Name: Nicole Aas-Rouxparis
Institution: Lewis & Clark College
Language: French
Status: Full-time, tenure track
Type: CourseRelease
Title: Project title: Francophone Sub-Saharan African Culture
Duration: Fall 1999
Description: Project title: Francophone Sub-Saharan African Culture
Project Subtitle: Introduction to Post-Colonial Senegalese Society
Objectives:
1 Using new technologies to develop a permanent material "packet"dealing with Sub-Saharan African culture -- and more specifically with Senegalese culture – to be used for the Lewis and Clark Overseas Program to Senegal orientation sessions in fall 1999, and subsequently for all future Senegal Orientation sessions.
2 Due to students’ growing interest in Francophone studies, most courses offered by the French Section deal with many aspects of Francophone cultures, therefore materials developed for the Senegal program orientation sessions will be available to faculty members in the French French Section for use in all their classes from intermediate to advanced level language and literature classes, and especially in the French 330: Francophone literature and French 450: Special Topics courses).
Last May, after participating in an international symposium on Francophone culture in Dakar, Senegal, I did all preliminary research leading to the implementation of a new permanent Lewis and Clark overseas site for majors in French Studies as well as General Culture students. My Overseas Program to Senegal proposal was accepted by the Curriculum Committee in fall 1998. Following the spring 2000 pilot program, the Senegal program will be offered on an annual basis every spring.
Since the Senegal Program is designed to be a leaderless annual program, I feel that it is my responsibility to make sure that all aspects of the pilot program be thoroughly thought out and developed to ensure that future programs have all necessary resources to run smoothly on their own. Therefore I would like to design a complete and efficient set of materials for pre-program orientation sessions to introduce students to the idiosyncracies of Senegalese culture and to prepare them as best as possible for their transition into African Sub-Saharan culture.
I plan to start collecting and organizing resources this summer to be ready to spend much of the fall thoroughly developing materials for each of the planned orientation session using new technologies.
Important: My objective is NOT using new technologies to prepare a comprehensive and exaustive bank of useful materials—such a task would not necessarily have to be done during fall semester. My objective is to develop relevant materials for each step of the pilot orientation program as it is happening, using feedback from students on what is presented to them, and using students’ questions and students’ input as a stepping stone for developing materials relevant to their needs. This project will be carefully evaluated and continually revised using students’ input from fall 1999 to summer 2000 before it eventually becomes the final orientation "packet" used for all subsequent Senegal orientation sessions.
After each pilot orientation session, during fall 1999, I plan to assess the value of the materials used. When materials prove to be useful they can then be entered in a special Senegal Orientation web page which students can use as a reference when needed (as they would a textbook). At the end of the orientation program, not only will the Senegal Orientation special preliminary web page be effectively designed, but it will also be accessible on the web to the students during their stay in Senegal the following semester, as a possible point of reference and/or resource to help them with their transition into Senegalese culture.
Note: At the end of fall 1999, the Senegal page will still be in a "working" stage. It will only be final in summer 2000, after the pilot program has been carefully evaluated and all relevant information has been entered.
Outcome: (See previous question)
Create materials for Lewis and Clark new Overseas program to Senegal student orientation--to be used/tested during upcoming pilot program. Final product will be available on web page for all faculty/students interested in Sub-Saharan African culture.
Timeline: Summer 1999:
--Gathering of resource materials (texts/photographs/films CDrom) from my own collection, from the library and from internet sources.
--Getting re-acquainted with technologies learned in past workshops.
--Scanning texts and photographs, digitalizing films and music.
--Attending new training workshops if available.
Fall 1999:
--Plan rough outlines of 8 to 10 orientation sessions, about two-hour each.
--Set up Senegal Orientation web page.
--After each session, evaluate impact of materials, modify contents using students input, and integrate useful resources into web page.
--At end of semester, do final evaluation of project and complete preliminary web page content.
Spring 2000:
--Review in-country program implementation problems as they develop in first few weeks
--Modify Senegal web page accordingly.
NOTE: I plan to be on site in Dakar in the early stages of my sabbatical to supervise the implementation of the pilot program and make sure it runs smoothly.
Summer/fall 2000:
--Review end of program evaluations from students on spring 2000 pilot program
--Expand Senegal web page, including end of program information/suggestions from returning students.
--Hand over completed materials to director of Senegal 2001 orientation sessions.
Amount: $3,500
Breakdown: Salary for experienced adjunct faculty teaching one course