Faculty and administrative members of Elon University’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter challenged the university to revise the minimum foreign language requirement to better prepare students for a globalized society. They crafted a resolution asking the university to increase the basic requirement, which would communicate the importance of proficiency in a foreign language.

Phi Beta Kappa, an honor society for students who excel in the liberal arts and sciences, emphasizes the importance of knowledge in various backgrounds and disciplines central to the liberal arts and sciences, said Jan Mays, mathematics senior lecturer and chair of the members-and-course committee for Phi Beta Kappa.

Of the five stipulations required for membership, one identifies knowledge of a non-native language at “least minimally appropriate for a liberal education” necessary for eligibility. The four other stipulations call for 99 credit hours in the liberal arts and sciences, an examination of the variety and level of liberal arts and science courses, completion of one course in college-level mathematics and demonstration of good moral character.

“If they single out foreign language in a separate stipulation, then you can see they find this very important,” said Helen Walton, mathematics instructor and secretary, treasurer and historian for Phi Beta Kappa.

Currently, Phi Beta Kappa national foreign language requirements disqualify 32 of the top 98 Elon students that otherwise would be eligible for membership.

“Elon has long felt a need to deepen its foreign language requirement, primarily because we pride ourselves on our study abroad, global citizenship and engaged learning,” said Russell Gill, professor of English and president of Phi Beta Kappa. “In order to carry these as far as we should be, we need to be in the national main stream as foreign language requirements.”

[quote]When we were granted a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, there was a concern that we had lower foreign language requirements, and one of the concerns we have as Phi Beta Kappa faculty is that we are not moving forward.[/quote]

For eligibility in Elon’s chapter, students must complete a 221 course level or place out of it, according to Mays.

Elon’s interpretation of the national requirements is a moderate interpretation, said Mays, whose responsibilities include reviewing records and selecting students eligible for Phi Beta Kappa membership.

Strict interpretation would demand completion of a 222 course level, which would require students to take four more credit hours in the foreign language department, Gill said.

“When we were granted a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, they looked at the requirements for students and that was one of the weaknesses,” Mays said. “There was a concern that we had lower foreign language requirements, and one of the concerns we have as Phi Beta Kappa faculty is that we are not moving forward.”

Elon’s foreign language requirement for graduation does not equal the level necessary for Phi Beta Kappa membership. Students are often unaware of this discrepancy, according to Gill, and as a result about one-third of students who otherwise qualified for membership failed to meet the organization’s foreign language requirement.

“The school has lulled you into thinking that lower level foreign language is sufficient,” Gill said.

Following a strict interpretation of the national guidelines would currently eliminate half of the 98 students otherwise eligible.

Contrastingly, increasing the graduation requirements would enable all students to meet the Phi Beta Kappa foreign language requirement as well, allowing the faculty and administrative members of Phi Beta Kappa to recognize the achievements of a larger number of students, Mays said.

Foreign language faculty members at Elon have indicated a significant difference between the understanding of students at the 221 level versus students at the 222 level, Mays said, where students at the higher level are more conversant.

“We feel (the current graduation requirements) makes them less competitive,” Mays said. “If they have less exposure to foreign languages they are not going to be as competitive as other students.”

Those aware of Phi Beta Kappa’s requirements have expressed a willingness to meet the higher standard, Mays said.

Nevertheless, the resolution calls for more than solely increasing the minimum requirement, but also strengthening the courses in the foreign language curriculum, Gill said.

“It would be wonderful that in addition to strengthening the minimum requirement, they can put higher acquisition on upper level language courses,” he said.

Strengthening the foreign language requirement would contribute to the university’s mission statement to graduate global citizens, Mays said.

“We do think that (the administration) is doing things to globalize the university, but this is a glaring omission,” Walton said.