RC Lecturer and  French Program head Dominique Butler-Borruat has been awarded a 2020-2021 prestigious LSA Collegiate Lectureship. 

Each year, up to four lecturers receive the title, which honors lecturers II and IV on the Ann Arbor campus who demonstrate a sustained record of excellence in teaching and learning, in service or other contributions to the university.

Dominique had the opportunity to alter her lectureship title to recognize someone and has chosen to name her Collegiate Lectureship after Sylvie Carduner. Her new title, Sylvie Carduner Collegiate Lecturer, will remain with Dominique for the remainder of her teaching career at U-M.

In Dominique's words, "Sylvie Carduner directed the RC French Program for 21 years. Her legacy includes establishing the program's pedagogical foundations. Her multifaceted contributions are well summarized in the statement drafted by the UM Regents on the occasion of Sylvie being granted the Emeritus status upon her retirement in 1995:  'Under her expert guidance, students enjoyed a vigorous and rewarding education in French, while teaching assistants and lecturers profited from her expertise in teaching. She is the co-author of several language textbooks, workbooks, language readers, and articles on second-language learning. Her students have been consistent in their enthusiastic commendation of her excellence as a teacher.' A pillar of the RC intellectual community, her input was always highly regarded on all matters pertaining to the RC pedagogical mission."

Dominique Butler-Borruat has been teaching in the Residential College since 1992, and has directed the RC French program since 2006.  Within the realm of foreign language acquisition, she is particularly interested in the teaching of reading skills and in fostering intercultural literacy. Over the years, she has been incorporating technology to enhance her teaching; for example, her Intensive French II course is taught implementing the flipped class model, and she is using platforms that give her students the opportunity to communicate with French speakers from around the world. Her readings courses draw upon various fields such as philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and women studies. She has also developed experiential learning opportunities for advanced students of French to apply their language skills: her service-learning course collaborates with Freedom House Detroit which is a non-profit organization offering shelter and many free of charge services to victims of persecution seeking asylum in the United States. She has translated work for Freedom House in Detroit and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center in Ypsilanti. She was awarded the 2019 Community Partner Award from Freedom House, and was recognized as an LSA Housing Honored Instructor in the 2019 winter semester.

Congrats Dominique! It's an honor to have you be part of our comminuty!