Features of our Department

Professor G. Ferris Cronkhite Scholarship
Previous award amount: $13,040 (divided among multiple recipients)

Awarded to students with demonstrated financial need who show success in English, art history, French literature, German literature, or Spanish literature. Established through a generous bequest from Professor G. Ferris Cronkhite. Professor Cronkhite joined the Ithaca College English department faculty in 1966. He retired in 1982 and was named professor emeritus in 1985.

Students who major or minor in French, German, Italian, and Spanish are eligible for induction into an honor society.

• Pi Delta Phi (French)
• Delta Phi Alpha (German)
• Gamma Kappa Alpha (Italian)
• Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish)

Our students can train and apply to be hired as Teaching Assistants (TA's) for the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Teaching Assistants. TA’s are paid and work closely with department professors, who help TA's not only develop effective peer-led language review sessions for students enrolled in our 100000-level language classes, but also gain invaluable professional experience. Students currently enrolled in 10000-level language classes meet with our TA's for 50 minutes per week throughout the semester, and these sessions play a key role in helping us to reinforce student learning while also ensuring that less fluent students have the opportunity to meet and get to know students with greater fluency and knowledge about the department.

The department offers students the opportunity to converse in various languages on a weekly basis. Peer conversation leaders of Chiacchiere (Italian) and Tertulia (Spanish) are native or near native speakers of the languages they facilitate. Sessions offer student learners regular, low-stakes opportunities to practice and gain language fluency while also exploring diverse aspects of culture. Conversation leaders work closely with professors and each other to help build a sense of departmental and college-wide community and belonging.

Read more about our conversation groups, Chiacchiere and Tertulia, in The Ithacan’s “Students learn new languages in conversation groups” (February 22, 2023).

Every semester students produce Spanish language plays that are open to the public. Students involved in Teatro can take on any role they desire (acting, directing, managing, etc). In December 2013, Teatro was invited to present at the United Nations for International Human Rights Day!

The Cine con Cultura Film Festival happens every September and October during Latinx Heritage Month to pay tribute to Latin American and Latinx Cinema. It is organized in collaboration with Cultura Ithaca! and the Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County, Ithaca College, Cornell University, and two local art cinemas: Cinemapolis and Cornell Cinema. The Film Festival is in its seventh edition this year (2020). For more information about the festival please write to culturaithaca@gmail.com.

Ithaca College has numerous affiliations with study abroad programs in Spain, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Students generally choose to study abroad for a semester during their junior year at Ithaca College. The Office of International Programs at Ithaca College is a fantastic resource!