Beginning in Autumn 2009, completion of the third-year level of high school foreign language with (any passing grade) will satisfy the A&S foreign language proficiency requirement.
1. Who is eligible for the new rule?
Any student graduating in Autumn 2009 and later.
2. Can Winter, Spring, and Summer 2009 graduates petition to be allowed to use this new option to fulfill their foreign language requirement?
NO. The College of Arts and Sciences Graduation Committee will not entertain petitions for Winter, Spring, and Summer 2009 graduates to use this new rule. However, these students may choose to push back their graduation applications to December 2009, thereby making themselves eligible for the new policy.
3. How can we tell if a student has fulfilled the requirement?
Beginning in Autumn 2009, DARS will verify the highest level of high school foreign language completed. This information is currently found on SRF 306. For many students, it is also available near the top of their unofficial transcript.
SDB (SRF306) example:
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TYPE: 1 SPANSH YEARS: 3 MATH LEVEL: 0
Unofficial Transcript example:
HIGH SCHOOL FOREIGN LANGUAGE :GERMAN LEVEL:3
If the student has met the requirement, a DARS audit will reflect that. This will apply to all students, including current students, beginning in Autumn 2009. DARS audits run before then will not reflect the new rule (since the rule will not have changed until then).
Some current students and new transfer students will have no high school language information in SDB. These students can bring a high school transcript to an adviser. The adviser will verify that the requirement has been satisfied, and update the record via a DARS exception to be created for this purpose. Again, this process will begin in Autumn 2009.
In short, for most students, DARS will do the work; for the rest (and this number will decrease over time), students will provide a high school transcript and advisers will use a DARS exception.
4. If a student took his/her first year of foreign language in junior high and years 2 and 3 in high school, does that fulfill the A&S foreign language requirement?
YES. It is the third year high school level that fulfills the requirement.
5. If a student took two years of two different languages in high school, does that fulfill the A&S foreign language requirement?
NO. Students need to get to the third high school level to fulfill the requirement.
6. If a student has fulfilled the foreign language graduation requirement with 3 years of a high school language, then takes the 101, 102, and/or 103 courses in that same language, can the student now count those courses toward VLPA?
NO. First year courses in the language used to fulfill the foreign language requirement cannot be used for VLPA. This is consistent with the current rules.
7. If a student has fulfilled the graduation requirement with 3 years of a high school language, then takes the 101, 102, and/or 103 courses in a different language, can the student now count those courses toward VLPA?
YES. 100-level courses in a language other than the the one used to fulfill the foreign language requirement can be used for VLPA, provided the student completes the 103 or equivalent level. This is consistent with the current rules.
8. Does this change in the proficiency rules affect the current rule that students cannot receive credit for the 101 (or equivalent) course in their language of admission?
NO. No other elements of the foreign language requirement have changed.
9. Does this change in the proficiency rules affect the current rule that students must take a placement test if they want to take courses in their language of admission?
NO. No other elements of the foreign language requirement have changed.
10. In order to participate in June 2009 Commencement, can a student submit a Spring or Summer 2009 graduation application even if s/he knows s/he will not graduate until Autumn 2009 (in order to take advantage of the new rule)?
NO. This creates real trouble for Graduation and Academic Records. Students graduating in Spring or Summer 2009 can fulfill the requirement as it stands and participate in June 2009 Commencement, or they can delay graduation until Autumn and participate in June 2010 Commencement.
