Mission Statement

I. Internal Goals:

1. To develop and improve courses to serve community and students’ needs in specialized, technical, and occupational areas through course offerings such as: Basic Spoken courses, Human Services, Medical Personnel and Law Enforcement courses; experimental courses in less commonly taught languages such as Chinese, Japanese Russian and Arabic; Distance Learning courses.
2. To build a basic awareness of World Language courses offered at CCRI and to encourage study beyond the elementary level through such activities as cultural diversity fairs, open house, community relationships, student club activities, student travel, study abroad programs, and student award dinner ceremonies.
3. To create and maintain a successful environment for World Language education by being sensitive to class size, student special needs, student faculty and course evaluation; by encouraging faculty professional development in the use of instructional technology to enhance the classroom experience; and by identifying student developmental/placement and tutorial needs

II. External Goals:

1. To improve CCRI’s articulation with secondary schools, Rhode Island College, and University of Rhode Island in the area of continuity of world language study and course development.
2. To broaden and infuse World Language offerings in other programs and disciplines as an integral part of a cross academic college curriculum. For example, Spanish for Law Enforcement Personnel, Spanish for Medical Personnel, the Health Care Interpreter Certificate Program, and the Learner’s Journey Critical Thinking course (LIBA-1000).
3. To attract and maintain the interest of students, faculty of other disciplines, administrators and guidance personnel in the realization of the following:
   • Our increasingly global society requires a knowledge and appreciation of other cultures, races, and linguistic differences
   • World Language acquisition is the key to the understanding of the customs and culture of a people. The importance of cultural sensitivity and awareness has taken on an especially important role in our modern-day global society
   • The development of a global perspective and an in-depth understanding of world events is a vital national imperative