Welcome

Father Jenkins' Address

June 1st, 2008

Dear Fulbright FLTAs: Welcome to the United States of America, welcome to the State of Indiana, and welcome to the University of Notre Dame from your homes in Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Syria, Senegal, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Congratulations on your appointment as Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants; we are delighted and honored to host this orientation workshop for you. It is my sincere hope that the seminars, lectures, and workshops provided by our faculty and staff will benefit you greatly and prepare you for the rewarding challenges that await you as language teachers at your respective host institutions across the length and breadth of the United States. The University and the city of South Bend offer many cultural and sporting attractions and I know you will enjoy learning the fundamentals of American football.

It is only fitting that Notre Dame host the Fulbright orientation for foreign language teachers. Founded by a French-speaking priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1842, the University now offers regular graduate and undergraduate courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Quechua, Russian, and Spanish.

As the world’s preeminent Catholic university, we care deeply about teaching and strive to cultivate a sense of wonder in our students, inviting them to discover not only how they should make a difference in the world, but also why they should. Languages are the key to cultural and mutual understanding. As we encourage our students to excel in a globalized culture, embracing linguistic diversity and mastering language proficiency is essential.

Welcome again to Notre Dame, a distinctive university committed to advancing knowledge through advanced research and dynamic teaching and producing the leaders of tomorrow. I hope you enjoy your time here with us and in future will look back with fond memories on lasting friendships made and invaluable lessons learned.

In Notre Dame,
Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. President

General Practicalities

Arrival Tuesday, 12th August 2008

All FLTAs should gather at ‘The Meeting Point’ in Terminal 5 (International Arrivals) at O’Hare International Airport (Chicago). A Notre Dame representative will greet FLTAs at ‘The Meeting Point’ and transport them by coach to the University of Notre Dame. The first coach will depart Terminal 5 at 4:30PM (TBC), a second coach will depart from Terminal 5 at 6:30PM (TBC) and a third coach will depart at 9:00PM (TBC). Those arriving after 9:00PM should contact the Director and IIE to make alternative arrangements. In case of delays, please note that COACHUSA (a private bus company) offer a coach regular service from Terminal 5 to the University of Notre Dame. Their schedule and fares are available at www.coachusa.com Please note that Notre Dame is 90 miles and 2.5 hr journey from O’Hare.

Facilities at Terminal 5

A website with terminal maps and other useful information may be found here A Google map of the route from O'Hare airport to Notre Dame may be found here

South Bend Regional Airport

Any FLTA arriving to South Bend Regional Airport (Indiana) rather that O'Hare International Airport (Chicago, Illinois) should contact the Orientation Director directly via e-mail with the time of arrival and the flight number in order to arrange transport to the University of Notre Dame. Additional information about the airport is available here

Departure 16th August 2008

All FLTAs will be returned by coach to O’Hare International Airport on Saturday morning (16th August 2008). Coaches depart campus at 9:00AM sharp and, baring traffic delays, should arrive at O’Hare by midday. All FLTAs are strongly advised to book flights to their host institutions that depart O’Hare after 2:00PM (local time). Any FLTA that fails to board the coach on time will be responsible for arranging alternative travel to O’Hare and their host institution.

Phone/Internet Access

International calling cards are available for purchase at the orientation venue, the Center for Continuing Education/McKenna Hall (1079 on campus map), the Morris Inn (1049) and the Huddle Mart (1012). The Center for Continuing Education/McKenna Hall contains a number of telephone kiosks and internet terminals. Internet terminals (3) are also available LaFortune Student Center (1012). Please note there will be no access to campus internet terminals or telephones on the arrival day (12th August). Please click here for campus map.

Special Requests

All requests for late arrival/early departure must be directed to the Institute for International Education. The University of Notre Dame cannot provide accommodation outside of the orientation dates.

Attendance

Any request regarding non-attendance at the FLTA orientation must be communicated to the Institute for International Education. Please contact Ms. Marsha Frith

The orientation introduces FLTAs to an array of skills and knowledge which will benefit them and their teaching in the United States: the latest and best practices in language teaching, meeting student expectations, preparing syllabi, curricular development, American academic culture and student life, effective time management, designing, testing and grading student papers, banking and finances, apartment/accommodation search, legal rights as non-U.S. citizens regarding police, arrest, detention, technology in the classroom, harassment in the workplace/classroom, American politics, American sporting culture, electronic research tools and effective use of the library. Orientation instructors are drawn from the faculty of various colleges and institutes across the University of Notre Dame: John A. Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning, International Student Services & Activities, the College of Arts and Letters, First Year Studies, Notre Dame Security Police, Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, the College of Arts and Letters and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies. The Orientation is organized and funded by: The Fulbright Commission, The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, the Institute for International Education.
Orientation Director
Professor Brian Ó Conchubhair

