Senta Goertler is Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures and also serves as the Director of Basic Languages in the German program. Her research has focused on curricular and co-curricular issues in language program administration such as program articulation, online and blended learning, telecollaboration/virtual exchanges, and education abroad. Senta and her co-author, Paula Winke, in their award-winning article on computer literacy (Winke & Goertler, 2008) dispelled the myth that students at that time had the necessary technology skills to successfully participate in online language courses and recommended that to avoid equity issues that program administrators intending to shift instruction online invest in technology training and access. In their recent book (From Study Abroad to Education Abroad), Senta and her co-author, Theresa Schenker, provide a history of education abroad, a review of the literature, and make a case for sustainable long-term education abroad programs with a focus on language development and intercultural competence. In the book, they point out ethical and inequity issues in education abroad and point to possible solutions to create more inclusive, equitable, and ethical education abroad programs. With the support of a Hub Fellowship and a Lilly Fellowship Senta was also recently able to make curricular adjustments in the German Basic Language program to increase access to language education and improve equity in teaching assignments. She is thrilled to join the AAN Leadership Fellow program and to learn from her peers and mentor, Dean Joe Salem, who shares her dedication to creating sustainable and equitable working conditions. Through the fellowship, she is hoping to hone her leadership skills and find solutions to some of the many equity issues in higher education, especially those involving non-tenure-track employees.
