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The School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures (SLLC) is a new administrative unit at UVic that will integrate four current departments: French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Linguistics. These four areas will maintain their distinct (though complementary) intellectual identities and programs as ‘subunits’ within the SLLC. Programs and services that are currently offered through the distinct departments will to be offered by the SLLC.

The SLLC has been created to preserve valuable existing programs while presenting opportunities for innovative course development. The SLLC will complement efforts by programs across the university to provide students with valuable skills and knowledge about languages, cultures, and linguistics and advance research excellence by facilitating interdisciplinary cooperation and collaboration.

SLLC will also create a context for developing innovative cross-disciplinary courses tackling intersecting themes of languages, linguistics, and cultures that, we hope, will prove attractive to students across the university.  Additionally, the SLLC will work with other faculties to identify ways in which research and teaching about languages, linguistics, and cultures can be integrated into programs across campus, thereby enriching students’ educational experiences and equipping them with skills and knowledge relevant to negotiating diverse communities and cultures in their personal and professional lives.

The School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures (SLLC) will launch in September 2024. Between now and September 1, the integrating units will continue to operate separately while their offices and administrative processes complete the transition to a single academic unit, which will be located in the Clearihue Building’s C-wing, with its main office in CLE C247.

The programs and courses currently offered through French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Linguistics are not changing as a result of integration.  All of the course offerings of Germanic and Slavic Studies, French and Francophone Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies and Linguistics will remain intact, including their field schools and study abroad programs. Student program requirements will stay the same, and students will graduate with the same degree as planned.  Courses will also retain the same course codes.

The SLLC will preserve existing degree programs and names of degrees offered by the original units.  New students and those who have not yet declared a program will continue to be able to register in all programs currently offered.

The SLLC will also create new interdisciplinary opportunities, including the potential for new, interdisciplinary courses and research.

French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Linguistics will all continue to exist until the end of the summer. Students who have questions about a course or programs in one of those units or who run into an issue may contact the SLLC office at sllcstudentsupport@uvic.ca.

Yes. The SLLC will enable the co-location of the units’ signature language testing centres. Language testing will continue to be offered, including:

• DELF/DALF ()
• SIELE ()
• TCF – Canada ()
• TORFL - ТРКИ ()
•  (German)

Yes, awards and financial aid specific to individual program areas will still be available for students.  Donors will still be able to contribute to and establish awards and scholarships for students in specific areas.

The SLLC website will be live during the fall. In the meantime, the French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Linguistics websites are great places to look for information about the courses, programs the new School will deliver and the research that will be happening there. Those websites for French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Linguistics will continue to be live and to provide information of their programs, courses and research after the new School comes into being in September.

Inquiries about graduate studies in French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Linguistics should be directed to sllcstudentsupport@uvic.ca.

If you get a bounce-back email in response to an inquiry to French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies or Linguistics please re-send your inquiry to sllcstudentsupport@uvic.ca. If you send an email to French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies or Linguistics and don’t get a reply within one week, please re-send your email to the new SLLC email at sllcstudentsupport@uvic.ca.