SIGMA DELTA MU  

March 2002

Newsletter

Estimados colegas,

This brief newsletter from Sigma Delta Mu will bring up to date to the various happenings with the people within the organization.

Certificates and Charters:

Tim Johnson is working on our certificates and charters. If you go to his web page,  you will see a copy of our certificate in the background. These certificates are the ones you order from Cynthia for your initiation ceremonies. The charters are similar but a little larger than the certificates.

Updates:

Changes to the constitution have been made recently. The minimum overall grade point average from to 2.75 to 3.00. This will place Sigma Delta Mu in line with other honor societies. The Spanish course grade point average remains at 3.00. If you have any questions on this, please feel free to contact any of the officers.

In the past, official transcripts had been requested in order to process the request for a new chapter. Official transcript no longer have to be submitted to the President. Verification of the overall grade point average and course grade point average will be the responsibility of the chapter sponsor. A list of students with their OGPA and CGPA can be submitted in lieu of the official transcripts. This change has been made in the Charter Petition form.

Official transcripts also had been requested when initiating new members. We are asking that the chapter sponsors be responsible and verify the students' overall grade point average as well as the course grade point average. Verification of grades can be done with student transcripts without burdening the students with an added out of pocket expenditure.

Traditionally a copy of the most recent catalogue showing a regular curriculum of at least 12 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of college Spanish was requested when applying for a new chapter. With most colleges and universities placing their catalogues online, the institution's web address will suffice.

News:

Former President, Anne Fountain, was on sabbatical leave last semester in order to write a book. Anne Fountain was also a candidate for President of AATSP at the last elections. She also had an excellent article in the September 2001 issue of Hispania. She reminds us that there is a 2-yr, position now in AATSP that we should keep in mind so that we can have more input in this organization.

Julio Hernandez-Miyares, Vice-President Northeast, has retired from his full-time position at Kingsborough Community College after years of excellent teaching. He is now Emeritus at Kingsborough as well as an Adjunct Professor at the Long Island University at P.W. Post College. We wish him all the best.

Alfonso García Osuna is now the Chairman of the Foreign Language Department at City University of New York, Kingsborough Community College. Congratulations!

Cynthia Bingham, Executive Secretary, traveled with students to Egypt last summer and is planning another exciting cultural trip to several Scandinavian countries this summer.  Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Estonia are on the itinerary for the summer of 2002.

Carmen Vigo-Acosta, Vice-President Southwest has relocated her office to the Red Mountain campus of Mesa Community College.

Conferences:

2002: The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese is having their annual conference in Brazil at the end of June. Sigma Delta Mu's session is being coordinated by Julio Hernandez-Miyares. Anne Fountain will present on "José Martí" and Julio will be presenting on "Julian del Casal y el modernismo." Anne Fountain is also coordinating the session on high school and two-year college articulation. Berta Arias, Vice-President Midwest, will be presenting at the Two-College session "Spanish for the World of Work: A Case Study."  While Mercedes will be presenting at this session, "Spanish for the Online World."

2001: AATSP San Francisco, at SDM's session, Julio Hernandez-Miyares presented "Julian del Casal y Gustave Moreau: Arte, Poesia y el Modernismo." Graciela Lucero Hammer, Assistant Professor of Spanish, Salem College, Winston Salem, NC presented "An informal panel discussion where the presenters will share their experiences in publishing a textbook." The two presentations were excellent! At the Two-Year College session, Mercedes spoke on  "Critical Issues for Two-Year Colleges in the New Millennium."

2000: AATSP San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the Sigma Delta Mu session, Carmen Vigo Acosta presented "Voluntary Service: A Way to Enhance Language Learning." Ann Fountain presented "Clemente Soto Velez and a North Carolina Connection." Julio Hernandez-Miyares presented "Los Cuentos de Reinaldo Arenas: Fantasia y Realidad."

Chapters:

We have had several inquiries for new chapters but not all have finished the paperwork.  Please welcome the newest chapters:

¡Bienvenidos a todos!

If you have any news that you would like to share with others, please send the information to me at: presidente@sigmadeltamu.org. Be sure to visit our web page: http://www.sigmadeltamu.org.

Se despide de ustedes por ahora,

Mercedes Aguirre Batty
Presidente, Sigma Delta Mu