Language program director: Difference between revisions

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A '''Language Program Director''' (LPD) is a usually senior academic or administrative position in a post-secondary institution or private language school. In some institutions a LPD can also be referred to as a 'Language Program Coordinator' (LPC), while in others the LPD has a hierarchically higher position than an LPC, the latter coordinating just one course level.

LPDs usually coordinate all levels of instruction of undergraduate [[language program]]s, as well as develop policy related to program administration<ref>Rawley, L. A. (1997). The language program administrator and policy formation at institutions of higher learning. In M. A. Christison & F. L. Stoller (Eds.), ''A handbook for language program administrators'' (pp. 91-104). Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers.</ref>. They are also responsible for marketing<ref name=":0">Eaton, S. E. (2009). ''Marketing of Revenue-generating ESL Programs at the University of Calgary: A qualitative study.'' (Doctor of Philosophy), University of Calgary, Calgary. Retrieved from <nowiki>http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED508999</nowiki>  </ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Eaton|first=Sarah Elaine|date=2017-10-02|title=Perceptions of ESL Program Management in Canadian Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study|url=http://ijlter.org/index.php/ijlter/article/view/980|journal=International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research|language=en|volume=16|issue=9|doi=10.26803/ijlter.16.9.2|issn=1694-2116}}</ref><ref>Miller, B. D. (1997). Marketing principles for the language program administrator. In M. A. Christison & F. L. Stoller (Eds.), ''A handbook for language program administrators'' (pp. 308-312). Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers.</ref>, student recruitment, human resources<ref>Eaton, S. E. (2017). Under pressure: English-language program managers as time management masters. ''English Leadership Quarterly, 40''(2), 10-13. Retrieved from <nowiki>http://www.ncte.org/journals/elq/issues/v40-2</nowiki></ref> and budgetary matters<ref>Staczek, J. J. (1997). The language program budget: Financial planning and management of resources. In M. A. Christison & F. L. Stoller (Eds.), ''A handbook for language program administrators'' (pp. 219-234). Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers.</ref>. Unlike administrators of other academic units, language program directors are often mandated to generate significant revenue for the institutions they work for<ref>Eaton, S. E. (2008). ''The plight of the ESL program director''. Paper presented at the Faculty of Education, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI. <nowiki>https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED508251</nowiki></ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>Eskey, D. E. (1997). The IEP as a nontraditional entity. In M. A. Christison & F. L. Stoller (Eds.), ''A handbook for language program administrators'' (pp. 21-30). Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers.</ref>.

Most LPDs are not on a [[tenure]]-track because traditionally [[linguistics|linguistic studies]] have been considered by Departments of Foreign Languages and Literatures as less important than [[literary studies]]. According to a recent MLA report,<ref>[http://www.mla.org/flreport Report from the MLA Ad Hoc Committee on Foreign Languages<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> this is a trend that should be reversed. In the past LPD positions were generally filled by people - usually women - with degrees in literature and no training in [[second language acquisition]] or [[applied linguistics]]<ref name=":0" />. This has resulted in a lack of innovation in US language programs. Recently, however, more and more universities are looking for new program directors with specific training in applied linguistics.,<ref>[http://web2.adfl.org/adfl/bulletin/v30n1/301052.htm Surviving the Leap from Graduate Student to Language Program Director: Issues, Challenges, Rewards<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and are offering their LPDs tenure-track positions. A useful source of information for LPDs is the American Association of University Supervisors and Coordinators (AAUSC) <ref>[http://www.aausc.org AAUSC<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.

== Sources ==