Casa Hispánica is the Spanish-only residential living arrangement in a wing of Missouri Hall. It provides a select group of students with the opportunity to use their Spanish language abilities 24 hours a day, by grouping students together and by encouraging community-building on the basis of a shared love of Hispanic language and culture. The experience is designed to develop linguistic fluency while it provides all students of Spanish at the university with a resource for cultural activities and special programming dealing with Hispanic issues.

 Application for Residence

The Spanish Club promotes the use of the language and strives to increase knowledge of Hispanic cultures through a variety of activities such as movies, music, dances, discussions, poetry, and short story readings. Membership is open to any student who is interested in developing a better understanding of the Hispanic world and cultures.

Spanish students who have completed two years of Spanish at Truman, including at least one Spanish literature or culture and civilization class, may qualify for membership in Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish National Honor Society. This organization seeks to honor those who attain excellence in the study of Spanish language, literature, and culture and to foster a greater understanding of Hispanic cultural experience. Truman's chapter, Rho Rho, sponsors numerous academic and service activities each year, including immersion nights, film series, and opportunities for outreach to the local Hispanic community. Rho Rho has been recognized by the National Office as a "Capítulo de Honor y Mérito" for the past seven years and among the "Top 10" in the nation for the past two years.
 

Truman State University offers its students a unique peer learning experience. All students enrolled in Elementary and Intermediate Spanish courses can benefit from studying one hour per week in small groups with an upper-level language major or native speaker. In order for students to have a more personal interaction in the target language, and to have more exposure to Spanish, students are required to attend these weekly sessions in the Foreign Language Peer Learning Area.

Truman State University provides the unique opportunity for undergraduates to work side by side with faculty members. Many Spanish majors are employed as assistants to professors. They have responsibilities such as collaborating with professors to prepare course handouts, organize materials, help proctor examinations, and evaluate Spanish-language resources. Undergraduate research opportunities teach students how to seek out information, analyze discoveries, and synthesize data collected. This is an invaluable opportunity to gain professional experience applicable to many professions or as preparation for graduate studies. Some students are selected for the rare opportunity of working on a research team under the direction of a professor; in these instances, the students are acknowledged in print upon publication of the manuscript.