Global Studies and World Languages

120 Minné Hall
507.457.5500, Fax: 507.457.2621
Global Studies and World Languages website
Yogesh Grover, Chairperson

Faculty

Michael Bowler, Associate Professor; BA, University of Notre Dame; MA, MSc, PhD, Syracuse University; 2004 -
Linda D’Amico, Professor; BS, MA, PhD, Indiana University-Bloomington; 2000 -
Vanessa Fernandez-Greene, Assistant Professor; BA, Kalamazoo College; MA, Middlebury College; PhD, Boston University; 2011 -
Juan Fernandez-Iglesias, Associate Professor; BA, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; MA, PhD, University of Kansas; 2004 -
Timothy Frisk, Associate Professor; BS, Winona State University; BA, MA, PhD, University of Minnesota; 1990 -
Armando Gonzalez, Professor; BA, MA, PhD, University of Iowa; 2004 -
Julie Gonzalez, Assistant Professor; BA, Coe College; MA, PhD, University of Iowa: 2011 -
Yogesh Grover, Professor; BA, MA, University of Delhi (India); PhD, University of Missouri-Columbia; 1988 -
Ronald M. Mazur, Professor; BA, University of Detroit; MA, PhD, University of Michigan; 1978 -
Robert Sauveur, Assistant Professor; BA, MA, PhD, University of Texas; 2013 -
Matthew Strecher, Professor; BA, MA, University of Texas; PhD, University of Washington; 2007 -
Amy Hornby Uribe, Assistant Professor; BS University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; MA, PhD, University of Texas; 2012 -
Weidong Zhang, Associate Professor; BA, MA, Nanjing University (China); MA, PhD, University of Iowa; 2007 -

Global Studies: Program Description

Global Studies is a multidisciplinary program that enables students to understand the profound socio-cultural, political, and economic changes taking place at the global level. This program seeks to develop students’ global competence so that they can provide leadership at the global, national, and local levels in areas such as diplomacy and conflict resolution, business and economic policy making, environmental sustainability, and the growing non-profit, non-governmental/volunteer sector.

Global Studies differs from international relations in that its focus is not exclusively on relations between countries and issues of war, peace, and foreign policy making. The focus of this program is on globalization, what is causing this phenomenon, how it impacts us, and what can be done to steer it in a desirable direction. Hence, the focus of this program is also on global citizenship. Courses from the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences are integrated to foster a more comprehensive knowledge about the forces shaping our world.

Program Requirements - Global Studies

Students intending to major in Global Studies must complete all the university graduation requirements . Courses fulfilling the major requirements must be taken for credit only, except the language courses (see policy below). At least 21 of the 49 required major semester hours must be met with 300-400 level courses.

Pass/No Credit (P/NC) Courses

All courses for the major and the minor must be taken for credit except the language courses for which a passing grade will be acceptable if a student is testing out of a certain language.

General Education Intensive Requirements

Students may use intensive courses to satisfy both General Education and major requirements. Intensive courses will usually be in the student’s major or minor program. The Global Studies program offers the following Intensive courses.

Intensives - Global Studies

Intensive courses that can be used to satisfy global studies major/minor requirements are identified in the lists of required courses and electives in this section.

World Languages

World Languages - Program Description

Aside from the obvious enhancement of one’s marketability in the workforce as a speaker of more than one language, knowledge of foreign languages leads to a more widely open and empathetic mind. Once we get past the initial embarrassment of speaking another language–the fear of making mistakes intimidates almost everyone–most of us find a most peculiar phenomenon occurs: we begin to develop a kind of “alter-ego” for ourselves, someone who is still us, but a slightly different version of us. We develop (and are conscious of) the ability to think from both versions of ourselves, and most important, to see problems and questions from a variety of points of view. It would be difficult to deny that much of the conflict in our world occurs because people simply cannot see beyond their own cultural perspective; the study and use of foreign languages is the fastest, most effective path to cultural and global understanding.

