The proposed state budget could jeopardize the future of language certificates on campus, according to University Affairs Committee Chair John Paetsch.
Paetsch and committee members have campaigned to increase the number of language certificates on campus. They reached out to students this past fall with a survey, asking what language certificates they would like to see created.
Led by French Department Adviser Andrew Irving, the French certificate was made available to students in September, making it one of two language certificates students can receive without acceptance into another college.
Paetsch said the proposed state budget could threaten the development of additional language certificates and emphasized the importance of learning another language.
“If you look historically at what departments have been cut when a cut does come around the university, languages are some of the first to absorb it,” Paetsch said. “You can see the effects right now, all these languages… and they’re consolidated into one department when they used to have their own department.”
Irving said he fears the effects the proposed budget could have on class size and teaching style in the department.
“Our ability to offer a variety of courses may be impacted by the budget cuts and therefore it will decrease the amount of options students would have to fulfill the requirements for the certificate,” Irving said.
With more than 30 declared French certificate candidates since September, Irving said he hopes the interest in language certificates will be proof of a strong department.
Irving further described the “hypothetical” consequences the proposed state budget could have, specifically for the instructors, who typically spend around 60 hours per week prepping and teaching classes, Irving said.
“I don’t know if you can squeeze more hours out of these people without decreasing the quality of their life, which has a chain effect … it would perhaps decrease our ability to attract really great faculty and instructors of academic staff and even graduate students,” Irving said.
Between lobbying at the state Capitol and talking with local politicians, the committee plans to continue developing language certificates in the future.
“It’s really having an effect on our satisfaction with jobs,” Irving said. “It’s kind of hard to look at a promising future with these drastic budgetary measures being put into place, some arbitrarily, really.”
