Join Us for An Engaging and Insightful Webinar:

Empowering Language Programs: Advocating for Institutional Support


Presented by Vista Higher Learning for Higher Education instructors and faculty. If you are a K12 educator interested in this topic, we invite you to browse the collection of K12 webinars archive here.


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Webinar Description

In this webinar, we will review the "Reflective Tool for Supporting Language Programs,” a self-assessment tool developed by JNCL-NCLIS and sponsored by Vista Higher Learning.

This comprehensive tool is designed to help language faculty evaluate and reflect on their institution's current practices and support for language programs. It includes various sections that cover institutional commitment, resource allocation, student engagement, faculty development, program impact, interdisciplinary collaboration, internship development, community outreach, and strategic planning.

Participants will engage in small group discussions, guided by team leaders. The main goal is to identify strengths, areas for growth, and actionable steps to enhance your language programs.

When:
Thursday March 27, 2025 | 3:30 PM ET

Presented by:
Dennis Looney, Former Director at Modern Language Association

Unable to attend the session? you can access the recording on Vista Higher Learning Higher Ed professional development webinar page

Get To Know Our Speakers

Dennis Looney

Former Director at Modern Language Association

Dennis Looney served as director of the Office of Programs and director of the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages at the Modern Language Association from 2014 to 2021. From 1986 to 2013, he taught Italian at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was chair of the Department of French and Italian for eleven years and assistant dean of humanities for three years. In 2022, he received the James E. Alatis Founder’s Award from the Joint National Committee for Languages for “a lifetime of exceptional contributions to advancing language and international education,” and the ACTFL Wilga Rivers Award for Leadership in World Language Education.

Publications include Compromising the Classics: Romance Epic Narrative in the Italian Renaissance (Wayne State University Press, 1996), which received honorable mention, MLA Marraro-Scaglione Award in Italian Literary Studies, 1996-97; and Freedom Readers: The African American Reception of Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy (University of Notre Dame Press, 2011), which received the American Association of Italian Studies Book Prize (general category) in 2011.



Thank you for being an integral part of our advocacy journey. We can't wait to see you this spring and continue making a difference together.

Speakers

Dennis Looney
Former Director at Modern Language Association