South Asia Summer Language Institute

2022 Student Resources

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Student Expectations

What will classes look like this summer?

  • Classes will meet for 20 hours a week for four hours a day, Monday-Friday, for four hours of synchronous class instruction per day. It is expected that students are in class for the duration of their course period and that they budget additional time outside of class for homework, studying, and extra/co-curricular programming. Please review our policy on absences, tardiness, and external commitments for more information.
  • Course materials will be organized in Canvas, the learning management system at UW-Madison.
  • In addition to classes, there will also be co-curricular activities to provide opportunities for language practice and use outside of class hours.
  • SASLI staff and instructors are committed to students’ language learning goals and will provide support to ensure the highest quality of learning experience possible.

What should I expect from SASLI?

  1. Inspiration and encouragement to learn your chosen language
  2. Well-prepared lessons and class activities
  3. Respect and empathy for the difficulties of learning a language, and the added challenge of learning in the remote environment
  4. Worthwhile co-curricular activities
  5. Openness and promptness in dealing with student problems and concerns
  6. Patience, understanding, and flexibility while navigating learning a language online

What does SASLI expect from me?

  1. Daily attendance in class
  2. Your full effort in learning a language synchronously, asynchronously, and through after-class assignments and study
  3. Respect and courtesy toward your instructors and classmates
  4. Promptness in tending to administrative matters (checking email, registration, payment, scheduling OPIs, etc.)
  5. Openness to participating in SASLI events
  6. Patience, understanding, and flexibility while navigating delivering language learning online

Absence Policy

Please visit the SASLI Absence Policy page for details. We encourage incoming students to familiarize themselves with the policy before beginning their studies at SASLI. As you will see, the absence policy reflects the program’s intensity. Missing one day of class is equivalent to missing a week during the academic year. We understand, however, that things may come up. We do expect to need to be flexible and understanding during Summer 2022. We also expect that students will approach their SASLI studies seriously and with appropriate effort.

Should a student experience an extended illness, we ask you to contact your instructor and SASLI (sasli@lpo.wisc.edu) as soon as possible to create an alternative plan.

Pass/Fail Option

Students interested in taking their SASLI course Pass/Fail should follow the steps here. When your form is ready to be signed, please email it to sasli@lpo.wisc.edu.

Exceptions include the following:

  •  FLAS or WISLI Tuition Scholarship students – please contact the SASLI office before submitting your form, as additional processing will be required for approval.
  • Students currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program at UW-Madison – please contact the SASLI office before submitting your form, as your process will be slightly different.
  • SAFLI and Project GO students should contact their program coordinator, as pass/fail may not be allowed with these types of funding.

McBurney Disability Resource Center and University Health Services

For a full list of the accessibility resources available to UW-Madison students, visit this page: https://accessible.wisc.edu/guides/students/

McBurney Disability Resource Center

The McBurney Center offers a wide array of services for students with disabilities. If you are in need of any of the services provided by the Center, please feel free to contact the McBurney Center staff directly. For a list of the services provided, please visit the website:  https://mcburney.wisc.edu/.

McBurney Phone:  608-263-2741
McBurney Text:  608-225-7956
McBurney Fax:  608-265-2998

University Health Services

University Health Services has available mental health, physical health, and well-being services available to all students at the University. Though this summer is remote, UHS will be providing a (limited) number of their services via online appointments. A full list of what is accessible to you can be found here: https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/remotehealth/

UHS Email: uhs@uhs.wisc.edu
UHS Phone: 608-265-5600

24-hour mental health crisis line: 608-265-5600 option 9

Additional resources:

– SilverCloud: an online, self-guided, interactive mental health resource that provides UW-Madison students and staff with accessible treatment options 24 hours a day. SilverCloud’s evidence-based learning modules address Anxiety, Depression, Body image, and Stress. Learn more and sign up here: https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/mental-health/silvercloud/
– Sleep tips and resources: https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/front/sleep/
– Relaxation exercises (with audio): https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/wellness/relaxation/
– Meditation, including schedule for drop-in meditation classes on campus: https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/wellness/meditation/

Wellness

It is just as important to take care of your health and wellbeing throughout the program as any other aspect of your studies. Your instructors, SASLI Staff, and UW-Madison are all available for you when needed. We understand an intensive program brings it challenges and strongly encourage you to reach out if you are feeling overwhelmed.

