Sign language studies department at Madonna serves vital role for Deaf community

Livonia — Many colleges and universities do not prioritize the unique services needed by members of the Deaf community, explained Debbie Mitre-Smith, a professor of sign language studies at Madonna University in Livonia.

Though she received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Madonna University, while studying elsewhere at one point, “I struck by how I had to fight to obtain the services I needed,” remembers Mitre-Smith, who is Deaf.

At Madonna, however, she quickly came to the realization that “I’m just a student here.”

Mitre-Smith received her bachelor’s degree in art and Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) from Madonna University.

Today she teaches classes in American Sign Language (ASL), the language of the Deaf community in the United States.

Recently, several faculty of Madonna University’s sign language studies department sat down with The Michigan Catholic and shared about the mission and successes of the program, which has been thriving since 1975.

 



Mission to the community

Michael Meldrum, director of the office of disability resources at Madonna, explained that there is a distinction between the terms “deaf” – with a lowercase “d” – and “Deaf” – capitalized “D.”

He said that when the term relates to a member of the unique, sociolinguistic community, the “D” is capitalized. When referring to the anatomical, physical characteristic, the “d” is lowercase.

This grammatical distinction follows a 1972 convention proposed by James Woodward, co-director of the Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Back in the 1970s, a group of people from the Deaf community in Metro Detroit was working to set up an undergraduate program geared toward Deaf individuals.

Several schools turned down the idea, but when brought to Madonna University, it caught the attention of then-president, Sr. Mary Danatha Suchyta, and her successor, Sr. Mary Francilene Van de Vyver, CSSF.

Sr. Van de Vyver, like her fellow Felician sisters, knew the history of their order’s foundress, Bl. Mary Angela Truszkowska, who had progressively lost her hearing during her life.

Michael Meldrum, who also serves as a sign language studies instructor, said the group met with Sr. Van de Vyver in 1974, and she in turn took the idea to the faculty.

“(Sr. Van de Vyver) helped with this in honor of Sr. Truszkowska,” explained Michael Meldrum’s wife, Sharon Meldrum, who is also a professor of sign language studies at Madonna. “Research had just started about sign language at the time.”

“In 1975 Sister wrote a proposal for a three-year federal grant, Funds for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE),” said Michael Meldrum, “to establish the sign language studies program to train sign language interpreters and the Educational Support Services Office to assist deaf and hard-of-hearing students.”

Sharon Meldrum said that this was “an opportunity for Deaf people to come and be college students; we couldn’t have Deaf people without the sign language studies program.”

 

The program grows

Beginning in July 1976, the grant last for three years, and included special opportunities for hearing students to take a free, introductory sign language class. Several of the Felician sisters attended and began learning to sign as well, and with the help of the Meldrums and another faculty member, Kenneth Rust, the program began to blossom.

After the grant ended, Sr. Van de Vyver made a commitment to the Deaf community to continue the program.

Dan McDougall, chair of the sign language studies department, said that the success of the program was largely in part to students, both Deaf and hearing, getting to “see the leaders represent (this.)”

Today, the sign language studies department offers two areas of study: Deaf Community Studies, and Interpreting Studies.

Madonna also has a unique lab and office space designed to “maximize our use of technology for the benefit of our students, and to provide a welcoming, Deaf-friendly space for faculty and students,” explained McDougall.

“Two classrooms sit side-by-side, and can be joined into one room via a movable center wall,” he said. “The perimeters of the rooms are lined with 24 individual recording stations, where students can view videos of American Sign Language, practice interpreting and can record themselves for class projects.”

He explained that the accompanying office space is designed “with Deaf people in mind,” featuring window-equipped walls so colleagues can see each other from their desks and communicate via sign language. Video phones are also available in each room.

McDougall said that the entire suite was able to be built through the support of local Lions Clubs, and Sharon Meldrum added that Lions International has been “very helpful in providing scholarships,” as well.

 

Unique, but necessary

Sharon Meldrum, a member of the Deaf community, had to seek out services to assist her in hearing-dominated classrooms when she was in school.

“Deaf students shouldn’t have to struggle to get services required by law,” explained Michael Meldrum.

He said that Madonna offers the opportunity for Deaf students to participate fully in the life of the university, including professional interpreters paid by Madonna, and paid student note-takers: “It is now against Michigan law to use uncertified interpreters in the classroom.”

Additionally, “Madonna will find a good student in the class, ask them if they would be able to take notes – rather than other schools where the Deaf students would have to find it themselves,” said McDougall.

McDougall, who with Michael Meldrum served as interpreters for The Michigan Catholic’s conversation with the faculty, said that certified interpreters have a very special code of ethics.

He said that an interpreter cannot revise the words or “get involved” in the conversation; even if someone were to mean well, it would not be fair to either party.

 

Catholic calling of service

Mitre-Smith said that she is happy to be involved a place where she can advance herself as an equal: “It really is a family feeling here,” she said, adding that they call Sharon Meldrum their “second mom.”

Today, Deaf and hard of hearing students have majored in “just about every major we offer,” said Michael Meldrum, “from education to business to social work to sign language studies and more.”

And students interested in the interpreting program continue to arrive at Madonna too.

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To learn more about Madonna University’s sign language studies program contact Daniel McDougall, chair of sign language studies at Madonna University at [email protected], (734) 432-5616, or (800) 852-4951, ext. 5616. Call (734) 666-3073 to contact the department via video phone.