Undergraduate Handbook

Undergraduate Advising

Please visit the Romance Languages & Literatures faculty for questions in your area of interest.

See your RLL advisor or your teacher in RLL for:

• assistance in course selection and advising during pre-registration
• help with drop/add, pass/fail options, and difficulties throughout the semester

See the Director of Undergraduate Studies for:

(To schedule appointments with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, contact the Undergraduate Secretary in Lyons 304.)

• questions about the majors and minors
• extraordinary difficulties in registration, courses, placement and questions of credit
• details about the Language House programs, including application and monthly activities
• assignment of an RLL advisor

See the International Study Advisor in RLL for:

(To schedule appointments with the International Study Advisor, contact the Departmental Administrator in Lyons 304B)

• pre-approval and approval of coursework abroad
• final approval of plans abroad
• paperwork for student services office upon returning from abroad

Requirements for Majors and Minors in RLL:

Major=10 three-credit courses/Minor=6 three-credit courses

Residency Requirement:
All RLL majors are required to enroll in an advanced course each semester of their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the ten-course requirement for the major. All RLL minors must enroll in one advanced course during their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the six-course requirement for the minor.

Transfer Credit for Study Abroad:

RLL minors earn credit for up to two courses (6 credits) toward their minor in a single semester of study abroad, and credit for up to three course (9 credits) in a year-long program. Students majoring or minoring in Hispanic Studies should consult the Hispanic Studies Guidelines for Study Abroad.

Major in French

4 courses to be chosen from among the following

• RL 303 French Phonetics and Oral Expression
• RL305 Introduction to Drama and Poetry
• RL306 Introduction to Narrative Forms
• RL307 Masterpieces of French Literature
• RL308 Advanced Language Studies in French
• RL309 Topics in French Culture & Civilization

Please note: Students may repeat a semester of RL307, RL308, or RL309 as an elective with the permission of the instructor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

4 Advanced Courses in French language, literature, or culture at the 400 level or above.

2 electives to be chosen among the following:

• RL210 French Composition, Conversation & Reading II (when taken as the first course for the major)
• Additional Courses at the 300 or 400 level
• RL572 Comparative Development of the Romance Languages
• RL597 (ED303) Foreign Language Pedagogy

Major in Hispanic Studies

Requirements: 10 three-credit courses which must include:

• Contextos RL 395

• Four 600-level Advanced Courses in Literature and Culture, which must include one course in each of the following categories:

• Five electives, which can be chosen from:

Notes and Conditions:

Students enter the major at a point appropriate to their level of linguistic proficiency. The earliest point at which a student can begin the major is CCR II (RL 216).

The prerequisite for all 600-level courses (and above) is the linguistic proficiency level of Naturalmente II (RL 392) or equivalent.

Only one course may be in English.

Consult the Hispanic Studies Guidelines for Study Abroad. Maximum transfer credit from study abroad: 15 credits (5 courses) for one year of study, 9 credits (3 courses) for one semester of study. If 3 or more courses for the major are transferred from study abroad, then all other courses must be taken in the department.

Students who do not study abroad are allowed a maximum of two related courses outside the Dept. of Romance Languages & Literatures.

Major in Italian

RL213 & RL214 (Italian Conversation, Composition and Reading I & II)

6 Advanced Courses in Italian literature or culture (RL500 and above)

2 electives to be chosen from the following:

Additional Advanced Courses (RL500 and above)

• RLL Courses in Conversation
• RLL Courses in Culture
• RLL Courses in Pedagogy, RL595/ED303, Foreign Language Pedagogy
• RL598 Second Language Acquisition and Proficiency

Minor in French

2 Foundation Courses to be chosen from among the following:

• RL 303 French Phonetics and Oral Expression
• RL305 Introduction to Drama and Poetry
• RL306 Introduction to Narrative Form
• RL307 Masterpieces of French Literature
• RL308 Advanced Language Studies in French
• RL309 Topics in French Culture & Civilization

1 Advanced Course at the 400 or 700 level

3 electives to be chosen among the following

• RL209 & RL210 French Composition, Conversation & Reading I & II (as entry level courses only)
• Additional Courses at the 300 or 400 level

Minor in Hispanic Studies

Requirements: 6 three-credit courses, which must include Contextos RL 395 and least two courses at the 600 level.

Notes and Conditions:

The prerequisite for all 600-level courses (and above) is the linguistic proficiency level of Naturalmente II or equivalent.

Minimum entry level for the minor is CCR II (RL 216)

Maximum transfer credit from study abroad:
9 credits (3 courses) for one year of study, 6 credits (2 courses) for one semester of study.

