TAMPA, Fla. — Rumblings that the University of South Florida planned to end its American Sign Language interpreting program "with no warning and very little explanation" sparked confusion Thursday.
But the university says that's not the case, and miscommunicated information is to blame.
"A recent communication in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at the University of South Florida inaccurately stated that a decision was made to end an undergraduate major in American Sign Language and Interpreting. No such decision has been made," a statement from the college's dean, Julie Serovich, read.
Instead, Serovich says the college planned to recommend discontinuing the major as part of USF's annual process of reviewing the productivity of all degree programs. The decision was, in part, due to a bachelor's degree not being necessary to becoming a certified interpreter, Serovich added.
At this point, USF says the proposal was not submitted or reviewed by university leadership and that it is still accepting applications from students interested in pursuing the major for the summer or fall 2022 semesters.
"USF recognizes there is a need in the community for certified interpreters, and the university remains committed to offering training that prepares students for this field. The College of Behavioral and Community Sciences plans to work with partners within the university and across the Tampa Bay region to develop an innovative approach to expand the number of certified American Sign Language interpreters who serve our community," the statement from Serovich reads.
A "USF ASL INTERPRETING IS HERE TO STAY" protest is set to be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the university's Marshall Student Center. An online petition aimed at saving the program has 11,162 signatures at the time of this writing.
The university says Serovich plans to attend the gathering.
Nearly 3 million people who call Florida home are affected by hearing loss, with the Tampa Bay area having one of the largest deaf populations in the country.
