Policy: 1.9 Employee Signed Communication Requirements and Expectations

Adoption Date: January 27, 2016 – Revised

PHILOSOPHY

Meaningful and understandable communication among students, staff, families and other consumers is a critical component in creating positive and healthy learning and living environments at Howard College, particularly at the Southwest College for the Deaf (SWCD) site. Signed communication (American Sign Language) is an integral part of the communication environment at the HC-SWCD site.

Each HC-SWCD employee can be a valuable resource for enhancing the quality and quantity of visual communication and, as such, the college assumes responsibility for providing each HC-SWCD employee the opportunity to develop and strengthen their signed communication proficiency. The desired outcomes of this policy are excellence in classroom discourse, full linguistic participation by employees in all aspects of campus life and continued and ongoing growth of employee’s sign language proficiency and competence. Staff sign language development is an ongoing process that promotes continuous learning and skill development regardless of an employee’s level of proficiency.

EMPLOYEE SIGNED COMMUNICATION PROFICIENCY

Each HC-SWCD employee will have or develop the signed communication skills necessary to perform the employee’s job responsibilities effectively. The level of skills required will vary according to the frequency of contact and the level of interaction required with deaf or hard of hearing individuals. Employees will be given up to two years to achieve, or show significant progress toward achieving, the sign language proficiency required by their position in order to perform their job responsibilities effectively. Each supervisor will assess the employee’s sign communication proficiency and communication effectiveness to determine a course of action to ensure successful communication

EMPLOYEE SIGN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

American Sign Language and classroom discourse instruction will be provided to develop and strengthen the sign language skills of all HC-SWCD employees. Professional development will be provided for new faculty and staff each semester and summer session. The primary purpose of this training will be to assist HC-SWCD employees in their development of American Sign Language and classroom discourse skills so that they may meet the requirements set forth in this policy. In addition, deaf culture awareness will be a part of New Employee Orientation for all college employees. Deaf Culture updates will also be provided during Deaf Awareness Week. Faculty teaching main-streamed deaf and hard of hearing students will be provided additional training in deaf culture awareness, use of interpreters and instructional techniques.

SIGN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT COMPONENTS

Components of the employee signed communication development will include:

1. A reliable method for assessing employee proficiency and determining an appropriate course of instruction.
2. Professional development opportunities including provision of American Sign Language classes, information about deaf culture and the linguistics of American Sign Language. This will also include provisions for allowing employees to participate in instructional offerings at SWCD.

EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

The performance evaluation of each HC-SWCD employee will address the employee’s sign language staff development activities and progress towards achieving the signed communication proficiency of each employee.

PROCEDURES REQUIRED

The President will ensure that a procedure is adopted to implement this policy. The procedure will include but is not limited to the following topics:

1. A reliable and efficient assessment for determining an employee’s signed communication proficiency performance.
2. Responsibilities of supervisors to monitor and review signed communication proficiency activities in performance evaluations.
3. Requirements for employee participation in instructional opportunities to attain expected skills.

USE OF SIGNED COMMUNICATION BY EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE COLLEGE ENVIRONMENT AND AT COLLEGE ACTIVITIES

The Board of Trustees recognizes that:

1. The college, particularly the SWCD site environment, should be one that promotes clear communication between students, employees, families, consumers and others;
2. Ideally, within the SWCD environment, students, families, consumers and others who are deaf or hard of hearing should have access to the same communication that is available to hearing persons under similar circumstances;
3. The signed communication proficiency level of HC-SWCD employees will vary significantly depending on a number of factors including length of employment, previous learning opportunities for signed communication and opportunities for interaction with persons skilled in signed communication.