At  George Washington there is a  final package of reforms in curricular requirements. The college had required two courses in foreign languages or cultures — and that requirement is gone. The college’s new requirements for various kinds of learning outcomes (such as critical thinking) have been set up in such a way that introductory foreign language courses will automatically not count toward the fulfillment of any requirement.

Given that the new curriculum is designed to promote student learning in areas such as global perspectives and oral communication, some foreign language professors believe that the reforms are misguided and unfair.

The dispute at George Washington is notable because the overall reforms being adopted have attracted strong support, and because the change comes at a time when many foreign language faculty nationally are feeling less than secure about their fields’ status within academe.

See: USA Today