The university is moving toward implementing a three-year-old requirement that students must take two semesters of a foreign language or show they can pass a standardized credit test.

This change in the foreign language policy was approved back in 2008, along with other changes to ACU’s core classes.

As of now, the university requires students to have taken two years of a foreign language in high school. If the student does not meet this prerequisite, they must take six hours of foreign language to complete this demand. The future requirement will call for students to take six hours of a foreign language regardless of high school classes.

Dr. Gregory Straughn, assistant provost for general education, said the current requirement is not strong and does not help support the school’s mission to “educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.”

“English is an important language for business and travel, but the world is much more rich and more complex than one language,” Straughn said. “By strengthening the requirement to be a successful completion of elementary-level foreign language at ACU, students are exposed to the beginnings of a second language and to an appreciation and understanding of culture that comes with language acquisition.”

Dr. Jeff Haseltine, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Human Services, said he agrees there are problems with the current foreign language requirement and the policy needs updating. He said the current foreign language requirement does not produce the expected results. The future changes will make sure students have an elementary proficiency of a language.

“We don’t kid ourselves too much about the level of proficiency that students have when they leave ACU,” Haseltine said.

He said the university does not want students to study a language simply as a mechanical device.

“We want a changed outlook on the world, to be aware of the culture and background of the people who speak that language,” Haseltine said. “We want it to be a positive part of the student’s education, not a burden or barrier.”

Haseltine said if at one point students get an elementary level understanding of a language they will be more able to continue learning on their own or to learn a new language depending on where they move on to.

“A third language is easier to learn than second language,” Haseltine said.

Changes in the general education policy are a joint effort of two groups: The University General Education Council and The University Undergraduate Academic Council.

The groups meet to update the general education policy every three years, with this last vote taken in 2008.

“Any substantial changes that are made to the General Education curriculum are approved by both councils, then sent to a vote of the full faculty,” Straughn said.

The general curriculum must be reorganized to fit the new requirements before the foreign language changes can be implemented.

Haseltine said ACU does not want to add more classes to the core curriculum. The councils will examine classes and see where changes need to be made to make the new requirements fit.  This process will take some time and the changes will not be implemented for a couple of years, Haseltine said.

“The new core roll out is happening in small steps,” Haseltine said. “The other part is taking longer, but we are not giving up on it.”

Straughn said students are being taken into consideration during the discussions. He said making changes to the policy without considering the effect on the number of degree hours will not be received well by students.

“Students will see that faculty understands the pressures of completing the highest quality degree both efficiently and successfully,” Straughn said.