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Is the issue one of advocacy or legitimacy? You have sent this to SLLING
- great. This implies a question of legitimacy (i.e. the faculty senate
questions the legitimacy of the language - a scientific question, not a political
one). The fact that the legislature passed a bill recognizing ASL is probably
more a question of political "fact" than scientific one.<br>
<br>
Is the faculty senate concerned with <br>
<ul>
<li>a scientific question ("Is ASL truly a language?"),</li>
<li>a curricular question ("Does ASL satisfy the curricular goals for requiring
a foreign language?")</li>
<li>an internal political one ("What are the implications for the French
department if ASL is recognized and accepted?")<br>
</li>
</ul>
I suggest you have a few qualified and articulate people address each question.<br>
Beyond this, pressure from students has its place. The faculty cares about
what students massively want. On the other hand, advocacy from members of
the Deaf Community doesn't really fit does it?<br>
<br>
Theresa B. Smith, ASLIS<br>
<br>
Alysse Rasmussen wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid50.2855c1e9.2d666507@aol.com">
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<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>Calling All Deaf
Advocates! </strong></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>UCF ASL Professors
Need Help</strong></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong></strong></font> </div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>Thursday, February
26th, 2004</strong></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>4:00 PM</strong></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>University of Central
Florida</strong></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>Student Union</strong></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>Key West Room</strong></font></div>
<div align="center"><strong><font face="Comic Sans MS">Orlando, Florida</font></strong></div>
<div align="center"><strong></strong> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS">UCF offers 84 BA programs,
64 MA programs, 23 PhD programs and yet still refuses to recognize ASL for
exit credit in spite of recent legislation. You can help change this. Just
come to UCF for ONE hour on Thursday, February 26th, and tell the Faculty
Senate how you feel.</font></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS">On February 26th at 4:00 PM
the UCF Faculty Senate will vote, once again, on whether or not ASL (American
Sign Language) will be allowed to satisfy the foreign language graduate requirement.
</font></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS">This is very important for
members of the Deaf community. If ASL is not accepted, the quality of signers
and services will remain poor. Students who might elect to take ASL to fulfill
a foreign language requirement will be forced to take other languages. They
will never learn about the beauty and artistry of ASL. They will never learn
about Deaf people. They will continue to believe "Deaf people can't".</font></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS">If ASL is accepted, the program will
grow. Qualified signers, interpreters, and professionals, who are aware
of what ASL means to the Deaf community, will be able to get the kind of
professional scholarship they need to help ALL Deaf people succeed. They
will know "Deaf people can do anything!"</font></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS">In spite of the passage of
state legislation mandating ASL as a FULL and TRUE foreign language, there
is a great deal of Faculty Senate opposition to this issue. </font></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS">If you are a Deaf person or
someone who wishes to support Deaf people, please attend this meeting and
support this vote. This is VERY important for everyone who is a member of
the Deaf community. <strong><u>Please tell all your friends.</u></strong>
Please come help. Your presence will make all the difference. If the Faculty
Senate sees that Deaf people really exist -- and care about the quality of
interpreters and signers -- they will do the right thing.</font></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS">WHERE?</font></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS">UCF is set up like a wagon
wheel. The Student Union is the center "hub" of the campus. It is in the
middle of the campus. Here is a map: <a
href="http://www.ucf.edu/campusmap/">http://www.ucf.edu/campusmap/</a></font></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#004080">The
adddress is </font><font face="Verdana" color="#000000">4000 Central Florida
Blvd. It is right off 434. Here is a map: <a
href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&countryid=250&addtohistory=&address=4000+Central+Florida+Blvd.&city=orlando+&state=fl&zipcode=&submit=Get+Map">http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map..adp?country=US&countryid=250&addtohistory=&address=4000+Central+Florida+Blvd.&city=orlando+&state=fl&zipcode=&submit=Get+Map</a></font></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Comic Sans MS"> </font></div>
<div align="left">
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font
face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>Thursday, February 26th, 2004</strong></font></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font
face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>4:00 PM</strong></font></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font
face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>University of Central Florida</strong></font></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font
face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>Student Union</strong></font></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font
face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>Key West Room</strong></font></font></div>
<div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong><font
face="Comic Sans MS">Orlando, Florida</font></strong></font></div>
</div>
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