Language Diversity Initiatives in Higher Education
MIC workshop Series on Language and Social Justice
In this workshop, Dr. Dunstan will discuss her research on the experiences of students and faculty who speak stigmatized varieties of English and how this research led to the creation of a campus wide language diversity initiative and active student organization. Objectives of the workshop are to:
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Describe the need for and importance of language diversity initiatives in institutions of higher education with multilingual speakers as well as speakers of stigmatized varieties of English.
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Explain the campus language diversity initiative model including structure, activities, scope, personnel, assessment, and considerations for program sustainability.
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Highlight successes, challenges, and lessons learned.
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Provide strategies for other campuses to create and implement a language diversity initiative.
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Lecturer:
Stephany Dunstan, PhD
Stephany Dunstan serves as Assistant Vice Provost for Assessment and Accreditation at North Carolina State University. She holds a master’s degree in English sociolinguistics and a PhD in Educational Research & Policy Analysis. Her research agenda is centered on a) exploring issues of language diversity and social justice in higher education and b) student success for college students from rural areas. Stemming from her research on language diversity and higher education, she and Drs. Audrey Jaeger and Walt Wolfram developed the nation’s first comprehensive language diversity program in higher education which addresses issues of language and social justice on university campuses. This initiative was recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators in 2016 as the honoree of the Grand Gold Excellence Award.