Minor in Italian

2 Foundation Courses:

• RL213 & RL214 Italian Composition, Conversation & Reading I & II

2 Advanced Courses in Italian Literature, or Culture at the RL500 level or above (for Undergraduates)

2 electives to be chosen among the following

• RL114 Intermediate Italian II or RL151 Italianissimo (as an entry-level course only for students graduating prior to 2011)
• RL300 (or above) Courses in Culture
• Approved Courses taken Abroad

To Declare a Major or Minor:

Arrange for appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (See Undergraduate Secretary in Lyons 304).

Honors Program

The Honors Program offers its majors a unique opportunity to conduct research and write a thesis on a topic of their choice, under the guidance of a faculty member in the department. Students admitted into the program will work throughout the senior year with their Thesis Director.

Faculty members will nominate students for the Honors Program in April of their junior year. To be eligible, candidates must be declared majors in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures with a grade point average of 3.4 or higher. No more than 9 credits must remain for completion of the major in their senior year. Candidates must also have exhibited the maturity and self-discipline that long-term independent work requires. Nominated students will be invited to meet with the Program Coordinator during the semester preceding their enrollment in the program. The final decision about acceptance into the program will be made during the first week of registration.

For complete details, please read the RLL Honors Program Guidelines. After consulting the guidelines, interested students should contact their current RLL instructor to inquire about nomination to the program. For any further questions, please contact the RLL Honors Program Coordinator.

RLL Honors & Awards

• Book Prizes in French, Italian and Hispanic Studies ~ prizes given in each language to students at various levels of study.
  
• Andrés Bello Award ~ offered by Consul of Chile to a senior who has excelled in Spanish.
  
• Wendy Berson Language Award ~ given to a senior who has demonstrated excellence in the area of romance languages in general, but more specifically, to one with the ability to speak one or more of them with great expertise.
  
• Princess Grace of Monaco Award ~ offered by the Consul of Monaco, in conjunction with the Consul of Chile, to a senior who has excelled in French.
  
• Figurito Award ~ presented to a senior for scholarly achievement in Italian.
  
• Normand Cartier Award ~ given annually to the member of the Lambda Psi chapter of the Pi Delta Phi National French Honor Society who has demonstrated leadership in promoting French and Francophone literature and culture in the Boston College community

The Romance Language House at Boston College

The Romance Language House is a Special Interest Housing option which seeks to bring students and faculty together as an intellectual community that also shares the events of daily life in French or Spanish.

A Unique Housing Opportunity
The Romance Language House offers a unique combination of private apartments and large common areas. Residents live in four-person apartments with others committed to speaking the same target language. Each apartment has two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, and bath. Various events are held in the common space on the floor: concerts, skits and lectures in the lounge; Spanish and French meals in the dining room and common kitchen; movies, videos and cable news programs in the TV viewing room. Residents commit to speaking the target language on the floor and take an active part in the planning and execution of activities, which they choose themselves. They take an active role in house events throughout the year.

Activities
The Casa hispánica and Maison française each schedule a monthly calendar of activities, most of which are designed by and for the house residents. Non-residents are invited to attend selected events. Among the activities are regularly occurring events, such as daily language tables, weekly conversation hours, and monthly dinners, as well as one-time happenings, such as film series, guest speakers, poetry readings, singing and concerts. Outings to restaurants, museums and galleries are also organized. Short trips to Spanish- and French-speaking destinations are planned during holiday periods and on weekends.

Graduate Mentors
The language house program enables thirty students interested in language and culture to live together, and provides residents with the close personal guidance of graduate students, one in French and one in Spanish. The graduate student residents are native-level speakers of the target languages. They facilitate the planning and execution of activities designed to improve the students’ language skills, enrich their knowledge of other cultures, and generally contribute to their intellectual and personal development. They are available during regularly scheduled office hours as well as informally, and are responsible for the linguistic and intellectual functions of the program.

Application Procedures
Applicants should have at least moderate proficiency in the target language. Native speakers may apply. Applications for this Special Interest Housing are available online on the Housing Website. The deadline for applications is December of each year. Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to participate in house activities open to the public during the semester before they apply.

Pi Delta Phi, the French Honor Society

Pi Delta Phi was founded in 1906 as a departmental honor society at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1926, Pi Delta Phi declared itself the National French Honor Society and chartered the Beta Chapter at the University of Southern California. The society expanded slowly over the next fifteen years. Since the end of World War II, Pi Delta Phi has enjoyed phenomenal growth. At the present time, it numbers more than 300 chapters established at representative public and private colleges and universities in almost every state, as well as chapters in Paris and Aix-en-Provence. Pi Delta Phi was admitted into membership in the Association of College Honor Societies in 1967.

