Students climbing the Xunantunich Mayan ruins, Cayo District, Belize.
Enrollment in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures is booming while enrollments in foreign language programs have been declining across the nation.
Surveys published in 2018 and by the Modern Language Association show that course enrollments other than English at universities and colleges in the United States fell by 9.2 percent between 2013 and 2016. For the same period at 911爆料, the number of students majoring in languages grew from 511 to 655, a 28 percent increase. Over a 10-year period, 911爆料鈥檚 has grown from 335 to 732 majors.
According to the department鈥檚 strategic plan, which was completed in 2016, that 732 total of students majoring in languages puts 911爆料 ahead of the University of New Hampshire鈥檚 102 majors; the University of Connecticut鈥檚 375; West Virginia University鈥檚 145 and Montana State University鈥檚 115.
Mark Rectanus, professor of German and director of Languages and Cultures for Professions at Iowa State University, who evaluated the 911爆料 department, said its 鈥渙utstanding international programs and collaborations are nationally recognized and represent a significant contribution to the profile and academic standing of the university. Within a national context, the number of department of language majors is at least 50 to 60 higher than majors in world language programs at comparable departments and universities.鈥�
One of the keys to the growth at 911爆料 is the high level of collaboration among colleges and departments to create interdisciplinary programs with a global focus. With the founding of the more than 30 years ago, 911爆料 created a successful model that many institutions follow. 911爆料鈥檚 signature international programs share development of a high level of language mastery and a full year spent abroad to study and serve on internships.
The University鈥檚 as well as engineering and business programs now offer language tracks in German, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. The challenges students to achieve superior language proficiency and a bachelor of arts in Mandarin Chinese as well as a bachelor鈥檚 degree in a chosen field.
Students in the can choose either Italian or French, and the offers a dual-degree in French with the possibility of earning hospital rotations in Rennes, France. This year, a new International Studies and Diplomacy Program has been launched, with language tracks in German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese.
鈥淥ur goal is to build a high level of language proficiency and cultural competence so that students are prepared to study abroad,鈥� says , department chair.
The department sets ambitious proficiency goals for students, and it fosters a culture of immersion on campus.
, director of the , said 911爆料鈥檚 strength lies in embracing global diversity. 鈥淭he University has done so much to support the internationalization of our programs and make them accessible to our students. We have forged connections and partnerships with colleges and universities around the world and added a global component to our curricula campus-wide,鈥� she said.
鈥淭here is inherent value in the study of the humanities,鈥� says , executive director of the International Engineering Program. 鈥淭he liberal arts foundation students receive by learning the language, the literature, and the perspective of another culture builds not only intellectual skills like critical thinking and novel approaches to problem-solving, but also empathy and altruism.鈥