On Tuesday night, George Brown College staff from its ASL-English interpreter program hosted a reception to present its proposal for the first bachelor’s level program in Canada. Attendees were asked to share their feedback on the proposal – based on our experiences with interpreter education in other settings.
Phyllis Beaton-Vazquez, who heads the program, welcomed attendees and shared a bit of the development process. She thanked the interpreter education programs at Gallaudet University for their assistance in developing the proposal, including hosting a group from George Brown College for a visit on campus. Val Dively, from Gallaudet University, was in attendance and continued to share wisdom and insight from her experience as the program coordinator of the BA interpreter education program. Additionally, Phyllis thanked Betsy Winston for her consultation in the development of the proposal.
So, in addition to the socializing and eating that go on at events like this, those in attendance spent time reading through course schedules, course descriptions and expected outcomes. Along with discussing in groups, including some current GBC students, we shared our ideas and feedback on post-it notes that will be collected and considered.
In the Canadian system, establishing a BA program requires submitting the proposal to the Ontario Ministry of Education and receiving its approval. In that process, letters of support may prove to be a helpful tool to promote the acceptance of this change through bureaucratic channels.
If you are interested in learning more about the program, or wish to support this effort to establish the first BA interpreter education program in Canada, please contact Phyllis Beaton-Vazquez.
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