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By Ashley Anderson / News Editor
By Ashley Anderson / News Editor
The World Languages Department at Riverside City College faces reductions this upcoming summer and fall due to the budget deficit at the college.
So far the World Languages Department has reduced 34 units between summer and fall semester course offerings.
Administration has suspended all part-time instructed languages, affecting classes like Chinese.
The change to eliminate the classes will affect students trying to learn a new language.
“Cutting a French 1 from fall this year will affect French 2 enrollment,” said Rosmarie Sarkis, a professor of French.
“This will crowd up classes. Those who need a foreign language won’t have space to take it. Spanish fills up quick already,” said Oscar Segovia, an RCC student taking French 1.
Most languages face cuts while some are growing. Languages chosen to grow don’t make sense to faculty.
“On top of these cuts, the Administration decided to add at least five units, perhaps eight (units) to Arabic, which, although a vital part of our course offerings, is already at an enrollment percentage higher than national and state enrollment levels” said Dorothy Gaylor, professor of Spanish and assistant chair of the World Languages Department.
The World Languages faculty said there should not be any adding if the college is cutting.
“We should cut everyone, not some growing and some cutting” said Diana McDougall, professor of American Sign Languages and chair of World Languages. “We know we have to make cuts. World Languages is taking excessive cuts because (the Administration) believes we have excessive course offerings to begin with.”
American Sign Language is reducing four units from both summer and fall 2012.
“These cuts will eventually affect sign language and negatively affect the interpreter program, which interpreters are so badly needed in this community,” McDougall said.
McDougall said the cuts need to be thought out more.
“When cutting, it needs to be a fair distribution and more focus on the students,” she said.
Miguel Ramirez, an RCC student, said the cuts might work for the better.
“My sociology and geometry classes are three-fourths filled, and the people, who are taking the classes are staying in longer,” he said. “More serious students are (sticking) around now.”
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