Why offer American Sign Language (ASL) courses at UCR?

• Many identify as d/Deaf*/Hard of Hearing or know someone who communicates in ASL, a natural visual-spatial language used and recognized in the USA and parts of Canada. According to the Modern Language Association, American Sign Language is the third most studied language in United States colleges and universities.
• Similar to learning other languages and being bi/tri/multilingual, learning ASL can benefit individuals by having a different way to express oneself, being exposed to a different culture, and encouraging cognitive development, communication and social skills, and code-switching.
• Offering courses will support UCR’s ongoing mission to be diverse and inclusive by promoting better awareness and understanding of Deaf culture and the Deaf community.
• Riverside’s population is an estimated 17% d/Deaf (almost double compared to the total nation’s estimated 10%) and Riverside is nationally and internationally recognized as a Deaf hub.
• Four of our sister schools (i.e., UCLA, UCSD, UC Berkeley, UC Davis**) already offer ASL courses that fulfill language requirements. Surrounding high schools, colleges, and universities (e.g., Martin Luther King High School, California Baptist University, University of Redlands, California State University San Bernardino) also offer ASL and/or Deaf culture courses.
• Implementing these courses will increase the interest of prospective students, expand the academic research interests of the university, and provide another higher education institution that is supportive of future Deaf leaders.
• Riverside City College houses one of the best ASL interpreting programs in the state.
• The California School for the Deaf, Riverside (one of two specialized schools in the state) is just a 10-minute drive away.
• UCR already utilizes the ASL “R” to symbolize UCR pride at school/sporting events without the general student population understanding its significance.

* lowercase d-deaf indicates the physiological ability to not hear, whereas uppercase D-Deaf indicates cultural Deafness stemming from shared experiences, norms, values, and language associated with identifying as Deaf. 

** UC Davis formally implemented ASL Courses during Winter 2018.

***Note: Video transcript is in the YouTube video description. Please send videos with reasons why UCR should offer ASL courses to Club President Derrian Tabilin at dtabi001@ucr.edu or aslclubatucr@gmail.com

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We, the members of the American Sign Language (ASL) Club at UCR, are petitioning for UCR to implement ASL courses into its course catalog. To date, UCR does not offer any ASL, sign linguistics, Deaf culture, or Deaf interdisciplinary studies courses in its course catalog. Although the ASL Club at UCR offers professional ASL lessons and R’Courses for ASL have been previously taught, students often do not have room in their schedules to take these extracurricular classes or are focused on completing classes for degree requirements. As such, we seek courses that may be used to fulfill language requirements. 

ASL is a recognized, natural visual-spatial language used in the United States and parts of Canada. According to the Modern Language Association, ASL is the third most studied language in United States colleges and universities. ASL is used as a primary means of communication by the Deaf* community, a sociolinguistic minority group that shares a cultural Deaf identity stemming from shared experiences, norms, values, and language associated with identifying as Deaf. Further, we have a “signing ecosystem” which encompasses everyone who uses ASL to communicate and may or may not identify as Deaf, including family, friends, ASL students and interpreters, and educators.

Learning ASL has several benefits, including having the ability to communicate with d/Deaf people who sign, being exposed to a new culture, having a different way of expressing oneself, and developing communication and social skills. The city of Riverside has one of the largest Deaf communities in the United States (Riverside’s estimated population is 17% d/Deaf, which is almost double the national estimation of 10%), and is home to the California School for the Deaf, Riverside (one of two specialized schools in the state) and over 25 Deaf businesses and organizations. Surrounding high schools, colleges, and universities have recognized this and henceforth implemented ASL courses to further support our growing signing ecosystem here in Riverside. 

Further, our sister schools, UC Los Angeles, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and UC Davis** have all implemented ASL courses into their course catalog. In addition to following our sister schools’ footsteps, offering courses will support UCR’s ongoing mission to “transform the lives of the diverse people of California, the nation, and the world through discovery, communication, translation, application, and preservation of knowledge.” UCR’s diversity comes from our surrounding communities, and it is essential that we include our prominent Deaf community within Riverside. Offering ASL courses is not simply about classes or degree requirements, but playing our part in increasing and improving our campus’s overall diversity and inclusion by establishing a lively signing ecosystem at UCR. These courses will ultimately provide a bridge between us d/Deaf and hearing people, and promote better awareness and understanding of Deaf culture and the Deaf community. For instance, UCR has chosen and continues to use the ASL “R” (i.e., pointer and middle fingers crossed) to represent school pride. However, the general student population is unaware of this significance; offering these courses will be the first step in accumulating the knowledge and respect for the community that our school pride symbol originates from. 

Some concerns regarding implementing ASL courses at UCR are: the existing option to complete concurrent enrollment at RCC to take these courses, and the assumption that as a research institution, UCR won’t “benefit” from offering ASL. 

Regarding completing concurrent enrollment at RCC, although possible, it is very difficult having to attend two schools; one ASL Club at UCR member shares their experience: 

“I am a hard of hearing student that did not have the opportunity to learn ASL growing up, so my choice to take up ASL was very personal. I completed concurrent enrollment at RCC to fulfill my language requirement with ASL, and it was definitely one of the best decisions of my life. However, I wish my home-institution offered this opportunity for me since it was difficult having to pay two tuitions, coordinate classes and transportation between two schools, and never having a break since the quarter/semester calendars didn’t line up. I know several other people who are eager to learn ASL and are going through the same concurrent enrollment process right now.”

Regarding our status as a research institution, Deaf interdisciplinary studies has a rich intellectual history and its own specialized journals; the Deaf community has received attention from various research fields including Sociology, Linguistics, and Deaf Studies, and many of these studies use an intersectional approach that examines deafness in relation to other identities, such as race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Offering ASL classes may attract more scholars in the field of Deaf Studies who can contribute to knowledge in many fields including Education, Natural Sciences, Humanities, and Psychology. Outside of research contexts, providing ASL courses will open many opportunities to students, including the ability to communicate with Deaf clients, pursuing Deaf interdisciplinary studies, or collaborating heavily with RCC’s interpreting program (e.g., to be certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, one must have at least a bachelor's degree in any field.)

The significance of ASL, Deaf identity, Deaf culture, and the Deaf community cannot be ignored. When UCR chooses to invest in resources for better deaf accessibility and ASL classes, UCR's strive for diversity and education will expand its reach toward the Deaf community. With this, we are asking you for your support in manifesting positive change on our campus. Please sign the petition and provide comments to show your support. Furthermore, please send a video with any feedback, suggestions, or ideas that you may have to Club President Derrian Tabilin at dtabi001@ucr.edu or aslclubatucr@gmail.com. We really appreciate everyone's support! Sign on!