French Program has been vital to St. John’s University as a Vincentian University with a campus in Paris by

preparing students for careers in various fields in which they can use the skills acquired thanks to our program. Many of

our alumni found positions in institutions of secondary education, business, pharmaceutical companies, law offices,

fashion and in the medical field or going to graduate school thanks to the their language skills (a lot of graduate

programs require a second language). The program has been promoting intellectual values that are aligned with the

catholic heritage and the identity of the university, but has also been able to adapt to a new student body and new

expectations. Since the last report, the French program has made considerable effort to include Francophone cultures

and literatures from different parts of the world and give the global perspective promoted by the University.

The program currently has two full time faculty members (but one is the Chair of the Department of Languages

and Literatures and also Assistant Provost for Global Initiatives, only teaching one course) and one full timer on renewal

contract teaching four courses. There are also four or five adjunct instructors at the Queens campus (depending on the

semester) and one or two adjuncts at the Paris campus. We serve a large body of students (approximately 400 students

each semester) including majors, minors, as well as students who need to fulfill the language requirement. The French

program has been relying mostly on one faculty members for administrative tasks and curricular development.

Self-Study Template 1

Since the last report, we have created three new courses to give the program more of a global perspective (a

course on Human rights, one on urban culture and one on Francophone literature from French-speaking countries

around the world).

Our program, in comparison with Queens College, Adelphi, Hofstra and Fordham University, has more

undergraduate majors and minors even though St John's University has a lot fewer tenured or tenure-track faculty

members. In terms of the quality of the program both faculty and students compare very well with the above-

mentioned institutions. We have attracted many majors and minors because we offer a variety of courses, from the

beginning language classes to the advanced seminars and we constantly adapt to the needs of our students by offering

classes that are less literature-centered, such as Business French or classes on translation.

In recent years, the focus has been on creating new interdisciplinary collaborations with other programs, and

increasing our collaboration with the Learning Community program each semester, as well as with the Office of Global

Studies, in addition to the partnerships with French NGOs, and French Institutions, which enabled us to offer our

students a comprehensive French program with an opening on the French-speaking world that aim to prepare them for

different careers at an international level. We also have been giving our students more and more internships in Paris,

for which they need the linguistic skills that we provide before they leave.

The French program is a solid one, with excellent course offerings and in many ways, has managed to establish

valuable partnerships over the years. It has potential to grow if we recruit more students from the Haitian population at

St John's, many of whom having a French background, and we are currently working on it. Overall, the program needs to

be enhanced, as there is still only one tenure-track faculty attached to the program. The professors on a three year

contract have a teaching load that is superior to tenure-track or tenured faculty, and they are responsible for all the

program's activities, which gives them little time to recruit more students. In the long run, the program has the

potential to really give our students the global perspective that the university is trying to promote among our students

provided the university grants the program another full-time faculty member or at least renew the 3 year contract which

is coming to an end.


STANDARD 1. The purpose of the program reflects and supports the strategic vision and mission of St. John’s University, and the program’s School/College.

1a. What evidence can you provide that demonstrates that the program embodies the Catholic, Vincentian, and metropolitan identity of St. John’s University? www.stjohns.edu/about/out-mission. (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

The French Program at St John's University is still aligned with the strategic vision and mission of the University

as a Catholic institution with a campus in Paris where Vincent de Paul started his work in the 17th century. The French

program has served as a beacon for faculty and students who have been connected to the Paris campus since the late

1990's. Since the French civilization and culture is based on a Catholic tradition and the University’s identity originates in

France, the Catholic values are part of most of our content courses, especially the literature and civilization classes. By

learning the language and the culture, students embrace a different way of thinking and a new perspective about the

world. The Vincentian / Catholic values are also the core of our study abroad program in France as we created a

semester program in Paris at the St. John campus in the Fall of 2009 that aims to continue stressing the Catholic and

Vincentian values while insuring an excellent academic articulation with the Queens campus for a quality education.

The program offers courses on the French intellectual, historical, and cultural heritage where Catholic and

French values have been intertwined for centuries, including the recent course on Human Rights in Africa. The program

offers courses in which the values and ideas of the Founders of the Vincentian tradition are studied: St. Vincent de Paul

and Louise de Marillac who belong to the religious and spiritual tradition of 17th century France.

Through the study abroad program and the volunteer work experience in France students learn about social

responsibility that is the main value of the Vincentian tradition. The St. John students, while taking classes, participate in

a community sustainable volunteer service program according to values of St. Vincent. Over the years the St. John

students have devoted their time and left their work in a heritage building protected by the French Government and the

International Organizations.

The Director of the GLCC has organized several events with the Vincentian Mission Council either serving as a

translator for the Vincentian website or organizing sessions for French students visiting the University and we have

provided training and French education to the Daughters of Charity from the International Community.

At the Paris campus, we are developing a course on the city Paris as a global city, which will include a service

component with the help of local charity and by connecting Paris to New York in our classes, we are constantly making

our students aware of the issues and the benefits of living in a metropolitan area. One faculty member is currently

working on the representations of New York in French and Francophone literatures.


STANDARD 2. The program attracts, retains, and graduates high quality students.

The students who join our program as majors or minors are usually very good students whose language

skills are strong. These students usually take advanced classes when they arrive at St John's, including the 6 required

courses and some electives in literature and culture. Many of our students who start at the elementary level catch up

very quickly thanks to bridge courses such as French 2040/2050. Through individual advising (every major student must

see the coordinator/advisor before registering for advanced courses), we make sure our students are in the right class

each semester.

