Program Director, Associate Dean, Distinguished Professor in Languages

Dr. Viviana Valdes-Santos

Robert Kesler Distinguished Professor in Modern Languages

Phillips Exeter Academy 20 Main Street, Exeter, New Hampshire 03833 *******@******.*** 603-***-****

OBJECTIVE

Experienced International Program Director, Associate Dean and Language and Literature Professor interested the position of Director of Residential Life at Endicott College.

EDUCATION

PhD, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey

18th Century French Literature, comprehensive exams passed with Distinction

Dissertation: “Irreconcilable Differences: (Con)textualizing consent: A study of the literature of the marriage contract in France.”

MSEd, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Foreign Language Pedagogy, French and Spanish

Master’s Thesis: Whole Language and the Modern Language Classroom

MA, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT and Paris, France

French Literature, 19th century

Master’s Thesis: The genesis of female adultery in the novels of Balzac and Zola

BS, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

School of Languages and Linguistics, French and Italian

Minor in Government

Université de Paris IV-Sorbonne

Coursework in Fiesole, Italy

EXPERIENCE

Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire 2001- 2020

Director of Study Abroad Term Programs, Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs and Robert Kesler Distinguished Professor in Modern Languages

International Program Director

Full oversight of academic and residential programs in Ecuador, France and Spain

Designed course of study and selected participants

Marketed program, recruited students and allocated and managed budget

Responsibility for hiring instructors, securing premises and organizing extra-curricular engagement and cultural excursions

On-site teaching and supervision of 12-14 students

Associate Dean of Students and Scholarship Coordinator, Summer Session

Responsible for general pastoral care of students during summer session including scheduling, academic advising, general discipline and dean on duty rotation

Coordinated multicultural program, provided support to 100 faculty and 700 students in matters regarding cultural adaptation and competency and liaised with communications department to host sending program directors on campus.

Established and implemented voucher system, redesigned affinity group framework, managed internal financial aid budget

Supervised Affinity Groups and supported group leaders, including budget item approval

Supervised, Advised and Trained Teaching Faculty as Dean in charge of Multicultural Affairs

Mediated Conversations regarding issues of race and gender, gender neutrality on campus and equal access

Implemented Policy regarding title IX and mandatory reporting laws

Organized Assembly Programming

Oversaw academic progress of students from sending programs (NAUSEA, Young Eisner’s, Raymond Roundtables, Memphis Reach)

Robert Kesler Distinguished Professor in Modern Languages

Teacher of French, Spanish and Italian, Culture, Language and Literature

Teacher of Humanities: Interdisciplinary Program in Art, History, Religion and Literature

Hired and mentored Modern Language teachers, and determined departmental tenure

Wrote Curriculum (culture and language, literature, film and art history) extensively for all levels of French and Spanish

Implemented Diversity, Equity and Inclusion guidelines, including writing Departmental Anti-racist statement and revising curricular choices

Trained in Social Justice in the Curriculum (ACTFL 2018, American University, 2020)

Spanish Program Placement Coordinator

Club Advisor (Arch-Exeter, La Alianza Latina, Multiracial Exonian Society, Luso-Brazilian Society)

Academic Advisor

Multi-year experience with Vistas Learning System, AP Curriculum, French and Spanish, technology integrated curriculum

Proficiency in Word, Excel, Canvas, PowerPoint and Video-based teaching

Head of Dormitory

Responsible for designing and implementing the 32-student Residential Life curriculum

Supervised and Evaluated 5 Resident and Affiliate Faculty

Member of Dorm Heads Committee

Managed yearly budget for Dormitory events

Committee Work

Curriculum Committee

Member of acting committee in charge of developing policy regarding curriculum, authorize changes to the Course of Instruction and develop new initiatives to promote interdisciplinary teaching

Implemented Design Thinking strategies to rethink school-wide curriculum design

Academic Advising Committee

Member of eight-person committee charged with determining all academic recommendations, including course reductions, exemptions and modifications, academic leaves and academic probation

