Universidad de Puerto Rico en Aguadidla Senado Acadhiico

Universidad de Puerto Rico en Aguadidla
Senado Acadhiico
La que suscribe, Secretaria del Senado Academic0 de la Universidad de Puerto
Rico en Aguadilla, CERTlFlCA que en la reunibn ordinaria celebrada el dia 17
de diciembre de 2015, este organism0 tuvo ante su consideracibn el lnforme del Comite de
Asuntos Academicos y Evaluacibn de Cursos relacionado a la Propuesta de Creacion de
Concentraci6n Menor en lnglbs: Written a n d Oral Communication in English for
Professionals.
Luego de una amplia discusibn el Senado, RECOMENDO LA:
Propuesta de Creaci6n de Concentraci6n Menor en Inglbs: Written a n d
Oral Communication in English for Professionals.
La fecha de comienzo de la concentracibn menor estara sujeta al tramite del
Decanato de Asuntos Academicos de la UPR en Aguadilla y la Vicepresidencia de
Asuntos Academicos de Administracibn Central para la certificacibn e ingreso al Registro
de la Oferta Acadernica en cumplimiento con la Certificacibn Num. 69 (2013-2014) de la
Junta de Gobierno sobre la Politica de Segundos Bachilteratos, Segundas
Concentraciones, Concentraciones Menores y Certificaciones Profesionales en las
Universidades de Puerto Rico.
El anejo que se incluye forma parte de esta certificacibn.
Y PARA QUE ASI
CONSTE, expido y remito la presente certificacibn a las
autoridades universitarias correspondientes, bajo el Sello de la Universidad de Puerto Rico
a 10s trece dias del mes de enero de dos mil dieciseis, en Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
el son Arnaldo Vera ~ernandez,P~.DT
Rector
PO BOX 6150,Aguadilla, PR 00604-6150
Tel: (787) 890-2681,ext. 3303/3315/3316
Fax:(787) 890-4073
E-Mail: juntaysenado.uprag@upr.edu
Patrono con Igualdad de Oportunidad en el Empleo M/M/V/l
UNIVEKSI'TY OF PUERTO RICO AT AGUADILLA
DEAN OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
PROPOSAL FOR THE CREATION OF AN ENGLISH DEPARTMENT MINOR:
WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH FOR
PROFESSIONALS
Approved by the Academic Senate of the University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla
through Certification Number 2015-16-16
Certification Num. 2015-16-16
Academic Senate
UPR Aguadilla
Page 2
MINOR : WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH FOR
PROFESSIONALS
1. Introduction
Based on certification 69 (2013-2014) of the Governing Board, the Department of
English proposes the creation of a Minor in Written and Oral Communication in
English for Professionals. The Department of English is certified by the Consejo de
Educacion Superior de Puerto Rico (CEPR) to offer a bachelors in Education with a
concentration in the teaching of English with Multimedia Technology and is
accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
(NCATE). This minor will provide all University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
(UPRAg) students with the opportunity to complement and expand their education
by enhancing their professional writing and communication skills in English. The
objectives of this minor support and align with the institution's general education
philosophy, which emphasizes effective oral and written expression, clear thinking
and precise communication in both English and Spanish.
2. Justification
2.1 Relationship of the minor to the mission and objectives of the University of
Puerto Rico at Aguadilla and the Department of English:
The University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla is, as stated in its mission statement,
"committed to the development of critical thinking skills, social responsibility,
communication and leadership skills" to prepare our students for changes in the
professional world and today's ever changing workforce. The proposed Minor in
Written and Oral Communication in English for Professionals will equip our
students with an academic background in both theory and the application necessary
to meet the professional and technical requirements of a diverse society.
Accordingly, the mission of the Department of English is to develop academic
English proficiency in the language arts. The proposed minor will offer students of
all areas of specialization a variety of methods and techniques in effective written
and oral communication skills in English, thereby preparing students of all
disciplines with an advantage in our global society.
2.2 Global Reasons
Communication has been transformed and has replaced traditional methods of
contact as a result of the advances in technology. English is the language of
science, computers, media, business and aviation. In our local economy new
Certification Num.2015-16-16
Academic Senate
UPR Aguadilla
Page 3
programs with foreign markets, such as in the area of Aeronautics and Aerospace
Technology allied with Lufthansa Technik, have created a demand for diversity and
competence in English. English is often used as the lingua franca in multinational
companies. This proposed minor will meet the needs of all students who lack
proficiency in the English language. Our commitment to the mastery of the English
language will benefit the students in their personal, academic, and professional
settings to meet the demands in these areas, on island, as well as abroad.
2.3 Academic reasons for the establishment of the minor
Our strategic plan endorses the continual revision of academic offerings to stay
current with educational advances and to complement the curriculum with practical
experience in the areas of various specializations. Students from all disciplines will
benefit from the Minor in Written and Oral Communication in English for
Professionals by sharpening their skills in English through increased preparation in
composing, translating, interpreting, and evaluating official texts, whereby
complementing their subject area knowledge. Since English language proficiency of
the students has a significant positive relationship with their overall academic
achievement, students across the curriculum will benefit from increased proficiency in
highly valued oral and written communication skills. For example, many students
are expected to master research skills that require a strong background in composing
and applying the process of academic discourse as a well as mastery of content
specific vocabulary and complex sentence structure in English. English technologyenhanced learning opportunities are essential. Additionally, all members from the
external community will be able to complete this minor as professional development.