As for attracting students, the program organizes movie days or nights, as well as visits to museums, local

exhibitions, and connect them, with the help of the Career Center, to French companies in New York.

The program attracts students thanks to the LAC course (which is based on French and Francophone cultures)

and the events co-organized by the faculty and the Learning Communities have also attracted some students and

encouraged them to pursue their studies in French. One faculty member has recruited students during the 8 sessions of

orientation throughout the summer.

We attract very motivated students who come from very different backgrounds and who have a broader

knowledge of international issues than the average student, and the number of students going abroad is a clear

indication that we are creating global citizens that are linguistically and culturally aware (our current passport course is

full and there is a waiting list).

As members of the National Organization of Pi Delta Phi, our students are very well represented within the US

since they have higher GPA and SAT scores than the college and the University as a whole. Some of our students have

received highly competitive national awards by Pi Delta Phi or by Organizations of the French Government such as TAPIF

through which our students receive Assistantships to teach for a year in France (TAPIF scholarships are extremely

competitive, comparable to Fulbright in the United States). Ever year, some of our students receive the Golden Key, or

the St. Vincent de Paul scholarship. They are on the Dean’s list or are Presidential scholars. The number of students

awarded University scholarships represents approximately 50% to 60% of our major’s population.

Retention is obtained through the mentoring of students by tutors in French at the GLCC which hosts many

events throughout the semester, therefore creating a sense of community for the students taking French. A series of

optional free workshops is regularly offered by the director of the GLCC to every French major/minor (for which she

seeks no remuneration) on phonetics, the International Phonetics Alphabet and how it applies to French for

transcriptions and a correct pronunciation and intonation, in order to facilitate their study abroad experience.


2a. Undergraduate SAT and High School Average

Freshmen SAT Scores

Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013

Computed Computed Computed Computed

French 1,130 1,240 1,035 1,080

Freshmen High School Average


High School High School High School High School

French 94 86 86 89

SAT Scores High School Average

2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013

School/ College - Q 1089 1077 1087 1098 88 88 88 88

Total University 1097 1087 1096 1104 87 87 88 89

2b. Undergraduate 1st Year Retention Rate


2009 2010 2011 2012

Total Returned DNR

Total Returned DNR

Total

Returned DNR Total

Returned DNR

# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

FRE 4 3 75% 1 25% 1 1 100% 3 2 67% 1 33% 2 2 100%

Fall

2009 2010 2011 2012*

# Fresh # Ret %

School/ College - Q 76% 74% 72% 905 683 76%

Total University 78% 78% 76% 2757 2195 80%

* The % of students started in Fall 2012 and returned to the program in Fall 2013

2c. Undergraduate 6 Year Graduation Rate

Fall 2004 cohort Fall 2005 cohort Fall 2006 cohort Fall 2007 cohort

TotalGraduate

d TotalGraduate

d TotalGraduate

d TotalGraduate

d

FRE 1 1 100% 3 1 33% 1 1 100% 2 1 50%

Fall

2004 2005 2006 2007

School/College Average Rate - Q 57% 57% 57% 51%

Total University 58% 58% 59% 55%


2d. Graduate Standardized Test Scores

N/A

2e. Please describe how the program compares with peer and aspirational institutions. (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

The French program at St John's University is a solid program that exposes students to a variety of approaches.

In the last 3 years, students have been exposed to the cultures and the literatures of the French-speaking world as much

as the culture and literature from France itself. Few institutions that compare with St John's have given that much

attention to French outside of the hexagon. Since 2012, we have been offering more systematically classes on Caribbean

French literature and African literature. This new perspective not only allows students to be exposed to French in a

global context; it also prepares them for possible careers abroad, therefore not limiting them to France only.

We are also able to offer more and more classes that are less literature-based than other institutions, like

Business French or classes on translation and organize events that help our students to find out more about internships

in France as well as the study abroad programs. In that sense, we try to provide our students with ideas for their career,

and we have been collaborating with the Career Center to offer information on companies that are interested in

students who speak French. Our program is more interdisciplinary than most literature-based programs in the New York

region, including the ones at Fordham University, Hostra, Adelphi and Queens College.

One drawback of our program is the lack of permanent faculty. Professors who are on a renewable contract

cannot invest themselves as much as permanent faculty members and they also have a bigger teaching load which limits

their involvement with the development of the program.

2f. If applicable, describe the program’s student performance over the past five years on licensure or professional certification exams relative to regional and national standards. (Suggested limit 1/4 page)

N/A


2g. Number of majors and minors enrolled over the past five years. See table below.


Majors Majors Majors Majors

MAJORS FRE BA 18 20 20 18

FREZ BA/MBA 1

Total 18 20 20 19


Minors Minors Minors Minors

MINORS French 20 27 17 16


Total Total Total Total

Total 38 47 37 32

NB: Fall 2014 20 majors and 22 minors.

2h. Number of degrees granted during the past five years. See table below.

10/11 11/12 12/13

Degrees Conferred

Degrees Conferred Degrees Conferred

SJC -UG-Q FRE French BA 3 5 9

Comments : Based on the data in 2g and 2h, how do these trends compare to institutional, regional and national patterns? (Suggested limit 1/2 page)


Considering the fact that St John's University does not have a strong language requirement (3 or 4 semesters are

required in the CUNY system or at Fordham University for example) and that we have only one tenure-track faculty

member with a full teaching load, the program has managed to create enough majors to make it a vibrant program. We

have more majors than Hofstra , more than Adelphi, and more than Queens College or Fordham which have a similar

program in size and course offerings but with 4 or 5 professors for French that are tenured or on tenure-track. Until this

semester, we have had ZERO tenure-track professor and the other full-timers were on a 3 year-contract. All the

institutions around St John's have more faculty and fewer majors. For instance:

Queens College (4 tenured or tenure-track professors): 13 majors & 16 minors

Hofstra University (2 tenured or tenure-track professors): 11 majors & 19 minors

Adelphi University(2 tenured or tenure-track professors). 4 majors and 11 minors.