Photos of the ND Recption for FLTAs and the trip to Coveleski Stadium are available at Photobucket.com. . You can access our albums with username:ndflta password:goldendome to add captions or download photos. Alternately there are eight pages of thumbnails
pg 1 pg 2 pg 3 pg 4
pg 5 pg 6 pg 7 pg 8

Useful links:
The State Department
The Fulbright Commission
The Institute for International Education

We are using Facebook as our chat room host. Our group is called ndflta. Registration is free. Once registered, you can upload comments, photos, questions etc. After registering, use the search function to find ndflta. Our facebook group will remain active after the conference for as long as there is an interest. So join today!

Accommodation

Each FLTA will be provided with an individual dormitory room at Welsh Family Hall at the University of Notre Dame for the orientation’s duration.

Meals/refreshments will also be provided throughout the orientation.

Weather

The average weather for South Bend, Indiana in early August is: 83˚ F (high) and 63˚ F (Low). A weather forecast for the University of Notre Dame and South Bend is available at this site: To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, click here

The University of Notre Dame

Overview

Helpful websites concerning the University of Notre Dame:
Welcome to the University of Notre Dame
Campus map
Live web-cam

The University of Notre Dame, founded in 1842 by a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, is an independent, national Catholic university located at Notre Dame, Indiana, adjacent to the city of South Bend and approximately 90 miles east of Chicago.

Admission to the University is highly competitive, with five applicants for each freshman class position. Sixty-nine percent of incoming freshmen were in the top 5 percent of their high school graduating classes. The University's minority student population has nearly tripled in the past 17 years, and women, first admitted to undergraduate studies at Notre Dame in 1972, now account for 47 percent of undergraduate and overall enrollment.

The University is organized into four undergraduate colleges — Arts and Letters, Science, Engineering, and the Mendoza College of Business — the School of Architecture, the Law School, the Graduate School, 10 major research institutes, more than 40 centers and special programs, and the University Library system. Fall 2005 enrollment was 11,417 students. One indicator of the quality of Notre Dame's undergraduate programs is the success of its students in postbaccalaureate studies. The medical school acceptance rate of the University's preprofessional studies graduates is 75 percent, almost twice the national average, and Notre Dame ranks first among Catholic universities in the number of doctorates earned by its undergraduate alumni - a record compiled over some 80 years. The Graduate School, established in 1918, encompasses 43 master's and 22 doctoral degree programs in and among 28 University departments and institutes.

The source of the University's academic strength is its faculty, which since 1988 has seen the addition of some 500 members and the establishment of more than 150 new endowed professorships. Notre Dame faculty members have won 24 fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities in the past five years, more than for any other university in the nation. At Notre Dame, education always has been linked to values, among them living in community and volunteering in community service. Residence hall life, shared by four of five undergraduates, is both the hallmark of the Notre Dame experience and the wellspring of the University's rich tradition. A younger tradition, the University's Center for Social Concerns, serves as a catalyst for student voluntarism. About 80 percent of Notre Dame students engage in some form of voluntary community service during their years at the University, and at least 10 percent devote a year or more after graduation to serving the less fortunate in the U.S. and around the world.

With 1,250 acres containing two lakes and 137 buildings with a total property replacement value of $2.2 billion, Notre Dame is well known for the quality of its physical plant and the beauty of its campus. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the 14-story Hesburgh Library with its 132-feet-high mural depicting Christ the Teacher, and the University's newly renovated 125-year-old Main Building with its famed Golden Dome are among the most widely known university landmarks in the world.

2008 FLTA ORIENTATION Schedule

All events take place at the Centre for Continuing Education (McKenna Hall) unless otherwise indicated.

DAY 1 (12 August 2008)

Arrival.

