The Oregon State University Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures is expected to undergo significant budget cuts for Fall 2008. The OSU Foreign Language department courses are extremely popular and classes are usually filled each term. It’s probably easier to get a one-on-one meeting with President Ray than it is to get into a 100 level Spanish class!
Students will find it increasingly difficult to register for language classes, a situation which deeply upsets the whole faculty and staff of this department.
Furthermore, since most language classes are offered in sequence and only once a year, underfunding will make it even harder for students who need to complete foreign language requirements to graduate on time. It also means larger class sizes and less personal attention, factors that are especially detrimental to learning languages.
This situation is all the more absurd since the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures makes money for the university. Under a budgeting model where tuition dollars follow the students, we see that Foreign Languages’ finances are completely in order: We generate more money than we need to operate at current capacity. Instead of which, through the use of an unfair budget model, we find ourselves with a deficit of $250,000 and threatened with job losses.
via the Corvallis Gazette Times.
