French in Higher Education: A Regional Seminar for Growth and Sustainability

Date(s):
October 4, 2024, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Location:
Price Gilbert Memorial Library, Scholars Event Theater (Room 1280)

Villa Albertine, in partnership with Georgia Tech’s French program in the School of Modern Languages, welcomes you to a France-Atlanta seminar, French in Higher Education: A Regional Seminar for Growth and Sustainability.

This event is part of the French Embassy in the United States and Villa Albertine initiative for French in Higher Education. The initiative aims to support and foster innovation in French and Francophone studies across U.S. universities, with a particular focus on addressing the critical challenge of increasing student enrollment.

In today’s globalized world, understanding diverse communities, excelling in international business, and addressing global challenges are more important than ever. Language education is a key component of a well-rounded academic experience, and learning French opens doors to a deeper appreciation of Francophone cultures, histories, and perspectives. Recruiting more students into French programs is thus essential to ensuring their sustainability and growth. Engaging with the cultural dimensions of the language not only enhances linguistic proficiency but also fosters cross-cultural understanding and empathy — essential skills in our interconnected world.

Attendees will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, collaborate on new initiatives, and contribute to a global conversation about making French programs more dynamic, resilient, and relevant. Key topics will include effective communication with administration, creating engaging study abroad programs, implementing new teaching methodologies to connect with a diverse student body, overcoming recruitment challenges, strategies to attract students to French programs, integrating digital tools and resources, building interdisciplinary connections, and creating professional pathways that link language learning with career opportunities.

By the end of this seminar, participants will have identified strategies and best practices to maintain and attract new students.

This regional seminar is open to all French teachers and department heads from universities in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. 

This event is part of France-Atlanta. Registration required. 

Sponsored by: Villa Albertine, the School of Modern Languages at Georgia Tech, and the Georgia Tech Library. 

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Contact For More Information

Stephanie Boulard
sboulard3@gatech.edu