This petition is seeking to ask Rollins College to offer American Sign Language 3 for Fall 2020.

There are a lot of misconceptions about American Sign Language. It is an often misunderstood language, as it is commonly regarded as "simple hand gestures." This shallow view of ASL fails to regard ASL as the language that it is; a language with its own grammar, rules and syntax. 

Students take ASL for a myriad of reasons including, but not limited to
1. Fascination with the language
2. Desire to connect with the deaf community
3. A need to learn the language due to being hard of hearing or have a family member who is deaf or Hard of Hearing
4. Desire to be able to communicate with or help those in the deaf or hard of hearing community. 
5. Simply because they want to. 

Presently, Rollins College offers ASL 1 and ASL 2 for perspective students. However, those who take ASL 2 often have a desire to learn the language more deeply. For a school like Rollins College, who prides itself on its diversity and inlusivity, and offers courses in Spanish, French, Japanese and Mandrin and ASL, you would think that Rollins College would encourage students to continue their study of the language as much as possible. Especially when there are a plethora of willing students and a willing professor who wants to teach it. 

As a senior writing this letter, I am very disheartened to find out that during my last semester at Rollins, that ASL 3 will not be offered. We are writing this petition to ask Rollins College to allow ASL 3 to be offered for Fall 2020, and subsequent semesters. We recognize the importance of being able to be inclusive to all students, including deaf and hard of hearing students. This begins with teaching the language. Why deny curious and willing students the opportunity to learn a language more deeply, when there is a professor who is willing and able to teach the course? By signing this petition, we pledge that if Rollins heeds our request, we will sign up for the course Fall 2020.