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Robert Bates, from the health studies department, takes notes during a meeting in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union on Thursday afternoon, discussing whether the foreign language requirements should be increased or mpt. (Cody Rich/The Daily Eastern News)

Still up in the air: Foreign language requirement to be voted upon

By: Stephen Di Benedetto/News Editor

Posted: 11/14/08

Stephen Canfield thinks it is not up to the Council on Academic Affairs to decide whether or not the revised foreign language requirement would detract potential students from Eastern.

Canfield, chair of the foreign language department, added that is a question for the administration to decide.

Les Hyder, chair of CAA's foreign language ad-hoc committee, said if the requirement goes into effect, Eastern cannot take the gamble with the potential requirement because students might not be attracted to Eastern, especially with the current economic climate.

The two discussed the matter at CAA's forum about the three-semester foreign language requirement Thursday afternoon. A little more than 12 people attended the forum to discuss a variety of issues concerning the requirement.

The ad-hoc committee presented its report to CAA at its Nov. 6 meeting.

The committee suggested the university-wide requirement should be rescinded and a program-by-program review of foreign language proficiency should be conducted.

Last spring, CAA approved the requirement, which was made by Canfield and would have increased the requirement by making a student take three semesters of a foreign language as opposed to the current two courses. President Bill Perry and Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs, sent back the approved action to CAA for further consideration.

At the forum, Canfield wanted clarification on what the ad-hoc committee meant by rescinding the proposal. He said he wanted to know if the proposal would be removed, or if the proposal would still be active and open for possible amendments.

CAA intends to vote on the ad-hoc committee's recommendation at its Dec. 4 meeting.

"It would strike down the proposal," said CAA Chair Kathleen Bower about the Dec. 4 vote.

Hyder said the vote could reverse the decision made on the proposal.

"That's not the way I understand the procedure to work," Canfield said. He added CAA would have to recall the proposal back before rescinding it.

Bower said she would look into the definition of rescind.

Canfield also rebutted each of the ad-hoc committee's arguments against the requirement that was listed in the committee's report.

He said the requirement does not create substantial problems for all undergraduate programs, as listed in the report.

"The vast majority of these problems involve efficient advisement and scheduling," Canfield said.

He added the report's argument of whether or not the requirement will result in a higher level of foreign language proficiency is also wrong.

He said, when he submitted the proposal to CAA in the spring, the goal was not to increase proficiency, but to provide an adequate proficiency for students allowing them to continue upper-division work, and provide them a workable knowledge of a foreign language and culture.

Hyder said feedback was not well received to an increase in the foreign language requirement when the ad-hoc committee conducted an eight-week research process of the requirement. He added 25 percent of freshmen and transfer students were not exempt with the current requirement, and close to 67 percent would not be exempt with a three-semester requirement.

Canfield said that statistic is only valid if the proposal was implemented this fall and added the proposal would be implemented in fall 2010. A two- to three-year window exists for Eastern to communicate the requirement to high schools and community colleges, Canfield said.

Diane Jackman, dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies, said the transfer students she deals with are already occupied with different coursework to acquire a degree. She added the foreign language requirement would force the students to take more than one class to complete it.

"I'm very concerned we would lose student enrollment," she said.

She added she liked the idea of a program-by-program assessment.

Mary Anne Hanner, dean of the College of Sciences, said her issue is not with traditional freshmen students but with how the requirement would affect non-traditional students.

She said non-traditional students would also have to take more than one class to complete the requirement.

"That's the group that disenfranchises us," she said.

Jonelle DePetro, chair of the philosophy department, said she thinks Eastern needs to look at the long-term affect of students in a diverse world.

"It's not just about getting a degree," she said. "It's about what the degree can do for you."

She added the requirement only requires a little more development from students - an additional semester.

Anita Shelton, chair of the history department, said Perry wanted Eastern to be best in its class. She said if the university can support the requirement, it would improve Eastern academically, culturally and with study abroad.

Shelton added she wanted Eastern as a whole to be best in class and not just certain programs.

"Raising the foreign language requirement is an essential step for raising the campus academically," she said.

Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7942 or at sdibenedetto@eiu.edu.