Modern languages department restructured for the better

If you would have asked me what I thought about the Modern Languages and Linguistics Department at the University of South Dakota last year, you would hear of the consistent frustration I endured.

Frustrated my voice was not being heard, in course evaluations or my verbal complaints, my two years in the program were a major stress inducer which left me bitter and reluctant to even finish. But, according to my specific academic guidelines, I had to finish two years of a foreign language, and so I did.

My main problem with the language program had to do with a certain professor. I know what students are probably thinking — “Get over it, we all have that one professor we don’t like.” While that may be true, it was less of a personal issue and more of a teaching style issue.

Let’s just say the professor had a way of teaching that did not stick with almost everyone in the class and would not change it all semester. Luckily, students are allowed to complete an evaluation at the end of the semester, but what I found the next semester is that nothing had changed. As one could probably tell, this did not sit well with me.

I recently sat down with Laura Vidler, the chair of the languages department, and she explained how student evaluations and complaints are handled by the department, and how she, being new to USD, plans on handling these situations in the future.

The numbers from the evaluations go through a tool called Digital Measures, which is a process for evaluating faculty members. On this, faculty members put in what they have done over the semester or year, Vidler said.

She said the comments a student submits are typed so the faculty member isn’t allowed to observe the handwriting. Each year the faculty members are evaluated by Vidler, and she has the chance to review the comments and numbers.

Vidler also said the new restructure of the department has been an improvement. Vidler said if a student has a complaint, they must follow the new chain of command. A student must first discuss their issue with the professor, which I did, and then if the problem continues, the complaint will go to the program’s coordinator.
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A coordinator, Vidler said, is a faculty member from that program who reports to her if they cannot resolve the issue with their resources. If the problem cannot be resolved within the department, it is then taken to the dean, and, in extreme cases, all the way to President James Abbott.

Sitting down with Vidler has eased my mind and my original opinion that my concerns were not being heard. Although the restructure of the department came a semester too late, I’m glad things are changing, and I believe students should be assured their voices are being heard.