The Council on Academic Affairs will decide the fate of proposed changes to Eastern’s foreign language requirement at its meeting today.

Last spring, CAA voted to increase the number of foreign language courses students must take to graduate.

The requirement increased the number of semesters from two to three.

After CAA’s approval, President Bill Perry and Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs, told CAA to review the requirement further.

In response, CAA formed a foreign language ad-hoc committee this fall.

The committee determined the original decision should be rescinded.

“We will be voting on a motion to rescind last April’s vote to increase the foreign language requirement,” said CAA chair Kathleen Bower.

In an e-mail circulated last week, some CAA members said they were unsure what rescinding an already-passed decision would mean.

Bower said if CAA votes to rescind its earlier decision, the foreign language requirement would remain unchanged.

“(Rescinding the decision) means that the foreign language requirement for students at EIU would remain at two courses,” Bower said.

The foreign language subcommittee also recommended a new motion for CAA to approve, if the April decision is overturned.

This motion calls for each academic program to consider whether it needs changes in its foreign language or cultural awareness requirements.

Les Hyder, who chaired the foreign language subcommittee, said CAA members and guests would have a chance to speak about the proposed decision during the meeting.

“There will be a chance for guests who want to speak to do so,” Hyder said. “After everyone who has comments to make has had a chance to do so, we will take a vote.”

The meeting begins at 2 p.m. in Booth Library Conference Room 4440.

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

(Drawn from the news/Yotam Zohar)

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