Marquette is offering a free Spanish for Higher Education Professionals course to employees. The course will run over six weeks in the summer semester.
In-person instruction will take place from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, May 21 through June 27. The course includes additional asynchronous coursework via D2L. The summer cohort is limited to 16 participants.
To be considered for the summer 2025 cohort, interested individuals should complete and submit the application by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 25.
This course has been designed to educate and prepare our higher educational professionals with the skills needed to support Marquette’s growing Latino student community as we move toward becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. Faculty and staff enrolled in the course will develop a working knowledge of basic Spanish as well as a culturally sensitive understanding of our Latino student community.
Employees enrolled in the course will learn to:
- Use socially and linguistically appropriate forms of Spanish to initiate conversations with Spanish-speaking students and their families
- Use appropriate and culturally sensitive strategies to interact with Spanish-speaking students and their families
- Demonstrate acceptable control of basic Spanish grammar and pronunciation
- Demonstrate awareness of the linguistic and cultural diversity of Latinx communities in Milwaukee and the U.S. and of social issues affecting these communities
- Engage in dialogues around HSI and broader DEI efforts through culturally responsive programming, workshops and discussions. Speakers will include Latinx members of the Milwaukee community and Latinx Marquette students.
Individuals who meet and agree to the following criteria will be considered for participation:
- Full-time employee at Marquette University
- Demonstrated interest in supporting and advocating for our Latinx students
- Supervisor approval
- Available to participate in all sessions
- Willing to complete all assigned work
This course was made possible through the Explorer Grant Challenge and is the result of a collaboration among the University Staff Senate, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures and the Department of Human Resources. Piloted in spring 2023, the course has already had a positive impact on the campus community.
For more information, contact LK Pinhancos, teaching assistant professor of Spanish in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