Below, are a few resources to help you navigate your well-being throughout the summer. These include ways to check-in with yourself, tips for managing stress, and Campus Services.

WISLI Wellness Worksheet is a great first place to start. This worksheet includes helpful questions for reflection, University resources, and more.

University Health Services has available mental health, wellness, physical health, and survivor resources available to all students. We encourage you to look at the other UHS services listed under the “McBurney Disability Resource Center and University Health Services” tab.

SASLI Staff Contacts

Staff
First Last Position Email address Work Phone Number Expertise
Ryan Goble SASLI Program Coordinator sasli@lpo.wisc.edu day-to-day SASLI questions, instructor and student admin questions, general program questions, course materials, remote learning questions, FLAS evaluations, OPI schedules, student evaluations, etc.; often knows who to redirect to if needed
Project GO contact@rotcprojectgo.wisc.edu Anything Project GO
SAFLI saflagship@southasia.wisc.edu 608-263-3981 Main contact for any day-to-day SAFLI student, program, etc. questions

Tips for Succeeding at an Intensive Language Program

Do the work – Whether face-to-face or online, SASLI is a lot of work. This summer’s typical workload consists of 4 hours of class time and another 4 hours of homework and review. The review time is critical for solidifying the concepts you cover in class. 

Go to Office Hours – Your instructors are available to talk you through concepts from class and are an excellent resource for finding ways to review and practice in your own time. Office hours ensure you have control of new grammar or structures before independent study time.

Make a Plan – Make a plan for individual or group study time! During your synchronous classes or while doing homework, note what strategies or approaches aren’t working and reach out to your peers and instructors to address those challenges. Think about the script, reading aloud, asking questions, drills, conjugating new verbs, and the various activities and bits of information you’re engaging.

Share What Works – Connect with your classmates to practice your target language and share your strategy for advancing. Connecting with your peers will help develop your language abilities and build a community to support you now and in your future academic and career ventures.

Do the work – SASLI is a lot of work, but you’re only accountable to yourself. Take a moment every few days to reflect on the time and effort you are investing. If you are struggling, do not hesitate to reach out to your peers, instructors, or SASLI staff. We know this is an intense program, and we will do what we can to support you.

COVID-19

While SASLI has returned to in-person programming, COVID-19 is still affecting our lives and the lives of our loved ones. SASLI and all WISLI programs are closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation and will follow all national and local guidelines to ensure the safety of our faculty, students, and staff. For more information on what this looks like, please visit the UW-Madison COVID-19 webpage.

MyUW

MyUW is the home of most everything you will need to access for your course while at SASLI, including:

  • wisc.edu email
  • access to Canvas
  • see your grades
  • set up a calendar
  • so much more!

Log in to MyUW at https://my.wisc.edu/.

If you have any issues related to MyUW or your wisc.edu email address, including forgetting your NetID and password, please contact the DoIT help desk: https://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/

Canvas Resources

Canvas login: https://canvas.wisc.edu/ 
Canvas student guide: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10701-canvas-student-guide-table-of-contents

OPI Familiarization Resources

SASLI aims to quantify and summarize the proficiency gains and outcomes of its participants to promote the program, strengthen any weaknesses, and secure funding to expand the course offerings. As a result, SASLI pays for an official Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) conducted during the start and end of the 8-week program. The OPI in no way affects students standing at SASLI but has various benefits, from applying to academic programs to employment opportunities. We encourage students to look at the ACFTL OPI Resources document to familiarize themselves with the test and strategies for taking an OPI. 

Campus Resources

UW-Madison and SASLI value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the academic community. We make it our mission to create a welcoming and supportive community for students from every background. All SASLI students are considered UW-Madison students for the duration of the program and have access to various campus resources while at SASLI.