Fordham University (5 tenured or tenure-track faculty members): 20 majors and 40 minors

Last year, the new faculty has managed to improve the number of majors and minors after a significant drop in 2013.

We now have 20 majors and 22 minors, which means that we have between 40 and 45 students are enrolled in our

intermediate or advanced classes.

2i. What mechanisms are in place to monitor students’ progress toward degree? And, to what extent is there a collaborative effort to provide quality advising and support services to students? (Suggested limit 1/4 page)

The coordinator advises all French students on a one on one basis and offers advising to the study abroad

students that take French courses also on a on a one on one basis with the help of the chair (via email). Since we have

instituted a common examination for language courses I-III the coordinator of the program prepares the final exams for

these courses and also provides vocabulary lists, material and web site information for the continuing education of

adjuncts. The Global Language Center (GLCC) provides students with opportunities to practice with tutors in small

groups. The faculty is training the Graduate Assistant and the five tutors to help students develop their ability to

communicate in the language. In view of the new resources available at the Center, we have made it mandatory for all

our students to spend at least 30 minutes a week there working with the tutors to improve their speaking abilities at any

level. In addition, students who fall below a B- average in French courses are required to book individual appointments

with a tutor for remedial work.


2j. If available, provide information on the success of graduates in this program as it relates to employment or attending graduate school. (Suggested limit 1/4 page)

Many of our graduates find jobs or go to graduate school. Here are some of our students' accomplishments:

Some of our majors have gone to graduate schools across the United States and abroad, including UC Santa Barbara,

CUNY, St John’s University (M.A and MBA), NYU, Vassar, University of Seoul in Korea, University of Scotland.

3 of our majors did an internship in France last year, and many have done the same since the last report.

Two other French majors are currently in Paris, one with the TAPIF program (a prestigious program sponsored by the

French Embassy, equivalent to Fulbright in the United States), one at the Dauphine University.

A major received a scholarship from the Korean government to study Korean in Seoul.

Two majors received a Fulbright fellowship to go study abroad.

One of our majors is now a translation project manager at a major translation agency in NYC.

Overall, a dozen students have obtained internships in France since May 2013.

Some of our majors now work in law firms, in the fashion industry, in the field of translation, or teach in New York or the

tri-state area.


2k. Please comment on the students’ competencies in the program. Support your response using data provided below and any other data available. (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

Freshmen SAT Scores Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013

Computed Computed Computed ComputedFrench 1,130 1,240 1,035 1,080 Freshmen High School Average

Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013High School High School High School High School

French 94 86 86 89

SAT Scores High School Average 2010 2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013

School/ College - Q 1089 1077 1087 1098 88 88 88 88

Total University 1097 1087 1096 1104 87 87 88 89

Intended college major for 2012 college-bound seniors

SATTest-Takers Mean Scores

Intended College Major Number Percent (%)

Critical Reading

Mathematics Total

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 831 0.6% 549 534 1083* For further information, please visit http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_guide.pdf.


Students in French have significantly higher SAT scores than the rest of the college and the university as a whole.

STANDARD 3. The program engages in ongoing systematic planning that is aligned with the University and School/College planning, direction, and priorities.

3a. How does your program’s strategic goal/objectives link to your School/College plan and the University’s strategic plan? http://www.stjohns.edu/about/leadership/strategic-planning

The mission and strategic goals of the University are reflected in all our courses at the Queens campus and the

Paris campus. The program as a whole as well as all syllabi are reviewed in order to be consistent with the mission and

strategic goals of the University at the end of every academic year by the coordinator of the program and the director of

the GLCC. The coordinator of the program, the director of the GLCC and one member of our visiting faculty have

generously accepted to teach “Independent study” courses.


http://www.stjohns.edu/about/leadership/strategic-planning

The coordinator of the program interviews, meets with the adjuncts regularly, trains them, supervises them,

follows their work, and ensures the articulation of the program, especially the articulation between the new online

courses and the ones offered on campus. Since the arrival of two faculty members in 2012 and 2013, new classes have

been offered which focused on contemporary France and especially urban culture, which is particularly vibrant among

our students as well as francophone culture which makes up for a important part of our student body (mostly from

French-speaking African countries, French Guiana or Haiti) giving our curriculum a truly global perspective. We have

made progress in terms of offerings various classes at different times/days of the week. Since courses are planned ahead

of time for the entire year, students are able to plan their schedule better. However it sometimes happens that students,

despite advisement, finish their course-work without completing all courses. Therefore we offer Independent Study

courses (without the faculty member being remunerated) to enable them to finish on time.

Unfortunately the present allocation of time slots makes it impossible for all our courses to run. Many courses

have been sacrificed lately with the new University schedule since they sometimes do not have 15 students and have

only 10-12. In addition many elementary and intermediate level courses have 25-30 students, a little too many students

to ensure the quality of their learning. We would need to develop more intermediate classes.

Since the last report, we have strengthened our partnership with the Learning Communities, offering each semester

cultural events that tackle a variety of themes such as fashion, human rights, translation, and education, topics that are

not approached only from a French point of view but also from a global perspective.