In 1997, the Lambda Psi chapter of Pi Delta Phi was founded at Boston College, thanks to the initiative of Professors Ourida Mostefai and Rebecca Valette. Since then, Pi Delta Phi has become very much an active part of the greater Boston College community. Over the past three years, the Lambda Psi chapter has grown to include many of the University's most promising undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty, librarians, administrators and alumni who have distinguished themselves through their scholarship and their love of French culture have also been accorded honorary membership.

The numerous activities of the Lambda Psi chapter have had as their goal to promote a greater awareness of French and Francophone culture at Boston College. These activities include:

• The re-creation of the meditation labyrinth of the Chartres Cathedral in an outdoor space accessible to the Boston College community, and the production of a promotional brochure explaining the labyrinth.
• The exhibit of a French medieval manuscript at the Burns Library and the concomitant publication of the Reflections on the Connolly Book of Hours, with support from the Carroll Foundation for the Arts.
• The establishment of the Normand Cartier Award in memory of the eminent medievalist who spearheaded the growth of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
• The exhibit of eighteenth-century European fans from the Hicks Collection at the McMullen Museum of Art (June to September 2000) and the sponsorship of an international symposium on the French fan commerce of the period, supported by the Fan Association of North America (FANA).
• A French Film Festival, supported by a grant from the French Cultural Services (FACSEA) and co-sponsored by the French Library and Cultural Center of Boston and the Maison Française of Boston College (January 27-31, 2002).

Student Clubs

A number of students clubs offer students many extracurricular opportunities to pursue their interest in Romance languages and cultures. These clubs include: The Circolo Italiano, the French Club, and several Hispanic clubs.

RLL Programs Abroad

To see a complete list of approved programs click here.

Applying for Study Abroad

Department Study Abroad Advisor:

RLL majors and minors wishing to study abroad will meet with the RLL International Study Advisor to help determine their eligibility: their progress in the major or minor as well as their GPA will be checked and a recommendation will be made. Students will then be directed to a specific Program Advisor with whom they will select their courses. Courses will be approved based on the recommendation from the Program Advisor.

(To schedule appointments with the RLL International Study Advisor, contact the Departmental Administrator in Lyons 304B)

Office of International Programs

To obtain information on a program, and to apply, please contact the Office of International Programs located at Hovey House (552-3827)

Study Abroad Policies

Prerequisites:

Ideally, students expecting to transfer credits into an RLL major will have completed the equivalent of a third-year university-level language class or more. Minimally, students should have completed at least the second semester of the intermediate course. Please note: Italian majors and minors who have only completed Elementary Italian II are eligible for the Fall or full-year program in Parma only. Students majoring or minoring in Hispanic Studies should consult the Hispanic Studies Guidelines for Study Abroad.

During their senior year all RLL majors are required to enroll in an advanced course each semester of their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the ten-course requirement for the major. Students who are nominated to the RLL Honors program are encouraged to line up a thesis topic before going abroad.

Restrictions:

Departmental pre-approval of courses is required prior to departure. For all other courses, the International Study Advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will evaluate the courses taken abroad and make a decision.

No RLL credit will be granted for courses conducted in English. Credit is not automatically granted for courses taken in the target language. Courses must show a direct relationship to the student's program of study in the department.

Programs not listed in the "Partner programs" section will be evaluated on case-by-case basis. Students majoring or minoring in Hispanic Studies should consult the Hispanic Studies Guidelines for Study Abroad.

Residency Requirement:

All RLL majors are required to enroll in an advanced course each semester of their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the ten-course requirement for the major. All RLL minors must enroll in one advanced course during their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the six-course requirement for the minor.

RLL Peer Advisors

Each year the Department of RLL nominates three RLL majors to serve as volunteer peer advisors, and provide assistance to other majors and minors. The RLL peer advisors have offered to be available to answer your questions about academic matters in the department such as courses, placement, advice about work and study abroad, and careers. What you are in the process of doing, they have probably done, so please take advantage of their generous offer to help out. For the names and telephone numbers of this years’ Peer Advisors please consult the website or stop by the department.

The Interdisciplinary Minor in Latin American Studies

Students may earn a minor in Latin American Studies by completing six courses selected from among courses approved and listed for the program. The courses selected must come from at least three different academic departments. Students normally lay the foundation for the minor by taking either HS174, "Modern Latin America" or PO 428, "Politics in Latin America." Both courses are highly recommended. RL682, "Latin American Perspectives on Civilization and Culture," is an attractive capstone course.

Photos: Christy (right), BC Fulbright recipient in Rouen, France; parking in Paris; Guadí rooftop in Barcelona, Spain; contradicting traffic signs in Parma, Italy; salad in Rousson, France; Intermediate Summer School faculty in Ecuador; Tuileries, Paris.