History 

The Institute of World Languages began as an initiative through the College of Arts and Sciences in 2012. The Associate Dean of the Humanities and Arts, Professor Christina Della Coletta, and Professor Miao-fen Tseng created the first IWL committee that consisted of language program directors, technology-related administrators, and language-related liaison offices. Since that time, committee members have been consistently revolving, ensuring that we are constantly bringing fresh ideas and new perspectives to the IWL. 

The Institute of World Languages was officially launched on October 31, 2013, at the inaugural IWL Symposium. After the Institute’s launch, the institution went through a national search for an inaugural director. Miao-Fen Tseng, Professor of Chinese here at UVA, was appointed and officially came on board on August 24, 2014. 

Since the inauguration of the Institute of World Languages, a number of new initiatives have been introduced. The Steering Committee consists of five affiliate members who advise the director and help to make decisions on the priorities and practices of the Institute. The Institute hosts a Speaker Series and a Roundtable Series every semester, events meant to address various topics in language teaching and learning. We have also partnered with Duke University and Vanderbilt University in a consortium program that allows us to exchange courses on less commonly taught languages to our university students. The Institute supports its faculty and students through various awards, grants, symposia, and retreats. 

As IWL continues to gain visibility and to mobilize the foreign language community at UVA, we are excited to continue to assist UVA language learners in becoming responsible and competent world citizens and leaders in the global community. Since the spring of 2013, the IWL committee has undertaken a well-thought-out process to devise strategies and accomplish initiatives that shape the future of the Institute through intensive planning and collaboration. The director and the steering committee are committed to building a robust foundation and transitional operational structure for IWL’s further growth and to implement strategic plans that leverage instructional strengths and ensure the smoothness and effectiveness of personnel and budgetary management in the years ahead. We hope that this continued effort will expedite the process of ongoing dialogues conducive to prioritizing the critical needs for enhancing foreign language teaching and learning and to maximizing achievable outcomes for IWL.