The recently independent Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Hispanic Studies department will require new bylaws to govern shared resources, administrators said, and officals are expected to consider new regulations starting next week.
"The split is more technical than physical. We need a new structure and new bylaws specific for each department," Alessandro Carrera, interim chair of MCL, said.
Starting this fall, MCL split into two departments because of the overall growth in student body; the division has created a new department called Hispanic Studies, administrators said.
"When you have smaller departments it’s easier to get organized. And when you and your colleagues have shared goals, you can do better things," Interim Chair of Hispanic Studies Marta Fairclough said.
Languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Mandarin, India Studies and Vietnamese will comprise the Department of Modern and Classical Languages.
All Spanish classes will be formed into the new Hispanic Studies department, which was named in the Sept. 7 Faculty Senate meeting. These classes will be separate from MCL.
Hispanic Studies will teach the Spanish language, Hispanic cultures and offer a comparison of Hispanic cultures with English-language cultures.
Though the separation is final, not all the details have been worked out. All academic matters including the management of faculty and curriculum will be separate effective immediately.
The departments will still share administrative offices, staff and the Language Acquisition Center.
"It has only been a few weeks," Fairclough said. "I think it is too soon to speak on the results. We’ll see how it goes."
Planning of the separation of the departments required much time and effort from the faculty and staff, John Antel, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, said in a release.
Carrera said he was excited about his new position.
"It is my first time being a chair. I have to learn new things every day, but everyone is being really supportive," he said.
The separation reflects the growth of enrollment in all UH language courses, Carrera said.
"New programs must be created and recognized," he said. "This change will allow that to happen." The split was spurred not only by increased enrollment in Spanish classes but the implementation of new programs such as the World Cultures and Literatures program. All the languages programs are working to develop this program that combines language education, cultural theory and comparative literature.
Carrera said the enrollment in Spanish-language courses is bigger than all other languages combined.
Students say the split hasn’t affected their studies.
"I haven’t noticed any changes," sociology junior Vanise Sayrie, who is pursuing a minor in Spanish, said. "All my classes are the same."
Over the coming year, CLASS will work with both departments to establish separate department office spaces and administrative staffs. Web sites are still being updated.
"I am very optimistic about the change. I think that the split will help both departments build stronger programs," Fairclough said.
