SES Professions in Deafness
Mission Statement
The Interpreter Preparation Concentration takes seriously its commitment to preparing highly qualified future Interpreters in both educational and community settings. As an integral part of that mission, our program partners with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities and professionals in the field to provide interaction with diverse populations and cultures within those communities, and upholds standards of ethical practices and professionalism put forth by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Its is our primary and essential mission to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge about American Sign Language, diverse sign modes, interpreting, Deaf literature, and Deaf culture.
Philosophy Interpreter Preparation Program
The Interpreter-Preparation Program believes that:
American Sign Language is a unique, independent and fully developed language; one that has come to occupy a place of major importance in contemporary linguistics an communication theory.
While American Sign Language serves as a foundation, other modes of communication are used by the Deaf community and they need to be introduced in our programs in order to serve the needs of the Deaf community and its diverse language modes.
As deaf and hard of hearing individuals are united in their shared experience, our students are actively involved in the deaf and hard of hearing community. Strangers become friends, common ground is discovered and dialogue begins. In socializing with the lives of others, our capacity for empathy is strengthened and excellence in language education occurs.
Sign Language Interpreting is a richly fulfilling and creative profession requiring keen intelligence and a sensitivity to the smallest nuances in communication.
Professionalism is of utmost importance. Students will maintain strong ethics and moral standards put forth by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
Risk is necessary. We strive to constantly challenge our students, we reserve the right to encourage our students to take risks and make mistakes in a safe nurturing environment.
Any language is a valuable part of a lifetime of learning. Our work and the dialogue it creates should spark curiosity and inspire new ways of thinking for our students.
Our community’s varied diversity must reflect itself in our program and the courses we teach.
In Collaboration we celebrate and encourage a process by creating an atmosphere where students feel safe to question, experiment, and grow. We seek to mirror this process in all aspects of our work.
Partnerships are valuable. We are committed to sharing resources, ideas and talent with other organizations to benefit our students and the well being of the profession of interpreting.
Playing a leading role in the North Carolina interpreting community. We actively work to create a preparation program for interpreters’ with diverse connections and to provide a bridge to the profession of emerging interpreters.
Native Users of American Sign Language should teach language classes and serve as language models to our students.
Highly Trained Certified and Licensed Interpreters should teach interpreting classes and serve as professional role models to our students.
Interpreting Preparation is performance based and requires a level of comfort when speaking and signing before large and small audiences. To better acquire signing skills students will need to dedicate time outside of class to practice and hone those skills.
Each time the word Deaf is used within this context it is understood that this includes the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf Blind populations.