This website began as the seed of an idea – how do we engage students actively in languages on campus?
From this seed, sprouted the basic framework of our Student-Staff Mentorship Initiative, bridging the divide between our student workers and our Instructional Design and Reservations Office teams. After all, first we must begin at home; and this work continues to evolve!
Most of our Circulation Desk Assistants (or CDAs) are native or heritage speakers of languages other than English, or are proficient language-learners, who come to the LRC to exercise their linguistic skills and to be involved in multilingual and multicultural environments. Sometimes, this is in addition to their academic pursuits; however, sometimes this position meets a need that students may not have the capacity to fulfill with coursework.
In a similar vein, our staff often have projects that require or are strengthened by a student lens, as well as the additional time and effort that they can provide. From digitization, to less commonly taught languages advocacy, to building AI tools for language practice, the LRC spearheads multiple initiative to better support and uplift the teaching and learning of languages at U-M through various pedagogical, gameful, and innovative methods!
This partnership between students and staff seeks to enhance these resources and provide tangible and meaningful opportunities for students to contribute their knowledge and develop their professional skills in the field of language, as well as web design, database management, research and literature review, AI, engineering, and more!
Goals:
- To demonstrate the utilization of language skills in practical application
- To provide inspiration and stimulus for staff projects that can benefit from student work and perspectives
- To meet needs of the Language Resource Center and world language teaching and learning at U-M
- To provide actionable tasks and resume-building deliverables for student staff to develop and demonstrate their individual skills and the lasting impact of their presence at the LRC