On May 8, the university-wide spring Student Success Summit took place. Nominated by German professor Senta Goertler, the language programs in RCS and LiLaC were recognized for being outstanding, innovative, and long-standing contributors to MSU student success.
The spring Student Success Summit is an opportunity for the faculty, advisors, and staff to come together and discuss student success with an eye toward the future of the university.
Student success is built on several factors. RCS and LiLaC were recognized for their significant contributions because of outstanding educators and courses that foster acceptance and growth.
Prof. Goertler nominated these programs because of her own experience and research. She states,
“I nominated the language educators in RCS and LiLaC because they significantly contribute to student success in often invisible ways by creating safe spaces to discuss, explore, and share one’s identity; actively promoting and encouraging community building; creating classes that foster creativity, innovation, and interdisciplinarity; integrating curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular learning and thereby supporting and developing the whole student; engaging the students in new ways of thinking and communicating; mentoring the students throughout their career at MSU inside and outside of the classroom; helping students connect with their heritage and opening up possibilities for communicating with family members in their language; leading education abroad programs and thereby becoming not just teacher, advisor, and mentor, but also tour guide, cultural translator, student support, resident life, and first responder for all health and well-being issues.”
Prof. Goertler expands on this by acknowledging language educators for taking on many extra roles outside of their job description to act as teachers, advisors, first responders, and counselors for their students during the pandemic. Additionally, language courses were some of the few courses still offered synchronous classes.
These ideas are evident throughout the language programs and are visible through impressive course and program materials, positive course evaluation feedback, and formal and informal data from language students.
Being recognized at the Student Success summit is an honor and was well-deserved by the many hard-working educators, staff, and students within RCS and LiLaC.