Since the last report, our students have been regularly doing internships in France. A lot of them have double

majors (French with biology for medical school, with Politics for International Law, etc.), and have participated in

internships at hospitals, international organizations, and practice their language skills. After students indicate that they

are candidates for an internship in France, they attend a workshop given by the director of the GLCC on how to apply,

write a letter of intent and a cv in French and how to prepare for the phone interview with the French placement agency

The coordinator interviews, hires the French faculty in Paris, supervises their work and ensures articulation of the French

program between the Queens campus and the Paris campus. The chair works in collaboration with the person who

provides the internships for the St. John University in Paris to ensure the smooth transition of the students and

coherence of the program. Since the last report, the coordinator has been working closely with the Director of the GLCC

to ensure the smooth articulation of the French program with the tutors and the students. The program has established

internship networks, business organizations, hospitals, NGOs throughout France.


At the University level: The French Program has been working to implement several study abroad programs in

France for the semester and the summer. For the Paris campus, we initiated the collaboration (in Fall 2009). We

interviewed professors and decided on all the academic components of the Program.

The Coordinator of the French Program interviewed the professors and administrators of the Paris campus for

the DTW program in Paris. The French program works in collaboration with the French Government to ensure

sustainable volunteer work and academic work for our students in France. We also work with the University of Dauphine

in Paris for student exchange and with the Freshmen Center to ensure the proper placement of all first year students.

The French program is a successful participant in several interdisciplinary collaborations within the University such as:

the Tobin College of Business for a Concentration in International Business to the French majors, and the Women and

Gender Studies Program for the interdisciplinary minor in Women and Gender Studies.

The Coordinator holds periodic meetings with members to discuss matter of concern for the section. We discuss

methods, requirements, approaches to teaching; choice of textbooks, choice of software, how to integrate classroom

work with the resources of the Language center, common examinations for elementary courses, assessment tools etc.

Finally we hold meetings to make sure that the articulation with the GLCC is done in a coherent way.

Other programs across the US have moved from a strictly French approach to a Francophone one, and many

French programs are now focusing and French and Francophone studies instead of just French; therefore we have

developed a more interdisciplinary and international French program the last few years. As explained before we have

focused on a program that reflects the Francophone cultures, literatures, communities around the world and we are

among the very few programs at a national level to offer “international competencies” through sustainable study abroad

program according to the goals set by the UNESCO for University sustainability. We continue to adjust our offerings in

relation to the fluctuations in the number of majors and minors as well as their needs. We are making every effort to

give our students the opportunity to complete the requirements in a timely and less stressful manner.

Our numbers have been increasing over the last four years. There is potential to grow more but we do not have

the resources necessary to serve a greater number of students. We are concentrating on quality, rather than numbers,

while trying to maintain the number of majors at the present level. The French Program attracts a very diverse body of

students. In the past we had a great number of students from the French Caribbean that have a solid knowledge of

French, or students that have already studied French in high school and opt to continue at SJU, but we don't get a lot of

freshmen, something we are currently working on, as the coordinator of the program spent his summer recruiting

during orientation sessions.


Our student population aims to become more competitive for the job market, for International careers. We

have, of course, facilitated those students by offering courses for elementary and intermediate levels. Some of those

students reach a very high level of linguistic skills superior to others. In the last few years we have been graduating

students who go to excellent graduate or professional schools.

3b. What is the evidence of monitoring the external and internal environments, specifically what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the program? How were they identified? What actions have been taken in response to these findings? What characteristics of the program suggest a competitive edge against other programs regionally and nationally?

In the last report, it was stated that the program needed specialists in contemporary French culture and in the

French-speaking world outside of France who could create new classes that would be more appealing to students than

canonical literature, which is often less accessible and sometimes perceived as less relevant to our students.

The success of the French program is due to the engaging and encouraging environment we create for our

students. We are lucky to have one of the most diverse student populations on campus with students from all over the

world which is one of the strengths of our program. Our students know they can count on the faculty and that we are

genuinely concerned about their academic future as well as their development. We organize with the help of the

Learning Communities and the Francophone Circle, French Honor Society numerous events. Last semester alone we had

five events that aim to help students to interact with each other and learn.

One major threat to the program is the exclusion of languages from the new distributed core. Most schools

establish their requirements in terms of proficiency and not in terms of semesters or credits, but a minimum of 2

semesters is necessary for any student studying abroad.

3c. What is the current and future market demand for the program? Support your response using the data provided below or any other internal or external sources to justify your response.

In today's global economy, competition for the best jobs and for admission to top-rated graduate and

professional schools is intense. The study of languages and their cultures provide students with important job-related

knowledge and skills that can give students at St John's a competitive edge, provided the language requirement remains

effective.

In terms of language training, some schools offer a variety of options along a continuum to fulfill their language

and some make the language requirement a priority in order to insure the global component of the degree.

For example, San Diego State University (SDSU) International Business Program and the University of Rhode Island’s


International Engineering Program are double majors, requiring the equivalent of a major in a

foreign language, plus an overseas study and internship requirement in addition to rigorous

professional training. San Diego’s expectations are made explicit: "Study Abroad is mandatory.

If you do not intend to study abroad, please choose a different major." (SDSU, 2012)

French studies are not a new field, though our role is no longer to educate students mainly on how to become

French teachers. Our role is to prepare students with foreign language ability to function effectively in French-speaking

cultures in five continents, international environments and value systems, whether they are conducting business

implementing international development projects, or carrying out diplomatic missions. The program is in greater

demand with the new population of the University as the data shows. The program can play a very important role in

enabling students to develop international skills and knowledge. These skills are now in high demand and have become

a priority at the University level as part of its Mission and Strategic Goals.

Enrollments in foreign languages have been up according to the Modern languages Association (MLA), especially

in the Northeast region, including New York state.

