Montclair State University’s French program received the 2025 Exemplary with Honors award. This plaque was conferred by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF).
The accolade was announced in an Oct. 1 press release on the World Languages and Cultures department website.
Montclair State is the only university nationwide to garner the Exemplary French Program With Honors commendation. The news of the award, which is awarded for “sustained excellence in French education for three years,” came at the end of the Spring 2025 semester. After a rigorous application process, the AATF sent a congratulatory letter to Montclair State.
Dr. Elizabeth Emery, World Languages And Cultures French professor, displays the Exemplary French Program With Honors plaque awarded by the American Association Of Teachers of French. Thomas Boud | The Montclarion
Dr. Elizabeth Emery, a world languages and cultures professor who specializes in French, shared her excitement on the association recognizing Montclair State’s French program as best nationwide in higher education.
Emery said she and her fellow professors were “tickled pink” about winning AATF’s Exemplary With Honors award, which she noted came as a surprise.
“I didn’t know whether we would get anything at all,” Emery said. “Since this is the first time we’ve applied, I wasn’t sure how exacting [the AATF] are.”
Emery explained how the award reflects the French faculty’s commitment to teaching the language and culture, crediting both full-time and adjunct professors.
“It’s just not the full-time professors,” Emery said. “It really acknowledges the work of all of our part-time colleagues who love our students and spend countless hours encouraging them to study abroad [and] practice their French outside the classroom.”
According to Emery, the AATF cited the high quality of French professors, their research and their strong rapport with international colleagues. The AATF also highlighted study abroad programs and overseas education partnerships.
According to Emery, the AATF also noted the French program’s language activities, including an annual French day for high school students, semesterly French immersion days and the Career Hub for International Language Learners (CHILL) and an online center about foreign language learning and careers. Also acknowledged was the French program’s off-campus learning initiatives such as the Montclair Public Library and L’Alliance, a French language and cultural organization.
Emery mentioned her reasoning on seeking AATF recognition was to honor Dr. Lois Oppenheim, retired world languages and cultures department chair, for building the university’s French program. The AATF application was hidden from Oppenheim throughout her pre-retirement semester.
“We wanted to do it because Dr. Oppenheim was retiring,” Emery said. “We didn’t know if we would be selected, but if we thought if we were selected, it would be a nice tribute to all the work that she put into the program.”
The review process entailed sending at least 100 pages of documentation to the AATF, including professor resumes, their academic research, French program activities, student/colleague testimonials and alumni post-graduation pursuits.
In an e-mail exchange with the Montclarion, Oppenheim, currently professor emerita, commented on the university’s French program taking the AATF’s Exemplary French Program with Honors award.
“I was immensely pleased that the Department of World Languages and Cultures’ French program had been recognized in this way,” Oppenheim said. “In fact, while I was truly delighted, I was totally stunned as I had no idea whatsoever that anyone had gone through the intensive AATF application process. I found out as I was retiring and Elizabeth Emery presented me with the gift of membership to the AATF.”
Oppenheim said the French faculty merits the glory of getting the plaque.
“If I was shocked, it was simply that it was entirely unexpected,” Oppenheim said. “But what was not at all surprising was that the French faculty, on the one hand, would have received such recognition for they are all excellent professors! This is simply the kind of person Dr. Emery is: exceedingly thoughtful, generous and kind. This is the kind of people the French faculty all are, in fact.”
Dr. Kathleen Loysen, world languages and cultures department chair. Thomas Boud | The Montclarion
Dr. Kathleen Loysen, world languages and cultures department chair, also spoke about the award.
“I can’t say that I was surprised,” Loysen said. “I know the amount of work that Dr. Emery put into the application. I also know the quality of our faculty and our students, so while I was extremely gratified, I won’t say I was surprised.”
According to Loysen, the program promotes French language learning through multiple initiatives, including classroom instruction, external French activities and on-campus French speaking events. Community partnerships on learning the language also are part of the equation.
“It starts with what happens in the classroom, but it’s far beyond that,” Loysen added.
