Due to budgetary challenges and the recent retirement of one of the long time ASL instructors, Speech and Hearing Science Department Head Dr. Karen Kirk is announcing that the department will be suspending SHS 121 American Sign Language I courses for next semester to review the sustainability of the ASL course language sequence. None of the SHS 121 courses will be offered in Spring 2018.
The department is committed to ensuring that all students currently enrolled in the ASL course sequence at the U of I (SHS 121 ASL 1 and SHS 221 ASL2) and are using this to address the foreign language requirement can complete it. The suspension of ASL classes for this Spring is only for SHS 121. The department will still be offering all sections that are scheduled for SHS 221 American Sign Language 2, as well as SHS 321 American Sign Language 3 in Spring 2018, and as needed for the 2018-2019 academic year. SHS 222 Language and Culture of Deaf Communities will also continue to be offered.