Fall 1998, 2002, and 2006 Language Course Enrollments in US Institutions of Higher Education (Languages in Descending

Order of 2006 Totals)

1998 2002 Change 1998–2002 2006 Change 2002–06

Spanish 656,590 746,267 13.7 822,985 10.3

French 199,064 201,979 1.5 206,426 2.2

German 89,020 91,100 2.3 94,264 3.5

US Geographic Distribution of 2006 Language Course Enrollments

No. % of Natl.

Northeast 354,839 22.5

Midwest 341,733 21.7

South Atlantic 335,813 21.3

South Central 155,027 9.8

Rocky Mountain 118,361 7.5

Pacific Coast 272,037 17.2

Natl. (total) 1,577,810 100.0


Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2006 (source: MLA)

In the last five years, the program has successfully created partnerships with other departments and we plan to increase

the number of double majors:

In 2010, at the Foreign Language Summit , U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan lamented the fact that only 18% of

Americans speak a language other than English — compared to 53% of European citizens who speak more than one

language. She said that in order "to prosper economically and to improve relations with other countries, Americans

need to read, speak and understand other languages". Students who speak a second language are the perfect students

to help fill this foreign language deficit in areas like foreign policy, the military, and diplomacy, as well as science and

business, with a more globalized economy especially driving demand for foreign language proficiency.

The top occupation for language majors:

Fastest Growing OccupationsChange, 2010-20 Occupations having the

largest numerical increase in employment

Change, 2010-20

Percent Numeric Percent Numeric

Interpreters & Translators 42% 24,600 Interpreters & Translators 42% 24,600

Fastest Growing OccupationsChange, 2010-20 Occupations having the

largest numerical increase in employment

Change, 2010-20

Percent Numeric Percent Numeric

Interpreters & Translators 42% 24,600 Interpreters & Translators 42% 24,600

*For more information please visit: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.toc.htm


http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.toc.htm

Furthermore, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, students who chose language as a major

earn a more profitable income than other majors in Liberal arts:

http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2014/05/15/the-liberal-arts-majors-that-pay-the-most/

The National Association of Colleges and Employers published reports showing that the top-paying liberal arts majors for 2014 graduates are foreign languages and literature (average starting salary $46,900) and English ($42,200). The results are based on job offers that students accepted earlier this year and were reported by employers in February 2014 primarily through a variety of government surveys. “Employers hiring foreign languages and literatures majors did so primarily to fill elementary and middle school teaching positions,” according to the organization, which primarily represents companies that recruit on college campuses.


STANDARD 4. The program provides a high quality curriculum that emphasizes and assesses student learning and engagement.

4a. Please indicate how the program curriculum is in alignment with the following three items: (Suggested limit 1/2 page for each of the three categories below)

1. Standards within the discipline2. Curriculum integrity, coherence, academic internships, teaching excellence, teaching vibrancy, and study

abroad experiences.3. The University Core competencies

The B.A in French offers a 33 credit hour undergraduate major with 18 mandatory credit hour courses and 15

elective courses. Courses are offered in such a way to allow students to complete the required 33 credits in four years or

less.

The French program has been providing a global, international education from the time it was created, but it

plays a leading role in global education through the offering of courses, the activities, the study abroad programs, the

internships and the service learning. This role has been enhanced since the last report years since French students are

offered “immersion of French language and culture” on campus as a mind changing experience, and through the study

abroad experiences they are taught greater awareness of the world beyond American borders that helps them to

become “global citizens” with a social responsibility.

The courses that are offered by the French program address issues that are cultural, social, economic, literary

and political and reflect the Francophone world. The French program addresses five competencies: writing, reading,

speaking and presenting, listening comprehension and critical thinking with cultural awareness. Above all we offer

international competencies (linguistic and cultural) that are at the forefront of our University’s strategic goals.

4b. The syllabi for the courses within this program incorporate the suggested elements of a syllabus – an example of which can be found at the following St. John’s University Center for Teaching and Learning link. (Suggested limit 1/3 page) http://stjohns.campusguides.com/content.php?pid=71651&sid=984766

Our syllabi are revised on a regular basis, as well as the bibliographies, so that students are exposed to the latest

research. We revised all the syllabi for the French program in 2014 and we make sure that all adjuncts are using the

latest versions. Each syllabus stresses the importance of various skills that are acquired throughout the semester:


http://stjohns.campusguides.com/content.php?pid=71651&sid=984766

1) language skills 2) knowledge of literature and culture 3) analysis and interpretation 4) global perspectives 5) critical

thinking

4c. Describe the assessment model currently in place for the program and indicate the extent to which disciplinary and core knowledge, competence, and values are met, as well as findings and action plans for improvement. For reference, visit WeaveOnline – https://app.weaveonline.com//login.aspx; Digication – https://stjohns.digication.com (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

Our department uses WEAVE to conduct annual assessments during which data is collected using program-

specific measures to analyze the effectiveness of our programs in relation to student learning. This data helps us

facilitate the college's model of assessment in which programs analyze the data and use them to determine whether or

not standards are met. In case they are not, we establish a plan of action in order to meet the standards of our

department.

On the Weave Online all learning goals and objectives, targets of each of the objectives, and measures for each of the

objective target have been identified and addressed. There were no findings that fell below the objective target.

Goals

View this set of Goals:

1: Demonstrate competency in French language (Approved)

2: Acquire Knowledge of Grammar (Approved)

Outcomes/Objectives (Numbers inside parentheses show related Goals, indicates Student Learning.)