Program Requirements - World Languages

Purpose

World language classes are designed to develop proficiency in the four skills areas: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Their further goal is to develop an understanding and appreciation of other cultures. Students who enhance their occupational skills with linguistic and cultural training will increase their opportunities for employment in business firms (national and multinational), government agencies, humanitarian organizations, and a variety of health professions. The following offerings (see Global Studies - World Languages for course descriptions) are available:

101-202 level language courses in French
101-202 level language courses in German
Complete BA/BS major/minor in Spanish
Complete BS (teaching) major in Spanish

The Global Studies and World Languages Department is authorized to recommend graduates for licensure in Spanish majors. (Minnesota does not grant teaching licenses for foreign language minors.) All coursework for the degrees is available on campus. Language courses 101, 102, 201, 202 are offered on a yearly basis. Most other courses are offered either once a year or once every two years, depending on student demand and/or faculty availability. For this reason, majors and minors in Spanish are expected to register for the “specialized study” courses when they are offered.

Arranged classes are discouraged and will be offered only under the most exceptional circumstances and require approval of the entire Global Studies and World Languages Language Department faculty. Independent studies courses are not offered.

Placement

All students with prior study of a foreign language are strongly encouraged to take a placement examination to determine the correct level of coursework at WSU. Native speakers of a given language taught in GSWL Department may not enroll in the beginning levels of that language (101-102). For instance, native Spanish speakers may not enroll in

SPAN 101 - Elementary Spanish I

SPAN 102 - Elementary Spanish II

. For purposes of this rule, “native speaker” is defined as any person (a) whose primary language is the target language, (b) who has been educated through the high school level at a school wherein the target language is the primary language of instruction, or (c) who have grown to adulthood in a country wherein the target language is the primary language of communication. Students enrolling in language courses in violation of this policy are subject to removal by the Registrar on the recommendation of the instructor.

Note: Courses beyond the intermediate level may not be offered every year except for

△ SPAN 301 - Spanish Composition and Conversation

and

◆ SPAN 403 - Latin American Literature

. This means that students who have not completed intermediate courses during their sophomore year will have difficulty graduating in four years with a major in Spanish unless they participate in a department- or university-approved study abroad program. Students of Spanish can participate in the Granada, Spain program or another department approved program available through WSU. The foreign language faculty reserves the right to depart from these guidelines when warranted by exceptional circumstances.

Credits For Previous Language Study

The department recommends that students who meet the prerequisites for Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish 101, 102, or 201 enroll in the next higher elementary or intermediate course. By earning a grade of “A” or “B” in WSU’s language courses 102, 201, or 202, students may obtain retroactive credit for course 101 and any sequel courses below the course in which they earned the “A” or “B.” Qualifying students may apply for retroactive credit by completing the appropriate form(s) and paying a fee of $5 per credit in order to receive a grade of “P” (pass) in the appropriate course(s). For information about credit by examination, see page 23. The foreign language faculty reserves the right to depart from these guidelines when warranted by exceptional circumstances.

Study Abroad

WSU students who wish to immerse themselves in a foreign culture and language for one or more semesters have several options available to them. For specific information, please contact the Study Abroad Office. Students who wish to receive University credit for participation in a study abroad program must have prior approval from the Global Studies and World Languages Department. Foreign language students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in order to acquire language proficiency.

Pass/No Credit (P/NC) Courses

Elementary and intermediate language courses (101,102, 201 and 202) may be taken for pass/no credit. Except for internships and practica, students must take all courses in their major, minor, options, concentrations, and licensures on a grade-only basis. In addition, a pass will be accepted for SPAN 201 (Intermediate Spanish I) for those majors/minors who received an “A” or “B” in SPAN 202 (Intermediate Spanish II). In this instance, students can qualify for retroactive credit for SPAN 201 after completing the appropriate forms. The P/NC option is available to non-majors unless otherwise noted. Courses offered on a pass/no credit-only or grade-only basis are so designated in the course descriptions.

GPA Requirements

A cumulative GPA of 2.00 to graduate with a major or minor in Spanish.
A cumulative 2.75 GPA to be admitted to teacher education and for courses taken for the BS teaching major.

General Education Intensive Requirements

Students may use intensive courses to satisfy both General Education and major requirements. Intensive courses will usually be in the student’s major or minor program. The Department of Global Studies and World Languages offers the following intensive courses:

Intensives - Spanish

Oral (◎)

◎ SPAN 302 - The Culture of Spain (3 S.H.)

Math/ Critical Analysis (◆)

◆ SPAN 402 - Spanish Peninsular Literature II (4 S.H.)

Writing (△)

Intensive courses that can be used to satisfy Spanish major/minor requirements are identified in the lists of required courses and electives in this section.

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science - Teaching

Spanish (Teaching) (SPNT) - BT Major

Minor

Non-degree

Global Studies - World Languages