Languages Across the Curriculum

Davidson College

Partners Project Final Report

Davidson College was awarded $2,500 last summer by the Global Partners Project to begin examining ways to have Languages Across the Curriculum on our campus. We invited Professor Jolène Barjasteh, Director of LAC and Associate Professor of French at St. Olaf College, to come to Davidson and hold a workshop on the subject. We were able to persuade 17 faculty members to come out on Saturday morning, September 29, 2001, to hear her describe St. Olaf's program. We were also able to send Professor Lauren Yoder, Chair of the French Department here, to St. Olaf in March to investigate their LAC program. Through these two visits, we were able to lay the groundwork for LAC courses here at Davidson. We learned the advantages and disadvantages of the several models of LAC programs, and chose to adopt the St. Olaf model, with a weekly one-hour language module that is taught by a language professor.

We then applied to Title VI of the Dept. of Education for a grant of $110,000, but our proposal was not chosen. Nevertheless, we are going to be offering two LAC courses next fall: "Latin American Politics" with a Spanish component, and "Art in France" with a French component. We may be able to offer a course with a German component next spring.

We shall apply for an NEH grant next fall to attempt to secure funding for a continuing LAC program.

I shall be on sabbatical next year, but I'll be working with Professor Lauren Yoder to draft the NEH proposal, which is due October 15th.

I would like to thank the Global Partners' Project and the Mellon Foundation for their support. I remain hopeful that we'll be able to create a LAC program here at Davidson College, and I will keep you informed of our progress.

Report by Homer B. Sutton Interim Director, Dean Rusk program in International Studies & Professor of French, Davidson College.

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