College of the Holy Cross | American Sign Language and Deaf Studies

American Sign Language and Deaf Studies

In 1994, through the support of a grant from the 3M Foundation's VISION Program, the College introduced an American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Studies curriculum. Courses, offered through the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, include Introduction to Deaf Studies, two to six semesters of American Sign Language instruction, an internship Community-Based Learning (CBL) seminar class with full immersion into the Deaf community, and special topic courses that are offered on rotating and alternate years. Special topics courses previously offered include: The Deaf Community: Language and Culture, Deaf Literature, Linguistics of ASL, Special Education and Deaf Children, and Bi-Lingual and Bi-Cultural Education of Deaf Children. The Intermediate and upper level ASL classes include a concurrent CBL partnership experience where ASL is used as the primary means of communication. Students are actively involved in programs that provide personal and direct interaction with members of the Deaf community. Through CBL partnerships, the ASL students are actively involved in programs that provide personal and direct interaction with members of the Deaf community. The Deaf Studies program also offers students numerous co-curricular events including speakers, special events, workshops, and films that complement, extend the use of ASL and increase exposure to the culture of the Deaf community.

Typically students studying other languages have the opportunity to study abroad in a foreign country- rich in culture and language. In addition to the ongoing active involvement with the local Deaf community, students at Holy Cross who are interested in gaining a more complete immersion experience in the “Deaf World” can link their learning and living by attending Gallaudet University, the world’s only deaf university, located in Washington, D.C. Students attend one semester at Gallaudet as a “visiting student” through the Semester Away program at Holy Cross.

Study Abroad and the Deaf Community
Semester Away at Gallaudet University

Multidisciplinary Studies Program

Students in Deaf Studies have the opportunity to develop and propose a unique student designed multidisciplinary major or minor through the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies. Students would integrate Deaf Studies with two additional academic disciplines within the College. Approved areas of student designed multidisciplinary majors incorporating Deaf Studies have included majors such as “Social Issues in Deaf Education”, “Genetics and the Deaf Community: Attitudes of Deaf College Students Towards Genetic Testing, Prenatal Screening and Gene Therapy”, “Development of literacy skills for deaf children” and “Deaf Education options.”