1: Distinguish Grammatical and Syntactical Structures (G:2) (Approved)

2: Recognize Idiomatic uses in French (G:2) (Approved)

3: Expand Vocabulary through Reading and Writing (G:1, 2) (Approved)

4: Master Complex Grammatical and Syntactical Structures (G:1,2) (Approved)

5: Expand Comprehension through reading texts in French (G:1,2) (Approved)

We also have more specific goals and objectives for our classes:

Goals:

1. Demonstrate Competency in French Language


https://stjohns.digication.com/

https://app.weaveonline.com//login.aspx

2. Understand French Culture and Aspects of life

3. Understand French Literature

Outcomes/Objectives

1. Communicate with native speakers of the language

2. Read and understand a French newspaper/article

3. Demonstrate ability to write in French

4. Master advanced grammar and composition writing

5. Understand the general history of France

6. Model the skills to interact with French people

7. Distinguish literary periods and genres

8. Analyze the literary texts

Weave measures:

Final exams have been provided and are graded based on the following criteria.

Grading Policy

Two grades shall be assigned:

- The first one, for demonstration of literary/cultural knowledge

- The second one, for ability to express yourself correctly in the foreign language: i. e for correction in grammar and spelling, and for ease of style.

Serious mistakes:

2 points: for a sentence which makes no sense, has no verb or no subject, or has a subordinate clause without a main clause.

1 point: for a mistake in grammatical agreement between singular and plural, either the subject does not match the verb, or the noun does not match the adjective, (i.e. “Ils est allé” instead of “Ils sont allés”, or “Les Français sont nationaliste” instead of “nationalistes”)

1 point: for a mistake in conjugation (i.e. not knowing the proper conjugation of a verb or not knowing that the verb is a reflexive or a verb of motion, i.e. writing “ il a devenu” instead of “il est devenu”) or for a mistake in use of the proper tense (i.e using the imparfait instead of the passé composé or the conditional instead of the future).

1 point for mistakes in negations (i.e. writing “Je n’ai pas un chien” for “Je n’ai pas de chien”

1 point: for failure to use the proper article contractions, i.e du, des, or au, aux


1 point for mistakes with personal pronouns (whether subject pronouns, direct object or indirect object pronouns, emphatic pronouns, pronouns y or en,) and with possessive/demonstrative adjectives

and pronouns

1 point: for mistakes with relative pronouns

1 point : for using the wrong word: whether a noun, a verb, a preposition or a conjunction

Lesser mistakes:

0,5 point for a spelling mistake

0,5 point for the wrong gender in nouns, and for mistakes involving gender with possessive adjectives or pronouns, or with demonstrative adjectives or pronouns (i.e writing “mon” for “ma”, “cet” for “ce”) or mistakes with indefinite adjectives or pronouns, (i.e tout, toute, tous, toutes)

0,5 point for a lesser mistake involving a negation, i.e “pas des” instead of “pas de”

0,5 for placing the adverb incorrectly in the sentence

0,5 for not knowing the right construction of a verb (does it take a direct or an indirect object? i.e writing “obéir quelqu’un” instead of “obéir à quelqu’un”)

0,5 for mistakes with articles (whether definite, indefinite, or partitive)

Final grade for the test will be the average from the tests, class participation and homework.

If students encounter several problems with their composition in French, individual goals are set by the Professor and +addressed at the GLCC.

4d. What, if any, external validations, e.g. specialized accreditations, external awards, other validations of quality has the program received? (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

Our new faculty has published extensively considering the fact that they are recent PhDs, and they have

participated in numerous conferences, domestic and international. Our faculty has also won awards

Two Faculty Outstanding Awards

One teacher of the year Award

Two Title VI grants

One N.E.H awards

Fellowships from the French government


STANDARD 5. The program has the faculty resources required to meet its mission and goals.

5a. Below you will find the number of students enrolled as majors and minors in the program. Please complete the table by adding the number of full-time faculty assigned to the program.


F Total F P Total F P Total F Total

Majors Majors Majors Majors Majors Majors Majors Majors Majors Majors

MAJORS 29 29 36 2 38 34 1 35 19 19


F P Total F P Total F Total F P Total

Minors MinorsMinorsMinorsMinorsMinorsMinorsMinorsMinorsMinorsMinors

MINORS 19 1 20 26 1 27 16 16 14 1 15


F P Total F P Total F P Total F P Total

Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total

Total MAJORS/MINORS 48 1 49 62 3 65 50 1 51 34 1 35


F P Total F P Total F P Total F P Total

FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE FTE

Total FTE MAJORS 48 0.333 48.333 62 1 63 50 0.333 50.333 34 0.333 34.333


5b. Below you will find the credit hours the department has delivered by full-time faculty and part-time faculty (including administrators) and the total credit hours consumed by non-majors.

Credit Hrs Taught Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

F-T Faculty 2,496 39.8% 2,109 32.1%

2,043 30.3% 1,938 31.1%

P-T Faculty (inc Admin) 3,768 60.2% 4,464 67.9% 4,710 69.7% 4,299 68.9%

0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Total 6,264 100% 6,573 100%

6,753 100% 6,237 100%

% Consumed by Non-Majors 5,820 92.9% 6,078 92.5%

6,297 93.2% 5,889 94.4%

The French program has been providing courses for the majors and minors, but also helped the students fulfill the language requirement (only 2 semesters for now, but this number might be reduced to zero, which would be detrimental to the vision of the University which is to create global citizens.

5c. Below you will find the number of courses the department has delivered by full-time faculty and part-time faculty (including administrators).

