ASL – English Interpretation Program Receives National Accreditation

In May, the ASL – English Interpretation program was awarded national accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE). This is a major milestone for the program and the Department of ASL – English Interpretation, which was created in 1993 and is home to the only BA-granting interpreting program within a 100-mile radius of the South Loop.

“This is by far one of the most significant achievements for our department in our history,” said Diana Gorman Jamrozik, Associate Professor in the Department of ASL – English Interpretation and the next chair of the department, beginning Fall 2012. “Accreditation validates our curriculum, but so do our graduates, who represent Columbia College Chicago daily as leaders in the field of interpretation.”

In its report to Columbia, the CCIE noted that the Department of ASL – English Interpretation and its BA program have many strengths, including, “The fit between the unified passion and purpose of the department and the mission of the college, benchmarks for assessing student progress through the major … [and] solid administrative skills of the program director and the clear administrative support from within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, especially from the Dean.”

The CCIE is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors and was created to promote professionalism in sign language interpreter education through accreditation. Provided the Department of ASL – English Interpretation continues to meet the CCIE’s standards and benchmarks, including developing and implementing a process that tracks and analyzes alumni outcomes, national accreditation for the program will last through at least April of 2022.

“By being accredited by the CCIE, students can be confident that the ASL – English Interpretation major meets, or exceeds, national standards for excellence in interpreter education,” Jamrozik said. “Accreditation highlights our program and puts it at a level that very few other programs in the country have.”