Implement Policy regarding graduation requirements

Faculty Affairs Committee

Advisory Committee involved with issues pertaining to faculty, including but not limited to salary, benefits, workload and life-work balance

Chair, Agenda Committee

Advisory Committee involved in informing the faculty on matters relating to salary, benefits and workload

Discipline Committee

Member of eight-person committee charged with carrying out the discipline process, including evaluation of case, hearings and decision-making

Admissions Committee

Charged with Interviewing students, reading and evaluating admissions folders, selecting students for admission

Analyzed data and studied trends in admissions

Diversity Council

Collaborated in identifying areas for improvement to be presented to the Board of Trustees

Principal’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Student Workload

Examined the issue of student workload and proposed changes to school guidelines,

including the establishment of homework limits

Principal’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Advising

Evaluated existing practices in student advising and implemented changes, most notably, establishing a weekly advisory format

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 1994-2001

Lecturer, French and Spanish Departments

St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1997-1999

Visiting Assistant Professor, Modern Languages, French and Spanish

University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 1995-1997

Lecturer in Spanish

Lawrence Public School, Lawrence, New Jersey 1994-1995

Teacher of Italian, Middle and Upper School

Dana Hall School, Wellesley, Massachusetts 1992-1993

Teacher of French and Spanish, Upper School

Junior Class Advisor

Academic Advisor

The Agnes Irwin School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1990-1992

Teacher of French and Spanish, Middle and Upper School

Financial Aid Committee

Travel Abroad Leader, France and Mexico

Institutional and Board Service

Seacoast Charter School, Kingston, New Hampshire 2008-2011

Trustee, Member of 12-person board consisting of administrators, teachers, parents and community members. Secured State funding, spearheaded legislative outreach, developed marketing strategies and co-authored 5-year Strategic Plan

Exeter Historical Society, Trustee and Treasurer, Interim 2016-2017

Treasurer and voting member of a 12-person board. Development Committee member, Education committee member

Georgetown University Scholarship Chair, New Hampshire 2014-2019

Provide academic support and practical programming to students from New Hampshire who are recipients of a Scholarship under the 1789 Scholarship Program

Georgetown University Alumni Admissions Program 2007-2020

Interviewer and Evaluator for the Admissions Office

Awards and Recognitions

Robert Kesler Distinguished Professorship in Foreign Languages 2013

The Brown Family Award for Excellence in Teaching and Service 2008

Rebecca and Jean-Marc Valette Grant for Foreign Study 2007,16, 19

Dissertation Fellowship, Rutgers University 2000

Fellowship, Graduate School, Rutgers University 1997

Comprehensive Exams, Doctoral Level, Distinction 1997

Italian Honor Society 1989

Dean’s List 1986-89

Scholarly Presentations and Publications

International MLA Symposium, The Silencing of Alfredo Lozano: Cuban Art during the Castro Era. July 2019

Presented and chaired widely since 1996 at Regional, National and International Conferences on 18th Century French Literature

Professional Memberships

National Association of Independent Schools, People of Color

American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Language

Latin American Studies Association

Modern Language Association

References

Dr. Richard Jean Schieber

Chair, Modern Languages Department

Phillips Exeter Academy *********@******.***

Katherine Ballard

Dean of Faculty, Emerita

The Loomis Chaffee School

*****************@******.***

Elena Gosalvez-Blanco

Director, Exeter Summer Program and Yale University, International Young Scholars Program.

*****.**************@****.***

Dr. Jeff Ward

Dean, Exeter Summer

******@******.***

Brooks Moriarty

Instructor in English, Dean of Students and Dean of Academics

Phillips Exeter Academy

*********@******.***

October 2, 2020

Committee Members,

It is with great excitement that I present my candidacy for the position of Director and Teaching Associate Professor at the Center for World Languages and Cultures at the University of Denver. As an experienced professional in the field of Foreign Language and Culture education, I bring a unique and informed perspective to this opportunity.