Credit Hrs Taught Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

F-T Faculty 2,496 39.8% 2,109 32.1%

2,043 30.3% 1,938 31.1%

P-T Faculty (inc Admin) 3,768 60.2% 4,464 67.9% 4,710 69.7% 4,299 68.9%

0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Total 6,264 100% 6,573 100%

6,753 100% 6,237 100%


% Consumed by Non-Majors 5,820 92.9% 6,078 92.5%

6,297 93.2% 5,889 94.4%

5d. What is the representative nature of faculty in terms of demographics, tenure and diversity? (See departmental information on next page). How well does this support the program? (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

2010 2011 2012 2013

FT PT Total FT PT Total FT PT Total FT PT Total

# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

Gender

Male 5 33% 15 39% 20 5 36% 18 43% 23 5 36% 20 43% 25 5 33% 17 36% 22

Female 10 67% 23 61% 33 9 64% 24 57% 33 9 64% 26 57% 35 10 67% 30 64% 40

Total 15 38 53 14 42 56 14 46 60 15 47 62

Ethnicity

Black 0% 0% 0 0% 1 2% 1 0% 1 2% 1 0% 1 2% 1

Hispanic 5 33% 12 32% 17 5 36% 12 29% 17 5 36% 12 26% 17 5 33% 13 28% 18

Asian 1 7% 1 3% 2 1 7% 1 2% 2 1 7% 1 2% 2 1 7% 1 2% 2

American Indian/Alaskan Native 0% 0% 0 0% 0% 0 0% 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0

White 9 60% 23 61% 32 8 57% 27 64% 35 8 57% 31 67% 39 9 60% 31 66% 40

2 or More Races 1 3% 0 0% 0

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0 0% 0

Unknown 0% 1 3% 1 0% 1 2% 1 0% 1 2% 1 0% 1 2% 1

Total 15 38 53 14 42 56 14 46 60 15 47 62

Tenure Status

Tenured 12 80% 12 12 86% 12 12 86% 12 13 87% 13

Tenure-Track 1 7% 1 1 7% 1 1 7% 1 0% 0

Not Applicable 2 13% 2 1 7% 1 1 7% 1 2 13% 2

Total 15 15 14 14 14 14 15 15


Our faculty is made of several members of the French-speaking community around the world, including: Quebec, Morocco, Haiti, Lebanon, etc and has 1 male and 2 female permanent faculty members. 5e. What evidence exists that the program’s faculty have engaged in research and scholarship on teaching and/or learning in the program’s field of study? (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

The two new full-time faculty members are young but are already established scholars. They regularly present at

the best national and international conferences, including the MLA (Modern Languages Association), the NEMLA, the

20th and 21st century French literature colloquium, the ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association), the ASA

(African Studies Association), the Society of French Professors of America, and many more.

One who specializes in translation studies has translated a book from French to English and is currently working

on a second translation as well as her first manuscript on the impact globalization in the African novel. In her study, she

examines a group of nine novels and films set in Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon and Gabon written and produced

between 1973 and 2006 in which "the West" and its international finance network are depicted as the fundamental

contemporary world power that wields a destructive dominance over African countries.

The other full-timer has published numerous articles on contemporary French literature for several peered-

reviewed journals, in particular on novels written by minorities in France. He is currently finishing his first manuscript. In

his book, he argues that urban literature---a genre that has developed after the 2005 riots in France---has helped

redefine French identity for a new generation of French citizens living in the outskirts of Paris whose parents were born

in the former colonies.

The Director of the GLCC recently published a revised edition of her book on French to English translation

which uses a linguistic approach to translation and which is widely used in the U.S at institutions such as Berkeley, UCLA,

Ohio State, Oregon State University, Rutgers, Hofstra as well as Canada and other Anglophone countries in

French/English translation courses. She also published in 2014 a book on French grammar which targets the specific

needs of Anglophones and is currently used in our advanced French grammar and composition courses

The Chair of the department of Languages and Literatures remains active in the field of French studies, currently

writing on award-winning novelist J-M Le Clezio in spite of all her activities as Chair of the department.

5f. What initiatives have been taken in the past five years to promote faculty development in support of the program? (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

The program recently organized a methodological training for the adjuncts in French in order to expose them to

new innovative pedagogical approaches, including more interactive methods and integrate them into the teaching of

French, both language and culture. We organized workshops on new ACFTL guidelines and pedagogical tools in


September 2012, one on pedagogy in November 2014 with the GLCC through a Title VI grant; and one with MLA

(Modern Languages Association) in April 2015 regarding new trends in French studies.

The new faculty has integrated the use of technology in their classes, both for their lectures and for the

students' presentations for which they have to use Powerpoint and Prezi for their oral presentations.

The two full-timers have received some funds in order to present their research at conferences and frequently

meet with several publishers in order to get the best textbooks for students taking French

5g. The table below shows the amount of external funding received by the department. If available, please provide the dollar amount of externally funded research for full-time faculty supporting the program under review. (Program dollar amounts are available through departmental records.)

External Funding

Fiscal Year

09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13

$ Amount Program

$ Amount Departmen

t 69,54

4 69,54

4 69,54

4 158,996

5h. Please comment on the table below that shows trends in overall course evaluation and instructional vibrancy for your program (if available), your college and the university. (Suggested limit ½ page)

Overall Evaluation (Spring) Instructional Vibrancy (Spring)

2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013

French (Q) 4.29 4.07 4.08 4.59 4.40 4.40

Saint John’s College 3.95 4.01 4.00 4.28 4.33 4.33

Total Undergraduate 4.01 3.21 4.07 4.27 4.29 4.35

The evaluations for our program are superior not only to the average of the college but also to the university as a whole.


