Spring Break
SGA argues for Spanish minor
JULIA SEVY
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: News
The proposal, which was submitted by the Romance Languages department, said it recognizes the "changing demographics in the Southeastern United States" and "values this knowledge as necessary to succeed in our global society."
In the two years without the Spanish minor, the department is proposing that they will make some changes.
Possible plans include hiring more faculty members, appointing a staff adviser to register students within the department and designating Spanish as both a high-demand major and minor, Bultman said.
Diego del Pozo, a Ph.D student from Spain, teaches two upper-division Spanish courses each semester.
He said it is necessary for the department to hire more tenure-track faculty members to give Spanish majors increased opportunities to be taught by research professors instead of only teaching assistants.
"TAs are really good instructors, but they don't have the experience and depth of knowledge that professors have," he said.
"[The department] has to do something, because [the situation] right now is not benefiting the student body."
Bultman said she hopes students don't think the Spanish department is punishing them.
"The faculty wants to serve students well," she said.
In the two years without the Spanish minor, the department is proposing that they will make some changes.
Possible plans include hiring more faculty members, appointing a staff adviser to register students within the department and designating Spanish as both a high-demand major and minor, Bultman said.
Diego del Pozo, a Ph.D student from Spain, teaches two upper-division Spanish courses each semester.
He said it is necessary for the department to hire more tenure-track faculty members to give Spanish majors increased opportunities to be taught by research professors instead of only teaching assistants.
"TAs are really good instructors, but they don't have the experience and depth of knowledge that professors have," he said.
"[The department] has to do something, because [the situation] right now is not benefiting the student body."
Bultman said she hopes students don't think the Spanish department is punishing them.
"The faculty wants to serve students well," she said.
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