During my 20-year tenure at Phillips Exeter, I have worked in a number of roles. As a classroom instructor in three different modern languages, I have developed level curriculum, worked collaboratively with peers to define best practices, coordinated placement of new students, mentored new teachers over a four-year tenure review process, chaired hiring committees and evaluated tenure track faculty. As a residential school faculty member my participation in a number of committees, from discipline to curriculum to academic advising is evidence of my commitment to service and my full involvement in school life. In my current role, I have created courses to entice students to continue past the required levels. I most recently taught a course based on the popular Telenovelas, whose enrollment filled multiple sections. During the course, we watched, discussed and created original scenarios. In development, I have a course on pre and post-Revolutionary Cuban Art and Literature, based on my research on Alfredo Lozano. This course has at its aim to incorporate art, architecture, music and poetry and showcase it in a socio-historical context, and will be cross listed.

I am a seasoned International Program Director, creating the Phillips Exeter Academy French Summer Program that ran successfully for 8 years. This program incorporated language learning, homestays and travel along with cultural offerings like theater, concerts and cooking workshops. Additionally, I served as Resident Director in Ecuador in 2013 and was named Resident Director to our Grenoble Program for 2020. The program was unfortunately cancelled due to the Pandemic. These residential Programs are exceedingly popular at our school and often have long waitlists. The opportunity to live and study abroad, to immerse oneself in the culture, sounds and sights of another country is vital to the enduring interest in the language. Our financial resources make it possible for this experience to be open to all students, providing equitable access, an element of primordial importance. At a university level, I would link these study programs to certificate or minor completion in order to ensure robust interest.

My experience as a head of dormitory and Associate Dean has allowed me to lead both faculty and staff. I favor a collaborative working environment where all voices are counted and heard. Working together toward a common goal is the best way to ensure both productive outcomes and commitment to an objective. When we all take responsibility for the success of a program, we can ensure a positive outcome. I recognize the importance of a data-driven solutions and firmly believe in informed and inclusive decision making.

My career in Foreign Language education has been devoted to promoting and encouraging the ever-expanding need for clear and effective cross-cultural communication. I adhere to the ACTFL guidelines in my language and culture teaching and focus on effective and practical communication, creative collaboration and student-centered learning. In the earlier part of my career, as a university Instructor and Visiting Lecturer, I spent 7 years collaborating with teaching teams and growing the ranks of minors and majors while redefining the content within those requirements. In my experience, interest develops when we make language learning not only relevant, but necessary. Given our interconnected world, being monolingual is no longer an option.

Finally, my commitment to ensuring that academic programs reflect the diversity of the students, both in terms of materials and methodology, has led me to work as an Associate Dean in charge of Multicultural Affairs. In this position, I ensured that our Summer students had a full experience, with equal financial aid resources and experiential opportunities. Part of my role required providing education and guidance to a faculty of 100, facilitating Affinity groups and supervising intern training. As part of the CWLC, this experience will allow me to continue efforts toward increasing representation at the student level and providing the necessary support for students of all backgrounds to thrive.

I find the possibilities within this position highly energizing. Developing programming, creating opportunities for growth and redefining what it means to study a language are all crucial to the sustainability of language and culture departments. As DU looks to become more internationally positioned, strategic growth is a vital role for the CWLC. I possess the skills, experience and imagination to use this position to promote the goals of the University of Denver as they pertain to graduating global citizens enriched by a comprehensive, international education.