We have been able to recruit new adjuncts from Columbia, NYU and CUNY as well as Fordham University who have

extensive training and access to new teaching styles and new pedagogy.

5i. What percentage of full time faculty assigned to this program have terminal degrees or industry certifications renewed within the past 2 years? Comment. (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

The two new full-timers have PhDs from the City University of New York, which is the highest degree for the

study of French literature and culture in the United States. They both obtained their doctorate recently (in 2012) which

makes them very much in touch with current teaching approaches. They also have extensive experience in teaching on

campuses in New York (Hunter College, Baruch College, Brooklyn College, Queens College, Medgar Evers College,

Fordham University). Some of our adjuncts also have PhDs from NYC or Columbia University or are currently working on

their doctorates.

Standard 5. Comments: Indicate to what extent the program has the faculty resources required to meet its mission and goals. Include references from 5a – 5i. (Suggested limit 1 page)

Having a second tenure-track professor would be ideal as it would create a balance regarding administrative

tasks for which we only rely on one professor. We currently offer four advanced classes each semester (civilization,

literature, advanced grammar and the Masterpieces class) and they cannot be taught by only one professor. Some of

these classes are taught by adjuncts which puts a strain on them as they are difficult classes to teach and they are not

compensated enough for the amount of work that these courses represent.

We need a permanent faculty member for French-speaking African countries who would not only establish

collaborations with other departments but also to share the administrative tasks which are now only done by the only

tenure-track faculty member.

STANDARD 6. The program has adequate resources to meet its goals and objectives. And, it is cost-effective.

6a. Narrative/Supportive Technological Environment - Comment on classrooms and labs meeting industry-standards for quality and availability of hardware, software, and peripherals; library space, holdings and services; science laboratories, TV studios, art/computer graphic labs; etc. (Suggested limit 1 page)

Nothing to declare except that the library has a lot of books about French and Francophone literatures and cultures IN

ENGLISH, but few in French. But one of the full-time faculty members ordered some current novels and theoretical

works that we needed. Some of the computer in Marillac could be faster.


6b. Narrative/ Supportive Physical Environment - Comment on level of faculty and student satisfaction with HVAC; faculty and student satisfaction with classroom lighting, crowdedness, and acoustics; flexible teaching environments, and faculty offices, etc.. (Suggested limit 1 page)

Some classrooms in Marillac are a little noisy, either because they are blasting cold air or because of the heat.

This occasionally prevents students from hearing other students speak. It would be great to have more classes held in St

John Hall.

A few classes are at 7:30am which is not ideal for learners of a foreign language. It's already difficult to pay

attention to a class taught in English, it is probably even more difficult for a class taught in French.

6c. To what extent has the University funded major capital projects, e.g., renovations, which are linked directly to the program during the past five years? (Bulleted list) N/A

6d. If external data that describes the cost effectiveness of the program has been provided by your School/College Dean, please comment on the program’s cost-effectiveness. (Suggested limit 1 page)

The French program is extremely cost effective in the sense that the 2 full-timers teach 6 to 8 classes per year,

including most of the advanced courses (literature, civilization, advanced conversation, advanced grammar, etc)

Credit Gross Tuition Financial Tuition Net Tuition Other Direct Total Direct ContributionEnrollment Hours Tuition Fees & Fees Aid Remission Fellowships Revenues Revenue Revenue Expenses Margin #1

540 SJC French BA Q 16 503 590,490 26,471 616,961 250,789 0 0 366,172 4,145 370,317 141,706 228,611

540 SJC Italian BA Q 11 323 405,190 13,248 418,438 149,175 0 0 269,263 2,692 271,955 121,726 150,228

540 SJC Spanish BA Q 14 409 477,185 32,530 509,715 239,344 3,645 0 266,726 3,391 270,117 139,140 130,977

540 SJC Spanish MA Q 14 240 281,160 11,713 292,873 20,480 49,500 82,500 140,393 800 141,193 130,645 10,549


STANDARD 7. Effective actions have been taken based on the findings of the last program review and plans have been initiated for the future.

Comments: (Suggested limit 1page)

The hiring of two new professors (one tenure-track and one on a renewable contract) certainly contributed to

give the program a new approach that is aligned with the global perspective that has been one of the main goals of the

university but the second position needs to be renewed since we technically only have ONE tenure-track French

professor on campus teaching full time.

The study of languages and their cultures are an essential part of the master plan for the university. Removing or

reducing the support for the study of languages would undermine the University’s declared strategic vision and mission.

Nevertheless, in order to implement the plan of becoming a global center of learning, the University ought to keep the

language requirements since we cannot create fully global citizens if they are monolingual.

In the French program we will continue to prepare students with foreign language ability to function effectively

in French-speaking cultures in five continents, international environments and value systems, and students need the

language skills and cultural skills to successfully complete internships in France or French-speaking countries.

The program is in greater demand with the new population of the University as the data shows (we opened

TWO classes this fall 2015, including a passport course partially taught in Paris). The recent opening of many bilingual

programs in Public Schools in New York shows that French remains a major language, and there will soon be a need for

French teachers or teachers in general who can speak French.

The program can play a very important role in enabling students to develop international skills and knowledge

through internships. These skills are now in high demand and have become a priority at the University level as part of its

Mission and Strategic Goals. The acquisition of these skills has also become a priority at the National level, as well as at

the International level as reflected on the UN mission statement but our program, despite the recent tenure-track

position, remains much smaller than most French programs at comparable universities and colleges in the tri-state area.


Documents

· Web view2015-10-02 · AY 2014-2015 ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY TEMPLATE . Reporting School/College: St John College. Program Reviewed: French B.A. Date Submitted to