DAY 2 (13 August 2008)

(All events in CCE/McKenna Hall)

9:00AM Breakfast (Optional)
9:30AM Tour of Campus (Optional)
9:30-11:15AM Orientation Registration, distribution of ID badges, course-packets and folders
12:00PM Prof. John McGreevy, I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts and Letters Welcome address
12:15PM Group photograph
12:30PM Director’s address
12:45PM Ms. Marsha Frith [Program Administrator, Institute for International Education] The Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program: Policies and Procedures
2:30PM Prof. Kevin Barry, [Ass. Dir., Kaneb Center for Teaching & Learning] Constructing a syllabus, Course goals, Alignment of assignments and examinations to goals, Classroom set-up, Lesson planning
3:30PM Prof. Kevin Barry, [Ass. Dir., Kaneb Center for Teaching & Learning] Successful teaching strategies, Error correction, Pacing, Feedback & Student expectations
4:30PM Mr. Ted Fox [College of Arts and Letters] The Culture and Basics of American Football
6:00PM Dinner (on your own)
7:30PM Film Screening – Dead Poets Society

Day 3 (14 August 2008)

(All events in CCE/McKenna Hall)

8-8:45AM Breakfast Reception
9:00AM Prof. Dennis Jacobs, [Associate Provost] Testing, Grading, Teacher Evaluation Forms, Academic Integrity
10:00AM Dr. Lance Askildson (Dir., Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures) Communicative Teaching and Successful Language Teaching Methods
1:00PM Lunch (on your own)
2:00PM Professor Jannifer Crittendon, [Dir., Office of Institutional Equity] Discrimination and harassment on campus and in the workplace
3:00PM Q&A on Less Commonly Taught Languages with University of Notre Dame Faculty:
Prof. Alyssa Gillespie [Dept. of German & Russian]
Prof. Li Guo [Dept. of Classics & Middle Eastern Languages]
Prof. Paul McDowell [Dept. of Romance Languages]
Prof. Brian Ó Conchubhair [Dept. of Irish Language & Literature]
4:00PM Prof. Chris Clark [Kaneb Center for Teaching & Learning] Electronic resources for language research and teaching
6:00PM Dinner (on your own)

DAY 4 (15 August 2008)

(All events in McKenna Hall)

9:00AM Mr. Andy Knight and Ms. Cathy Hoffa [ND Federal Credit Union] Banking, Checking & Opening a bank account in the U.S.A.
10:00AM Ms. Ava Preacher [Associate Director, Office of Dean of Arts & Letters] Dealing with Sexual Assault on and off campus
10:30AM Detective Dave Dosman [Notre Dame Campus Police] Legal Rights of Non-Citizens in the United States & the Role of Police on & off campus, 911 calls and emergencies
11:00AM Prof. Maureen Dawson, [The College of First Year Studies] The Freshman student – needs, hopes and background
12:00AM Lunch (on your own)
12:00AM Distribution of Orientation Questionnaire
1:00PM Ms. Bethany Heet, [Dir., International Student Services & Activities] Challenges faced by International Students in American Universities
1:30PM Mr. Robert Jones [Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic] Renting and subletting accommodation in the United States
2:00PM Mr. Terry Bland, [The South Bend Tribune] Politics and Political Journalism in the United States
3:00PM Ms. Aedín Ní Bhroithe Clements, [Bibliographer, Hesburgh Library] Introduction to electronic research in library databases
4:30PM Ms. Tammy Freeman [Ass. Dir., Office of Human Resources] Conflict resolution: Dealing with you supervisor, colleagues, students in a new environment
5:00PM Dr. Wendy H Settle, Recognizing Stress and Managing it – A Workshop
6:00PM Distribution of FLTA stipend.
7:30PM Farewell banquet in traditional costume/dress featuring performances by FLTAs

DAY 5 (16 August 2008)

8:00AM Breakfast & Collection of orientation assessment forms
9:00AM Bus departs University of Notre Dame for O’Hare Airport
11:30AM Arrival at Terminal, 1, 2, 3, 4, at O’Hare International Airport/Students depart for host institutions.

Educational Resources

The Chronicle for Higher Education
Inside Higher Education
Modern Language Association
A Map of Languages in the United States

Orientation Director
Brian Ó Conchubhair

is Assistant Professor in the Department of Irish Language & Literature at the University of Notre Dame and a Fellow of the Keough-
Naughton Institute for Irish Studies.

Prior to joining the Notre Dame faculty, he taught at Katolicke Uniwersytet Lubelski (Poland), Boston College and NUI, Galway, as well as summer language programs at UC Berkeley and Harvard University. He also coordinated the Irish Studies On-Line course at the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI, Galway. His recent publication include Gearrscéalta Ár Linne (2006) and WHY IRISH? Irish Language and Literature in Academia (2008). Essays on various aspects of 19th and 20th century Irish literature and culture appear in Irisleabhar Mhá Nuad, Comhar, Éire-Ireland, New Hibernian Review, Irish University Review and Yearbook of English Studies. His research interests include: 19th- and 20th-century Ireland, the Irish Revival, contemporary Irish language fiction, European Fin de Siècle and the Irish language among the Diaspora.