Dec 07, 2024

2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog

2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

American Sign Language Interpreting, B.A.

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American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) Program Overview

The University of Houston American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) program is designed to prepare undergraduates to be fluent in American Sign Language and to develop the skill and knowledge base needed to gain entry-level certification as a professional interpreter. Interpreters facilitate communication between Deaf and Hearing individuals in a vast array of settings such as: K-12 classrooms, post-secondary institutions, governmental agencies, public sector venues, courtrooms, medical venues, public service meetings, media outlets and video relay services (VRS telephone calls).

To be successful students must possess the following requisite abilities:

Typical hearing, vision and speech capabilities, manual dexterity, limb, face and head movements, dual limb coordination, and physical stamina;
Cognitive skills: critical thinking, selective attention, auditory and visual attention, mental stamina, short-term memory retrieval, information ordering, deduction of pattern inference, and fluent delivery of message details;
Cultural and linguistic knowledge (knowledge and mastery of both spoken and written English, knowledge and fluency in American Sign Language, knowledge and fluency in Pidgin Sign English (PSE), understanding of norms and values of both the English-speaking community and the Deaf community); and
Professional attributes (such as social perceptiveness, independence, interpersonal skills, adaptability in the workplace, emotional control and stability, problem-solving, conflict resolution, time management, ethical behavior). {For more information, see the Texas Department of Rehabilitative Services - Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DARS-DHHS) Chapter 1.3 - Essential Functions of a BEI Certified Interpreter. Further information may also be obtained from the Registry of Interpreters for the Dear - Standard Practice Paper “Professional Sigh Language Interpreting”}

ASLI Language courses are taught by Deaf professors so that students experience a cultural and linguistic immersion in the classroom setting. ASLI Interpreting courses are taught by leaders in the field who have obtained the highest level of certification possible at the state and /or national level. Successful graduates of the ASLI program will be fluent in both English and American Sign Language and will complete all University of Houston requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree. The goal of the program is for graduates to be qualified to pass the entry-level Board of Evaluation of Interpreters (state) certification exam, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf exam (national, and/or the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) so as to gain employment in a growing field of high demand.

General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in ASL Interpreter Program

To obtain a bachelor’s degree in ASL Interpreting (ASLI) the following requirements must be completed in addition to university core requirements as well as the requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Science for the Bachelor of Arts Degree:

The following 43 credits constitute the required courses for the major in ASLI:

ASLI 2301 - Intermediate American Sign Language I Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 2302 - Intermediate American Sign Language II Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 2333 - Introduction to American Sign Language Interpreting Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 2335 - Multiculturalism and Diversity in ASL Interpreting Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 3330 - Consecutive Interpreting and Translation Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 3333 - Interactive Interpreting I Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 3334 - Interactive Interpreting II Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 3360 - Advanced American Sign Language Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 4335 - Advanced Interpreting Techniques and Skills in ASL/English Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 4346 - American Sign Language Transliteration and Educational Interpreting Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 4368 - Linguistics of American Sign Language Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 4397 - Selected Topics in American Sign Language Interpreting Credit Hours: 3.0
ASLI 4489 - Service Learning - Fieldwork Credit Hours: 4.0
COMD 3301 - Deaf Culture Credit Hours: 3.0

For those planning to major in ASL Interpreting:

1. All students are required to meet with the undergraduate advisor prior to declaring the major.

2. To be accepted into the major, students must complete both ASLI 2333 and ASLI 2301 or its equivalent with a grade of C or better and apply to the program by the set deadline.

3. Degree plan should be filed once the student has reached junior status and have been accepted in the major. The degree plan must be filled the semester prior to enrollment in ASLI 4489 Service Learning.

4. ASLI students will take one of the following courses to complete their Writing in the Discipline (WID) requirement for the core.

PSYC 2344 - Cultural Psychology ;
SOC 2310 - Social Problems ,
SOC 2325 - American Minority Peoples ,
SOC 3330 - Introduction to Social Psychology ,
Or an intensive writing course which satisfies WID requirement with a grade of C or better.

5. All courses in the major must be completed with a grade of C or better.

6. A satisfactory rate of progress toward the degree is required throughout the student’s enrollment. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 (C) for all ASLI courses attempted is required for continuation in the program. Failure to maintain a 2.00 grade point average may result in a warning. If a student is unable to improve their GPA within one semester, removal from the program is possible.

7. Prior to enrollment in a class any prerequisites must be completed successfully (grade of C or better). If a student enrolls in a class for which they have not successfully completed the prerequisites, they will be dropped. Neither the department nor the university will be responsible for any tuition refunds.

8. Only two courses in the major can be repeated, and they may be repeated only once.

9. All undergraduate students must attend all mandatory undergraduate advising meetings. It is recommended that students meet with their advisor at least once a year.

10. Students whose latest ASL class was over 12 months prior must be evaluated for placement in the appropriate ASL level.

11. Courses in the major that are seven or more years old may not count toward a degree, whether taken at the University of Houston or transferred to the University of Houston, unless successfully petitioned.

12. A minimum of twelve hours of advanced ASLI courses must be taken in residence at the University of Houston.

Degree Plans:

To file a degree plan:

The student must complete ASLI 2302 or equivalent and 15 hours in the department, with a minimum grade of C for each course.
Student must have achieved Junior status having completed at least 60 credits. Overall GPA must be 2.0 or better.
The following core classes must have successfully been completed:
- 6 credits Communications
- 6 credits Math or core Math/Reasoning
- 6 credits core Life & Physical Sciences
- 6 credits core American History
- 6 credits core Government/Political Science

All students should see their ASLI advisor for assistance in determining their full program of study which includes university and college core course requirements. ASLI and COMD courses are typically offered once a year and must be taken in sequence to accommodate prerequisites.