After a vigorous debate by professors peppering their oratory with phrases like "sine qua non" and "quod erat demonstrandum," the Faculty passed a proposal to award citations at graduation to undergraduates who have completed high-level work in a foreign language.
The Faculty also approved new guidelines for the overhaul of the graduate student financial aid program, without any increases in Faculty spending.
The new foreign language program follows up on the Faculty's call last spring for an increased emphasis on foreign language study in the undergraduate curriculum without increasing the requirements for graduation. After a December report on the issue, the Educational Policy Committee developed the citation system.
The language citation program would award certificates to students who take four additional half courses, beyond the currently required one year. Two of these courses must be above the third-year level of the language.
According to William M. Todd III, dean of undergraduate education, the citations aim to provide an incentive to study language without an actual increase in requirements.
"The citations have been designed to require a minimum of bureaucratic effort from the Registrar, our students and departments," Todd said.
Some Faculty opposed the citation program, calling it an "unprecedented" program that would place too much emphasis on the language study.
"There are many areas of endeavor that I think this Faculty would like to encourage our students to pursue beyond what we require," said Professor of Philosophy Warren D. Goldfarb '69, who said he had voted against the proposal in the Faculty Council.
Goldfarb said he thought students might take additional language courses simply for the sake of obtaining the citation, and thereby use up valuable electives.
"I suspect that the citation program, with the notation on the transcript and in the Commencement program, will look too attractive," he said.
Charles S. Maier '60, Krupp professor of European studies, suggested the best way for students to advance their language proficiency is to go to places where they are not "native speaker[s]."
Maier said he would like Harvard to allow more students the freedom to study languages abroad.
But many professors--from departments like Romance Languages and Lit- Gregory Nagy, Jones professor of classicalGreek literature, called the study of foreignlanguage "a jewel in the crown" of the Harvardeducation. He praised graduates of the College as"cultivated" people and partly attributed this totheir familiarity with foreign cultures. Susan R. Suleiman, Dillon professor of thecivilization of France, noted that Harvard, unlikemany comparable institutions, lacks an advancedrequirement in foreign languages. Others, including Professor of RomanceLanguages and Literatures Christie McDonald,suggested that the new program might help studentsbetter plan their selection of language courses. Read more in NewsRecommended Articles