American Sign Language at Keuka College

Keuka College is one of the few colleges in the country to offer a bachelor's degree program in American Sign Language (ASL).

Keuka's program combines intensive training in American Sign Language as a foreign language with integrated coursework in deaf culture, linguistics, and communication.

The demand of college-educated individuals with an advanced level of fluency in sign communication is increasing nationwide. Graduates may expect to find employment in business and corporate settings, elementary and secondary schools, community service organizations, vocational rehabilitation centers, medical and legal fields, local and state governments, communication facilities, and colleges and universities.

Keuka's bachelor of science in ASL-English Interpreting prepared students to become professional interpreters who facilitate communication between deaf and hearing people in a variety of settings. It also prepared students to pass Level I of the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or the National Association of the Deaf interpreting certification exam.

Graduates of the program will be bilingual and bicultural: they will be able to communicate with above average proficiency in both ASL and English. In order to render culturally based linguistic and non-linguistic information appropriately, graduates will also possess knowledge about deaf and non-deaf cultures.

Outside the Classroom

Keuka's ASL program emphasizes experiential learning through Field Periods, a junior-year practicum, and a semester-long senior internship. These hands-on opportunities give students the opportunity to apply and test the validity of theories and information, observe professionals and clients, and acquire professional skills.

Jessica Bryant '06, an organizational communication and American Sign Language major, conducted a Field Period at the New York State School for the Deaf in Rome, N.Y.

Bryant served as a teacher's assistant in a secondary classroom and residence hall supervisor, and helped coach the cheerleading squad during the month-long internship. The experience improved her ASL production and reception skills.