CourseShare Grows Thanks to University Language Instructors
This semester, approximately 141 students are participating in the CourseShare program through the University of Minnesota (UMN). Currently there are 78 UMN students registered for a class taught at another Big Ten university (a record high number), and approximately 63 students from another Big Ten university joining our less commonly taught language and culture courses.
The CourseShare program allows undergraduate and graduate students to access the language instruction they need to achieve their personal and professional goals. It connects students to the language of their heritage, and bridges communication with friends and family. It supports local and international research initiatives. CourseShare classes can be used to complete an undergraduate or graduate degree requirement or for a more personal reason. UMN offers a wealth of languages locally, including two indigenous languages and other languages like Somali that are spoken in the Twin Cities area. Nevertheless, critical gaps remain in language availability for students, and this is where the languages offered through CourseShare step in.
Coordinators, registrars, technologists, advisors and more support the CourseShare program, but the most important program leaders are the language instructors who volunteer to share their course with students across the Big Ten. Because we share languages like Finnish, Hebrew, Ojibwe and Urdu, UMN students can access languages like Akan, Filipino, Persian and Turkish.
The following instructors: Meraj Ahmed, Zoe Brown, Hangtae Cho, Ingela-Selda Eilert Haaland, Khadar Jama, Alexx James, Sugyung Kim, Brendan Kishketon, Kyle Korynta, C̣aƞte Máza, Lily Obeda, Jenneke Oosterhoff, Renana Schneller and Fatima Walji Han, were willing to accept the additional instructional and administrative work of the CourseShare program in order to promote their language and culture to a broader audience. Language iInstructors are the engine of the program, and the key to its success.
