HF2: Language Program Vitality
About
This group of faculty, coordinators, administrators, and other stakeholders addresses national trends in language instruction and enrollment. By sharing data and effective practices, we strengthen and advocate for sustainable language programs.
Open to New People
Active since: 2020
- Syracuse University
- Cornell University
- University of Rochester
- Colgate University
- Hamilton College
- Le Moyne College
- Skidmore College
- Union College
Collaborative Goals
Across the country, the closure of language programs, elimination of language majors, and reductions in faculty lines signal broader challenges facing the humanities. Because language study is inherently interdisciplinary, intersecting with cultural studies, literature, history, and linguistics, these changes often reflect wider institutional pressures. The Language Program Vitality Working Group responds to this moment by convening faculty and administrators to advance knowledge that strengthens university language programs.
Our collaborative goals are to deepen our understanding of national trends in instructional practices, curricular requirements, and student enrollment and retention in language programs. Together, we build capacity by exchanging diverse perspectives and high-impact practices across institutions. These cross-institutional, research-informed exchanges strengthen local advocacy and support productive dialogue with administrators, advisors, students, and parents about the value of language study and its importance across the humanities and beyond.
In 2026–2027, we will advance this work through coordinated programming, including strategic planning and writing retreats, workshops with experts, data-sharing initiatives, and collaborative resource development. These efforts will translate our shared commitments into concrete strategies and action. Our goal is to produce practical tools and sustained partnerships that reinforce language program vitality and contribute to a more resilient humanities landscape.
Group Organizers
Franziska Merklin
Senior Lecturer of Italian and Research Affiliate in Romance Languages and Literatures, Colgate University
Maria Teresa Valdez
Director of the Language Center; Head, Portuguese Program; University of Rochester
Group Members
- Nady Abdal-Ghaffar, Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies and Coordinator of Arabic Language Instruction, Colgate University
- Amany Ahmed, Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, Colgate University
- Nick Albertson, Assistant Professor of Japanese, Colgate University
- Afrah Alfatli, Senior Lecturer in Arabic, University of Rochester
- Claire Baldwin, Associate Professor of German and Department of German Chair, Colgate University
- Diana Barnes, Senior Teaching Professor of Spanish, Skidmore College
- Emma Britton, LRC Academic Programs Manager, Cornell University
- Gail Bulman, Associate Professor of Spanish, Syracuse University
- John Crespi, Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Colgate University
- Martin Dawson, Visiting Assistant Professor of German, Colgate University
- Timothy Freiermuth, Senior Lecturer of French, Skidmore College
- Stefano Giannini, Associate Professor and Italian Program Coordinator, Syracuse University
- Charlene Grant, Senior Lecturer of Spanish, Skidmore College
- Rania Habib, Associate Professor and Arabic Program Coordinator, Syracuse University
- Masako Inamoto, Associate Professor of Japanese, Skidmore College
- María Lander, Professor of Spanish, Skidmore College
- Yuan-Jun Liao, Keck Center Chinese Intern, Colgate University
- Aurélie Matheron, Assistant Professor of French, Skidmore College
- Pilar Mejía-Barrera, Senior Lecturer in Spanish, Colgate University
- Monica Escudero Moro, Senior Lecturer in Spanish, Colgate University
- Oscar Pérez, Associate Professor of Spanish and Director of Latin American and Latinx Studies, Skidmore College
- Ping Pian, Associate Professor of Instruction in Chinese, University of Rochester
- Mahadevi Ramakrishnan, Senior Lecturer in French, Colgate University
- Viviana Rangil, Professor of Spanish and Department Chair, Skidmore College
- Catherine Talley, Teaching Professor of French, Skidmore College
- Masami Tamagawa, Senior Teaching Professor of Japanese, Skidmore College
- M. Emma Ticio Quesada, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Spanish and Linguistics, Syracuse University
- Juliane Wuensch, Assistant Professor of German, Skidmore College
- Bernd Estabrook, Professor of Global Studies - German, Illinois College
- Michelle Gravatt, Teaching Associate Professor and LAC Director & Language Exchange Manager, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Jean Janecki, Language Resource Center Coordinator and Liaison, Mount Holyoke College
- William Pavlovich, Director of Global Learning Initiatives, Binghamton University
- Deborah Reisinger, Associate Professor of the Practice of Romance Studies and Director of Duke's Language Outreach Initiatives, Duke University
- Kanishka Sen, Associate Professor of Spanish and Program Lead of Modern Languages, Ohio Northern University
- Dan Soneson, Director Emeritus of the Language Center, University of Minnesota
- H. Stephen Straight, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and of Linguistics, Binghamton University
- Veronica Vegna, Director of the Italian Language Program, Languages Across the Curriculum Coordinator, and Senior Instructional Professor, University of Chicago
- Blanca Yagüe, Associate Instructor in Anthropology, University of Utah
- JY Zhou, Director and Senior International Officer, Office of Global Engagement, Stockton University
Activities
Conference on Innovative Approaches to Language Teaching
March 27, 2026, 3:30 p.m.
Writing Retreat: Language Program Vitality in the United States
March 22, 2025, 9 a.m.
Language Program Vitality in the United States
March 21, 2025, 2:30 p.m.