Tufts Community Union (TCU) senators are encouraging the administration to add Korean language classes. But as has been the case with similar efforts in the past, they are running into roadblocks related to funding and space allocation.
"To really start up a legitimate program, we need [professors] to teach literature and culture, as well as the language. Obviously this would be a real financial burden," said Hosea Hirata, the director of the German, Russian and Asian languages and literature department.
Hirata is also concerned about space. "We need to figure out where they would work, as Olin is totally full," he said. "Some professors have been doubling up offices."
Current efforts stem from last year's Senate survey, which had a question asking students which languages they'd like to see added.
"Overwhelmingly, students wanted Korean," TCU Historian Alex Pryor said.
Other popular choices were Hindi, Urdu and Portuguese. The Senate has already made inroads with Portuguese, which should be offered next fall. To deal with obstacles to the Korean program, senators are looking into offering it in the Experimental College.
"If the students can find an instructor who can teach Korean 1 and Korean 2, that's fine. The problem is that we don't have the budget to proceed beyond that," Ex-College Director Robyn Gittleman said. "[The] Ex-College is here to test the waters. If a course proves to be important and the teacher knows what he's doing, then it could be moved to the traditional college."
Freshman Senator Yin Lin is also looking into grants given by the Department of Education to support the study of languages deemed relevant to national security or general academic competitiveness. These include Hindi, Chinese, Korean and Urdu.
Another source of grant money could be the Korea Foundation, whose mission includes the support of language programs.
While these solutions would not immediately bring about a program, they would mirror the processes that helped set up the Japanese, Chinese, Hebrew and Arabic programs at Tufts. The first was started with a grant and the latter three began in the Ex-College.
Though the future of the Korean program appears uncertain, Hirata still remained slightly optimistic.
"It is possible we could do it," he said.