2.4 Professional reasons for the establishment of the minor
As a language department, it is our mission is to render future professionals and
leaders prepared to think critically, write effectively, and speak articulately in
connection with the needs and demands of a diverse contemporary society. Local
assessments conducted in our university demonstrate a deficiency in basic writing
skills from students of all levels and disciplines. Furthermore, the need for increased
proficiency in communication skills in Puerto Rico is necessary if our students are to
successfully compete in challenging career opportunities. The proposed Minor in
Written and Oral Communication in English for Professionals, will increase the
chances of students becoming more marketable for local, as well as global
opportunities. The mastery of English skills for academic, as well as professional
purposes, will grant students with the opportunity to increase their proficiency in both
their area specialization alongside their oral and written communication skills in their
target language.
Certification Num. 2015-16-16
Academic Senate
UPR Aguadilla
Page 4
Suggested Initiation Date
Second Semester - Academic Year 2015-2016 (January, 2016)
3. Objectives
Upon completion of the required courses for a Minor in Written and Oral
Communication in English for Professionals as proposed by the Department of
English - UPR Aguadilla, the students will be able to:
a. Recognizc, understand, and use a range of conventions in both spoken and
written English with emphasis on correctness and fluency in oral and written
English.
b. Understand and practice the principles of reasoning by means of the
introduction to expository modes and techniques of organization in writing.
c. Study the phonetics and phonemes of Standard American English and its
intonation with emphasis on those aspects of English that present difficulty
to the Spanish speakers.
d. Increase confidence, fluencv.
.. and correctness in the use of svoken English
with emphasis on pronunciation, developing a strong vocabulary, and those
features present in oral language such as idiomatic expressions.
e. Practice planning, organizing; and writing technical reports in English and
related fundamental techniques in writing memos, business letters, formal
and informal reports, user manuals, instructions, and research papers.
4. Requirements for admission
This minor is designed for students who wish to enhance their major program and
increase their academic proficiency as well as their professional opportunities by
acquiring or further developing their English written and oral communication skills.
To enroll in the minor, the student needs to complete an application declaring his or
her intention at the Register's Office. Students must have completed their Basic
(INGL 3 101 and 3 102) or Intermediate (INGL 3 103 and 3 104) English courses.
Students must be in good academic standing and have a grade-point of 2.50 or
higher. No more than three (3) of the fifteen (15) credits may count toward the
student's major or toward other college requirements.
External community members who wish to complete this minor will need to request
admission through professional development and complete the twelve (12) credits
required with a minimum grade-point of 2.50 or higher.
Certification Num. 2015-16-16
Academic Senate
UPR Aguadilla
Page 5
5. Relationship of minor to institutions mission and planning
The development of a minor in Written and Oral Communication in English for
Professionals enhances UPR Aguadilla's institutional goals in a number of ways.
The goals of the institution are very well served by this initiative. For instance,
some of the goals included in the Ten Goals for the Decade (Diez para la DCcada)
are the following:
a. Foster a culture of experimentation, renovation, and actualization.
b. Foster investigation and creative competitiveness.
c. Promote vocation for a global world.
All three of these institutional goals overlap with a minor in Written and Oral
Communication in English for Professionals. This minor helps the institution to
enhance and strengthen its curriculum by re-enforcing the students' background in
the four language arts development. It also promotes competitiveness and
encourages the investigation of new ways of developing both speaking and writing
skills. Since these skills are fundamental for future academic and professional
success, the needs of our students are better served.
The Strategic Plan for UPRAG for 2014-2017 states the following in section 111:
1.2 Establish priorities regarding the creation of new academic offerings.
The creation of this minor is in itself a way of creating new academic offerings that
will allow for the development of the skills needed by the student to succeed in
careers that require ihe use of the English language. This minor will support the
acquisition of essential professional English oral and written knowledge that will
correspond to the demands placed upon graduates within the job market and
technology society prevalent today.
6. Curricular Design: Courses required for the Minor
7. Requirement for minor to be approved satisfactorily and registered in the
student academic record
To obtain the minor, students must:
a. Complete an application declaring his or her intention at the Register's
Office.
Certification Num. 2015-16-16
Academic Senate
UPR Aguadilla
Page 6
b. Approve all five (5) courses (15 credit hours), as specified in section 7 of
this proposal, with a GPA of 2.60 or higher.
c. Earn a C or higher in each course required for the completion of the minor.
d. Students concentrating in a bachelor in Education with a concentration in the
teaching of English with Multimedia Technology will be able to acquire the
minor with the approval of nine (9) credits, INGL 3022, INGL 4015 and
INGL 4025. This is in accordance with certification 69 (2013-2014) that
specifies a minor requires a minimum of 9 credits (p. 3).
Successful completion of the minor will be indicated on the student's
transcript and lor diploma.
8. Faculty
The faculty from the Department of English qualified to offer the courses for the
Minor in Oral and Written Communication in English for Professionals are included
in Table 1.
Table I: Faculty qualified to offer the courses
Faculty
Prof. Robert Guzmin Sosa
Full Professor
Dr. Carmen.I. Cabin Ramirez
Full Professor
Prof. Mary Moore Batman
Associate Professor
Prof. Ariana Morgan Gilliam
Instructor
Specializations
TESOLI Early Childhood Education
TESOL/Cuniculum and Instruction in
Writing
TESOLI LinguisticsITechnology
Integration
TESOLI Literature
9. Institutional Budget:
The minor will be administrated by the Department of English. The proposed
minor does not imply additional expenses to the institutional budget.
10. Appendixes
A. Approval by all Faculty Members of the Minor in Written and Oral
Communication in English for Professionals
B. Syllabi of the Courses