Department of German and Russian
Mission, Core Processes, and Assessment Tools
October 2005

Core Processes

To the attainment of these ends, the Department of German and Russian has put in place the following core processes.

M1
Offers language courses, ordinarily supplemented by drill and conversation sessions led by native speakers and/or advanced students who are trained and  supervised by a faculty member;
 
M2
Offers language courses with literary and cultural components; offers courses in literature, film, and more general fields, taught in the target language on an intermediate level;

M3
Offers courses in literature, film, and more general fields, taught in English;

M4
Offers advanced seminars on specific topics in literature and culture, taught in the target language;

M5
Offers independent study courses as well as thesis and honors thesis courses under the direction of a faculty member;

M6
Offers courses that  impart fundamental knowledge of literature and culture as well as knowledge of the methods used in the profession; offers courses that  promote students’ ability to think clearly, make relevant and valid judgments, discriminate among values, and communicate freely with others in the realm of ideas;

M7
Administers a year-long study program in Germany and a summer study program in Russia;

M8
Organizes, sponsors, and/ or participates in events that enhance international awareness;

M9
Organizes lectures and scholarly symposia open to the public; 

M10
Contributes to interdisciplinary programs, notably the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, the Humanities Program, the Gender Studies Concentration, the Film Studies Concentration, and the Writing Program;

M11
Improves teaching by listening to students, collaborating with peers, and integrating new research findings and information technology into its courses;

M12
Serves the professional teaching community through active participation in the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) and the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and Eastern European Languages (AATSEEL); through administration of the German Summer Institute for middle and high school teachers of German; and through administration of standardized language tests for the Goethe Institute and TestDaF (both funded by the German Federal Government). The Department also maintains the departmental Web site, thereby providing rich resources to Davidson students and others;

M13
Members of the Department continually make themselves available for service on committees, task forces, working groups, and advisory councils, either by election or by appointment;

M14
Works closely, either on a committee or on a case-by-case basis, with the Offices of Admission and Financial Aid, Alumni Relations, Athletics, Auxiliary Services, Career Services, College Communications, College Relations, the College Union, Community Service, the Dean of Students, Development, Donor Relations, Information Technology Services, Instructional Support Services, the Library, the Registrar, Residence Life, and Student Health and Counseling;
 
M 15
Members of the Department regularly publish, present their work at professional conferences and at other institutions, attend conferences, do editorial work, and continually provide various services to the profession; members also continually make themselves available to contribute their time and efforts to the local community.

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