A new Regis University continuing-education program is designed to help adults complete their degree and become professionally bilingual.
“What we find is that many students who have a Spanish background never have learned professional Spanish to use in their professions,” said Bill Husson, vice president for new ventures and strategic alliances at Regis. “This presents a tremendous opportunity for them.”
The program, which debuts this month, teaches accelerated classes in alternating languages — one week in Spanish and the next in English. An official ribbon-cutting on the new dual-language campus, 500 E. 84th Ave. in Thornton, is planned for 11 a.m. Thursday.
Students do not need to be bilingual prior to starting classes, but some knowledge of the second language — either Spanish or English — is helpful.
Regis will offer language classes, but in this program, all degree classes will be taught immersion-style in Spanish and English. The material covered in class is not repeated in both languages.
Dual-language programs are common in elementary schools, where educators believe immersing students in a second language helps them use the language enough that it is better retained. Husson said Regis leaders believe they will be the first in the country to offer such a program at the college level.
“We think we’re very well suited as a Catholic Jesuit university to be the first to offer the program because we have an affinity with that population,” Husson said. “It’s an appropriate outreach for us, and we’re committed to make this project work for the community.”
The accelerated program will offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 12 fields, including business administration, accounting, marketing, communications and computer information systems.
Depending on how much prior college a student has completed, the program is designed so students earn a degree in about two years, completing each course in five to eight weeks.
Students are required to spend four hours a week in the classroom and then asked to spend at least 10 additional hours a week studying the content and practicing the language.
“There’s just no comparison to taking a few language classes,” Husson said. “This is an immersion. It is a rigorous program.”
Regis modeled the program after tailoring bilingual courses for use at its partner school in Puerto Rico. Those classes have been in development for five years. The dual-language program in Puerto Rico serves about 2,500 students.
In Denver, the leaders of the program conducted meetings with local business leaders and the community to determine the need.
“There are more than 60 million Hispanics in the U.S.,” said Luis Soto, executive director of the dual-language program and former director of the Centro San Juan Diego. “The global market is very demanding. For businesses, it’s important to have fully bilingual employees that are able to conduct business speaking professionally.”
Using that community input, the program was developed to benefit business leaders and the working adults who want those jobs.
“Many of the students that apply are professionals in their country but are not working at the level they could here,” said Syndia Nazario-Cardona, a consultant who is coordinating the program. “This will give them an opportunity to continue their study without having language as a barrier.”
Students who have completed some college in another country may be able to have those credits transferred.
The program may be expanded to provide degrees in other subject areas, including health care. The program could also be expanded to other Regis campuses, including one in Nevada.
“There is a need, because of the diversity in the Denver community,” Nazario-Cardona said. “But what’s interesting is the community felt it wasn’t just for Latinos. Anglos will see this as an opportunity too.”
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com
