About Us
About Us
About Languages & Cultures
About the Department
The UCCS Department of Languages and Cultures is dedicated to fostering cross-cultural understanding. By its nature, our department is international and transcultural – we live through diversity. Our classes are inclusive and offer a learning environment that counters racism. Studying another language and culture teaches us to respect and better understand those who have a different perspective on the world. It enriches our own lives and serves us both abroad and within our community.
Academic Offerings
The Languages and Cultures Department offers academic programs for Spanish majors and minors. We also offer minors in American Sign Language, French, German and Japanese along with courses in Ancient Greek, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Latin, and Russian.
Department Faculty
Research areas include:
- Spanish
- Latin American Cultural production in the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries
- Indigenous Art from Central and South America
- Contemporary Latin American Visual Arts
- Spanish Colonial history of the American Southwest
- Translation Studies
- Digital Humanities
- US-Mexico Border Studies
- Mexican Detective Short Stories
- The Mexicali-Calexico Border as Tabloid Californian Press in the Early Twentieth Century
Mission Statement
The programs in the Department of Languages and Cultures empower students to cultivate essential skills in comprehension, communication in the target language (in the case of foreign languages, both oral and written), and cultural understanding and analysis. By nurturing these abilities, students gain a profound appreciation for the influence of diverse cultures on modern society and gain valuable professional and personal experience to work in diverse cultural environments at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The courses offered in the Department also foster cultural sensitivity and respect by actively engaging students with different cultures. By encouraging reflection on the distinctions and commonalities between target cultures and students' own our courses also contribute to critical thinking.
As a Department, our purpose is to shape students into open-minded citizens and professionals who possess a deep understanding of cultural theory, history, and linguistic and cultural diversity. Students in the Department develop the flexibility to adapt to an increasingly diverse, multicultural, and global society while advancing their knowledge of cultural traits that give them an edge in the professional world through courses that highlight the historical and cultural context in which languages develop an and function. Ultimately, our mission is to guide students in developing linguistic, professional, and cross-cultural proficiency necessary for thriving, working, and pursuing lifelong learning in our diverse world. The programs in Languages and Cultures also extend the faculty’s expertise in various languages to serve the broader community and region. Faculty, academic staff, and students contribute their valuable knowledge to programs like translation and interpreting assistance, whether through paid positions or volunteer work. Additionally, certain courses integrate service-learning components, enabling students to witness the practical applications of their language skills in real-life contexts. These activities not only benefit local institutions and organizations but also foster connections between students and the professional world, and between the university and the community.
