Global Studies and World Languages

Minné Hall, Room 120 ((507) 457-5500; fax (50) 457-2621)
www.winona.edu/globalstudies
Yogesh Grover (Director)

Faculty

Michael Bowler, Associate Professor; BA, University of Notre Dame; MA, MSc, PhD, Syracuse University; 2004 –
Linda D’Amico, Associate 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, Associate Professor; BA, MA, PhD, University of Iowa; 2004 –
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 –
Lilian Ramos, Associate Professor; BA, Seattle University; MA, PhD, University of Washington; 1992 –
Matthew Strecher, Associate Professor; BA, MA, University of Texas; PhD, University of Washington; 2007 –
Weidong Zhang, Assistant 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. At least 21 of the 58 required major semester hours must be met with 300-400 level courses.

Pass/No Credit (P/NC) Courses

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.

Intensive - 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

Foreign 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 individual foreign cultures. Students who enhance their occupational skills with linguistic and cultural training will increase their opportunities for employment in multinational corporations, 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 every two years. 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. Students who are high school graduates from a French-, Spanish-, or German-speaking country cannot register or receive credit for French, German, or Spanish 101 or 102. These students can register for a 201 or 202 course only if they have declared a major or a minor in Spanish (SPAN). Students should consult with the department chairperson for details.

Note: Courses beyond the intermediate level are only offered every other year except for SPAN 301 and SPAN 403. 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. 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 French, German, 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 or consult the Study Abroad section in this catalog (page 29). 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:

Intensive- Spanish

Oral (◎)

◎ SPAN 302 - The Culture of Spain (3)

Math/ Critical Analysis (◆)

◆ SPAN 402 - Spanish Peninsular Literature II (3)

Writing (△)

△ SPAN 301 - Spanish Composition and Conversation

△ SPAN 401 - Spanish Peninsular Literature I

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.