Some Colleges Say “Au Revoir” To Foreign Language Majors

Because of cutbacks in state aid, a number of public colleges and universities are dropping certain majors, in particular, European language majors, according to a recent New York Times article. For example, the State University of New York at Albany announced recently that it would stop letting students major in French, Italian, Russian, and the classics. But, as some higher education commentators note, these actions are occurring at the same time many schools are embracing an “international mission” and opening campuses abroad, recruiting overseas candidates, and undertaking other global activities.