nmferdin

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nmferdin@arizona.edu
Office
Harvill 341B
Ferdinandt, Nicholas
Associate Professor of Practice

Home Department: Public and Applied Humanities

SLAT Areas of Specialization: Instructional Dimensions of L2 Learning, Language Program Administration Minor/Certificate

Nicholas Ferdinandt completed his EdD in Educational Leadership at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, where he also completed his undergraduate degree in Russian. Dr. Ferdinandt’s MA in Slavic Languages and Literatures is from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Ferdinandt has been a teacher and tutor trainer as well as an ESL instructor in the US, Brazil, and Mexico. He created the University Track Pathway in the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) at the University of Arizona and came to Public & Applied Humanities by way of the directorship at CESL (2017-2020). Dr. Ferdinandt has many years of experience as a leader in language education as a course and program developer, as well as a language program evaluator. Dr. Ferdinandt has a variety of interests that include language program evaluation, intercultural training, leadership for intercultural understanding, and myth and story as social construction.

Area of Specialization
Instructional dimensions of L2 learning
Second Language Program Administration (minor)

Currently Teaching

SLAT 572 – Language Program Evaluation: Policies, Standards and Practice

This course is designed to introduce students to the key theories, approaches, and concepts governing academic program evaluation and accreditation processes as they apply to language programs broadly and to language institutions as applicable. Topics will include the importance of the mission statement, processes and standards for curricular development, the role of good assessment in language program evaluation, faculty qualifications, professional development and management standards, and language program review processes, as well as the documentation and implementation of program review processes. The course will revolve around weekly readings, interpretation of relevant standards within varied environments of accreditation for each topic, and dialogical discussions regarding each topic in class. An online forum (D2L) will further the discussions in class and support classroom learning. The course is designed for students anticipating leadership roles in educational administration and will lay the groundwork for a future practice that is comprehensive, systematic, and practical.