Bachelor’s Degree in American Sign Language Ready to Launch at UConn, Connecticut’s First

The University of Connecticut is breaking new ground in Connecticut as the first college or university in the state to offer a four-year bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language. Students can begin declaring the ASL major on May 1.

The language, which originated around 1817 at the American School for the Deaf (ASD), located in West Hartford, is now used by up to a half-million people worldwide.

UConn will be offering students an opportunity to study American Sign Language with up to six levels of courses including a variety of Deaf studies and interpreting courses.  A newly developed Plan of Study outlines the courses available and suggested sequence. The new major is made up of courses in language, literature, linguistics and culture. All the ASL language courses are taught by Deaf faculty in the Department of Linguistics, including Joan Hanna, Doreen Simons, and Sherry Powell, according to UConn Today.

ASL courses are also available during the summer and winter sessions and can fulfill university world language graduation requirements.  Students may opt to design an interdisciplinary ASL major or choose from one of two minors, Deaf Studies or Interpreting ASL and English.

The presence in Connecticut of the American School for the Deaf is an important connection for the new program major. 

 “The American School for the Deaf has enjoyed a strong collaboration with the University of Connecticut for many years, and we are excited to learn that they have recently been distinguished as the first college or university in Connecticut to offer a four-year Bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language,” Executive Director Jeffrey Bravin told CT by the Numbers.  “As the birthplace of American Sign Language, we applaud UConn for advancing the knowledge and use of this beautiful language and benefitting countless deaf and hard of hearing ASL users in Connecticut, and beyond!”

While numerous colleges around the country offer a course or courses in ASL, few have a full-fledged major.  The University of Houston and Gallaudet University in Washington, DC have existing programs that offers a bachelor’s degree.  The University of Rochester’s degree program goes back two decades.  The University of Memphis Board of Trustees voted last month to offer a four-year degree in American Sign Language and deaf studies as early as fall 2021.

The UConn website points out that in addition to the coursework, the ASL resource center is a valuable resource for students taking ASL, Deaf studies and interpreting courses or who are interested in learning more about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.  The ASL Resource Center is available for other interested students as well, according to the website.  Students who work in the center are experienced with ASL and can support and assist students through continued practice of ASL.

About a dozen Connecticut high schools offer courses in American Sign Language.  That number has grown since the state recognized ASL as a World Language nearly a decade ago.  Among them are Greenwich and West Hartford, where both of the town’s high schools offer a two year sequence of courses.  Avon High School offers a four-course sequence. 

When Brookfield decided to add an ASL class for this academic year, more than 100 students signed up.  A certified American Sign Language teacher was to lead the online class remotely.  Earlier this month, Norwalk Schools Superintendent Steven Adamowski, a former Hartford superintendent, proposed the addition of an ASL class in his strategic plan for the 2020-21 school year, including it among nine priorities for the district. 

A number of community colleges in Connecticut also offer some coursework in ASL.  Northwest Connecticut Community College in Winsted offers an Interpreter Preparation Program (IPP) ASL/ENGLISH program of study leading to an Associate in Science degree.

At UConn, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Linguistics Diane Lillo-Martin teaches linguistics courses in the major, and serves as a liaison between the ASL faculty and the Linguistics faculty. She has seen the ASL program grow from a few courses to a minor in ASL, along with about 10 sections of Elementary American Sign Language I every fall.

Assistant Professor in Residence of Linguistics Linda Pelletier led the program faculty in the development of the new major.  Pelletier, who is a CODA, an acronym in the Deaf community for “child of Deaf adults,” teaches interpreting classes, an optional component of the major, UConn Today noted.  She says the major sets students up with many of the cultural tools they’ll need for a career in speech pathology, social work, and education. Within the major, a concentration in interpreting offers introductory courses for students who wish to continue their education and training to become certified as interpreters.

Doreen Simons, lecturer in linguistics and ASL who represents the fifth generation of Deaf people in her family, says that ASL is gaining greater visibility.  “Attitudes and perceptions of people who are Deaf is changing for the better,” she says through an interpreter. “That wasn’t my experience growing up as a young child, as a Deaf individual. It wasn’t always as well-accepted or understood.”

In West Hartford, the American School for the Deaf, which celebrated its 200th anniversary just three years ago, “strives to remain on the cutting-edge of the latest advancements in technology; and we are creating strategic alliances with diverse community partners to provide our students with tangible skills that will prepare them for all that tomorrow may bring,” the current strategic plan points out. 

“At the American School for the Deaf, students and families are surrounded by inspiring peers, guided by dedicated and committed staff, and supported by robust technology,” Bravin added.  “We foster a language-rich environment that maximizes each student’s potential, empowering them to become educated and self-directed lifelong learners.”