USF interpreting students hold protest after rumors of shutdown
Alex: Over a hundred students and supporters of the University of South Florida (USF)’s ASL interpreting program gathered on campus on Thursday afternoon to hold a rally and a protest against what they said were rumors of the program shutting down.
One of the two deaf leaders of the movement, Kelvin Joel, gave an interview to “The Daily Moth” to explain what happened. Joel graduated from USF in 2020. Joel said he started hearing things on Tuesday that the interpreting program would be shut down.
Kelvin Joel: I was shocked. I wasn’t sure if they planned to cut the program or already did. I was confused because the information was not coming clearly and we didn’t get the truth. The administrators were vague and didn’t want us to see their true colors such as “Yeah, we’re doing it.” It was vague. So I decided to say, hey, we’re going to take action. It wasn’t just going to be just myself but we brought our community together, the interpreting and deaf communities together, to fight this and preserve our program.
Alex: I was also able to interview a local hearing interpreter who graduated from the USF interpreting program in 2018, Sara Serralta. She explained that she got word that the program would be shut down earlier this week.
Sara Serralta: I think it was a Tuesday or a Monday that a person I knew who works closely with the interpreting department told me that there was bad news, that the program would be shut down. There would be a three-year “teach-out” which means that those in the program could complete it but the program would be phased out. I was just heartbroken. I couldn’t believe it, I was shocked. I was despondent. I cried. I knew I had to get people involved because I knew other people had the same passion for the program.
Alex: Joel and Serralta worked with several others to organize the protest, set up an online petition that gathered over 13,000 signatures, and sent out mass communications to raise noise.
There are videos on Facebook that show the protest last night. The USF dean responsible for the program, Dr. Julianne Serovich, visited the protest to offer dialogue. She promised the crowd that there would be no changes to the interpreting program for now and would meet with stakeholders and deaf representatives in a roundtable conversation before any changes are made.
Joel said he is grateful that the dean was willing to come to talk with them, but he won’t stop his action until there is a guarantee the interpreting program is here to stay.
Joel: Are we satisfied after a day of protesting? No, we’re going to continue it. It could keep on until there is a resolution to keep the program.
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Alex: I reached out to the USF to get their word on the interpreting program and its status. The dean, Dr. Serovich, said there was an inaccurate statement that a decision was made to end the ASL interpreting major, but that “no such decision has been made.” The dean said USF is still accepting applications for students interested in this major.
The dean explained that her department, the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, planned to “recommend discounting the major, in part because a bachelor’s degree in the field is not a necessary credential to become a certified interpreter. However, the college’s proposal was not submitted to or reviewed by university leadership, who would have to approve of terminating a major.”
Sara said she hopes USF understands that what they decide to do with the interpreting program has an impact on deaf people in Florida and elsewhere.
Sara: I know that there’s a short time frame and that you have to seize the moment. I know that the dean said there was no official announcement or decision. I know that, and that’s why it’s important to interrupt them and tell them, “Listen to us. Listen to deaf people and the Deaf community. They’ve been oppressed. They need quality interpreters. In Florida, there’s no interpreting licensures required, no certifications required, as there have been no laws passed. We need protection. We need to keep them safe from harm. An interpreting program is one way we can continue to develop quality interpreters and continue the cycle of producing interpreters.
Alex: So, that’s the recap. One thing is for sure — the USF administration knows they are under the microscope with any changes to the ASL interpreting program.
PROTEST: https://www.facebook.com/sunshine.emilyedwards/videos/524302502294013/
Dean Info: https://intra.cbcs.usf.edu/MediaTracker/common/cfm/Unsecured/cbcs/ViewNews.cfm?NewsID=1397