Representatives from the Reynolds College’s Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions (LCR) enjoyed greeting several prospective students during Missouri State University’s Summer Visit Day July 21, 2023.

Dr. Stephen Berkwitz, department head, and instructor of Spanish Melanie Kleeschulte visited with nearly two dozen students during the event.

“Most of the students who came up to speak with Melanie and me appeared to have genuine interests in taking courses in the department,” Berkwitz said.

During the event, Berkwitz and Kleeschulte discussed the many options LCR offers. In addition to instruction in modern and classical languages, world religions and global studies, the department offers a variety of majors, minors and certificates, training to teach these fields, master’s degrees in religious studies and applied second language acquisition, numerous interdisciplinary tracks and several Education Abroad opportunities. In particular, the department’s religious studies courses are among the most diverse in Missouri, according to Berkwitz.

While addressing the “fairly typical concern” students have regarding receiving college credit for language courses taken in high school, Berkwitz and Kleeschulte also answered questions about the department’s religious studies program.

“We are pleased to be able to tell [students] that they can receive credit by exam for their previous language study,” Berkwitz said.

But it was also “an encouraging sign that high school students see how these two fields [languages and religion] both relate to learning more about people and cultures from around the world,” Berkwitz added.

The students’ parents were equally interested, supporting their children’s interest in continuing language studies. Berkwitz explained how important it is for parents and other academic departments at Missouri State to understand how studying languages and religions can enhance any major or career field.

“Knowing a foreign language gives students a beneficial and distinctive skill that can help them in their careers,” Berkwitz said, “while coursework in religious studies and global studies can also enhance a student’s education and prepare them to work more effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.”

Berkwitz said the department is planning more “reach-out” events for students this fall, such as the “Belong-B-Que” welcoming event to kick off the fall semester, the Majors Fair and the department-sponsored “Day of the Dead” (“Festival del Día de los Muertos”) in October. The department also boasts several student organizations, including various language clubs and a religious studies club.