Eastern’s Faculty Senate will discuss the university’s foreign language requirement at its meeting today.

Members of the Council on Academic Affairs will speak to the senate about a proposal to raise the number of foreign-language study hours required of Eastern students.

The senate’s meeting will be at 2 p.m. in Booth Library Conference Room 4440.

“We’re going to have a discussion with the CAA’s ad-hoc committee on the foreign language requirements,” said Faculty Senate Chair John Pommier.

The proposed changes the CAA passed last spring would require students to complete four more hours of foreign-language study.

After the approval, President Bill Perry and Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs, sent the proposal back to CAA for revisions.

“Unique can be very good and there is certainly nothing wrong with aspiring for higher levels of attainment in language skills or other academic disciplines; however, we must be attentive to the secondary effects and unintended consequences of any change of this magnitude,” Lord said in a letter to CAA last spring about the proposed changes.

Senate members will also hear from Michael Hoadley, assistant vice president for academic affairs for technology.

Pommier said Hoadley will talk about grants for the Center for Academic Technology Support and Technology Enhancement and Management.

CATS, according to its Web site, helps design, develop and implement technology in Eastern’s courses and programs.

CATS gives out TEAM grants to support the use of technology in courses, according to the site.

Athletic Director Barbara Burke had been scheduled to speak at the meeting but had to reschedule because of an Ohio Valley Conference meeting, said Brenda Robinson, athletic department office manager.

Burke is set to speak to the Faculty Senate on Oct. 21, Pommier said.

Joe Astrouski can be reached at 581-7942 or at jmastrouski@eiu.edu.