By: Kelsie Holman, CHaSS Communications Journalist
Utah State University’s Department of Languages, Philosophy, and Communications Studies is being split into two separate departments. David Richter is taking on the department head position for the new Department of World Languages and Cultures.
Richter has been at USU since 2009 and teaches courses on literature and culture from Spain. His research focuses on the literature and culture from the 20th and 21st century with a focus on modern poetry and Spanish graphic narratives.
“I believe that world languages bring together access to a wide array of cultures,” said Richter.
The world language and cultures department will house over 30 faculty members teaching courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, and linguistics. The department will also house the Intensive English Language Institute and the Master of Second Language Teaching program.
Richter hopes that the formation of this new department will help bring a sense of community to the programs and help give each language their own autonomy within the department. The department is interested in producing different certificate programs that students will be able to study. These certificates could include film studies, world cultures, or community outreach programs that students could study alongside their degrees.
“I believe that the skills you learn in our classes are transferable to any professional workplace,” said Richter.
The world languages department provides students with an opportunity to embark on an exciting journey that will help them become better citizens of the world, and the new department will help to bring a richer experience for students studying within its programs.
“Our classes are rigorous but a ton of fun. They help you tap into a passion for other cultures and deepen your understanding,” said Richter.
To help elevate the faculty who have authored books, Julia M. Gossard, associate dean of research in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS), created CHaSS Book Talks. This series invites faculty with recent publications to share their resea...
A new series was recently introduced to promote the creative work and research conducted in the college. The CHaSS Book Talk series was designed to help facilitate a more robust intellectual community among faculty, staff, and graduate students, centering...
