Spring Break
Do you speak English?!
Jonathan Boydston
Issue date: 5/27/08 Section: Forum
I would think that higher education would work toward rectifying the shortcomings of primary and secondary education; instead it appears that this institution is content with satisfying the status quo.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences consistently graduates the most students of any college at this university, yet because programs like foreign languages do not fit the profile of this research institution, the administration apparently feels that classes like Italian, Arabic and others are expendable.
This would be all well and good if there were no demand for such classes or if this university were somehow affordable enough to justify such treatment. Unfortunately neither is true.
Students continue to register for foreign language classes, and this university continues asking for more and more money.
So my question is this: Why can't we afford to educate our students in subjects they want to learn?
I am convinced that someone at this place must have some sort of answer for me, though I'm not sure their answer will satisfy my need for a proper explanation.
I assure you that they will not be able to explain to me why an institution of such apparent prominence cannot afford to pay one faculty member to teach two classes of Italian. Nor will they be able to properly explain how they determine which areas of learning are more important than others.
Such questions simply do not have answers worth my time.
As I thought about this topic, I reverted back to my time studying in Italy.
I thought of what my foreign friends might have said if I tried to explain how my school seems to favor football over foreign language and baseball over cultural education.
I thought of all the students who might never be able to hold a conversation with a foreigner on account of our university not having enough money to offer that language.
I would hope that such a thing never happens, but unless something is done soon, I am worried that such fears will only become reality.
Jonathan Boydston is a senior in fisheries and wildlife sciences and English. The opinions expressed in his columns do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Barometer staff. Boydston can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences consistently graduates the most students of any college at this university, yet because programs like foreign languages do not fit the profile of this research institution, the administration apparently feels that classes like Italian, Arabic and others are expendable.
This would be all well and good if there were no demand for such classes or if this university were somehow affordable enough to justify such treatment. Unfortunately neither is true.
Students continue to register for foreign language classes, and this university continues asking for more and more money.
So my question is this: Why can't we afford to educate our students in subjects they want to learn?
I am convinced that someone at this place must have some sort of answer for me, though I'm not sure their answer will satisfy my need for a proper explanation.
I assure you that they will not be able to explain to me why an institution of such apparent prominence cannot afford to pay one faculty member to teach two classes of Italian. Nor will they be able to properly explain how they determine which areas of learning are more important than others.
Such questions simply do not have answers worth my time.
As I thought about this topic, I reverted back to my time studying in Italy.
I thought of what my foreign friends might have said if I tried to explain how my school seems to favor football over foreign language and baseball over cultural education.
I thought of all the students who might never be able to hold a conversation with a foreigner on account of our university not having enough money to offer that language.
I would hope that such a thing never happens, but unless something is done soon, I am worried that such fears will only become reality.
Jonathan Boydston is a senior in fisheries and wildlife sciences and English. The opinions expressed in his columns do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Barometer staff. Boydston can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.
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