Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages

GLOBAL STUDIES — The Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages is hosting its annual conference from May 7 to 9, 2026, with the theme “Global Futures of Higher Education: Autonomy in the Crosshairs.” The conference will bring together scholars from around the world to examine how universities are responding to the biggest problems facing higher education today.

FRENCH, ITALIAN, CHINESE — Three professors in the College of Arts and Sciences received Oregon Humanities Center Fellowships for 2026–27 to do just that. The professors — all members of the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages — include Roy Chan, Fabienne Moore and Eleanor Paynter.

ROMANCE LANGUAGES — In the last decade, nationwide, majors in the Humanities such as Romance languages have been a challenged academic discipline. However, over the past two years, the Department of Romance Languages completed a lengthy overhaul of its curriculum to promote student success, with a focus on one-on-one advising with students, and enrollment is up.

LINGUISTICS, EALL — Three faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences were inducted as Fellows into the premiere linguistics organization and a doctoral student receive an exclusive award for her research paper.

STUDY ABROAD — The Arlene Schnitzer Study Abroad Scholarship is a new opportunity for students majoring in one of the programs offered by the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages to experience its interdisciplinary curriculum out in the world.

ROMANCE LANGUAGES — Brandon Rigby, PhD ’17 (romance languages, literatures, linguistics) never imagined he would speak Spanish as a career, let alone use it to represent the US around the world as a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State. Seven years and three countries later, he would not change a thing. 

SPANISH - Dulce Gutierrez valued the flexibility to explore different majors and minors. Originally a biology major, she switched her major to political science and government and picked up a minor in Spanish. She went to law school and is now a practicing attorney and finds herself using her multilingual studies in a practical manner.