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Viviana Valdés-Santos

Phillips Exeter Academy

Exeter, New Hampshire

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Viviana Valdés-Santos

Language learning is, at its most basic level, collaborative and student-centered. Best practices in language learning point us to proficiency-based models where the main focus is effective communication, achieved through practical and meaningful activities. Grammar study should never happen in isolation and relevant context allows us to see the significance of the structures as they are naturally used. As a teacher I strive to provide students with meaningful content that reflects the diversity of the students, of the countries studied, and I encourage students to use that content to interact (talk and listen) with their classmates and teachers. It is imperative to provide a variety of activities that involve the students, that address differences in learning styles and that aim to develop communicative skills in an equitable manner. Frequent and detailed feedback is one of the most helpful tools a student can use in order to progress. Learners should feel empowered in my class, they should feel comfortable making mistakes, learning from them and developing their skills at a pace that makes sense. This helps students discover their individual strengths and the weaknesses that they need to work on to improve their language mastery. I believe that students should be accountable for their own learning and will be most motivated when they have some choice in what and how they learn.

Student motivation is central to a successful foreign language classroom. My teaching style brings enthusiasm, cultural elements, and technology into the classroom to ensure engagement at various levels. My gentle touch, energy and positive attitude creates an environment that is conducive to learning. As a teacher, my objective is to guide my students toward a level of independence where they develop a desire to learn and think for themselves. To reach this end, I rely upon many activities that fully involve students. Role playing is one of the single most effective means to engage students and help them step out of their comfort zone and try new things. In the classroom I focus on cultural aspects that are exciting and make the language a living breathing thing. Merengue, Salsa, French or Spanish rap all have a place in our learning, as do telenovelas, poetry and documentaries. The richness of Latin America and the francophone world, the different accents and rhythmic cadences display the diversity of those who speak these languages and allow us to understand their cultural development from a socio-historical context.

As a native Spanish-speaker I draw upon my own culture and personal experience as a foreign language learner as I teach my students to effectively communicate with me in my own language and, perhaps more importantly, to gain an appreciation for another language and culture. In my French courses, I share my love of the language, a love that began when I first stepped into a French classroom at the Alliance Française in San Juan, at age 10. This love took me to France and Switzerland as I continued my undergraduate, masters and doctoral studies. Over the past few years, I have chosen curricular materials that reflect the diversity in both the French and Spanish speaking world. Authors like Ben Jalloum, Maryam Madjidi, and Veronique Tadjo are the backbone of my reading program. For example, as our students learn about the history of African Masks, they also understand the importance of storytelling and role playing from a multicultural perspective. This in turn opens the door to activities that are both linguistically engaging and culturally sensitive. I have over the years developed a number of activities and projects that reflect this aspect of my philosophy. From filmed scenes to graphic novel sequences to lost chapters of a story, artifacts that allow creativity and communication to co-exist are some of the most effective projects my students produce.

To me, technology is one of the most important tools an effective teacher can use in the classroom to address different learning styles, to create a productive learning environment, and to increase student motivation. During these most recent trying times, technology has become our ally, helping us transform the classroom, from a hands-on physical space to a virtual one. While I will always prefer in-person classes, virtual learning environments have allowed us to remain in contact and carry out our mission. The use of breakout rooms, video projects and discussion boards have fostered collaboration, creativity and commitment. One of my most favorite recent projects involved a video where French 110 students had to teach some key simple phrases and the alphabet to a “class”. Students got creative, teaching pets, stuffed toys, action figures and, my favorite, live hens!

Finally, opportunities for real life use are essential as we design programming. The use of online platforms like Talk Abroad or tools like Yabla for example brings our students in contact with speakers of the native language abroad and provide listening and speaking practice. Volunteering in schools or nursing homes in nearby Lawrence MA allows for interaction between our students and native Spanish speakers. Of course, time studying away remains the gold standard in our efforts to achieve mastery. Over the past 15 years I have led programs to Latin America and Europe, and strongly believe that making programs abroad available to the highest number of students possible should be a priority for any Language Department. Study abroad is one of the best ways to engage a student population, to encourage prologued study of a language and to achieve fluency. Study programs that combine disciplines, that offer certificate programs or minors will ensure that participation is high and that language programs thrive outside of the requirement.

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