UOG Language Drive

If you believe that the University of Guam should support bilingualism and encourage through its curriculum the learning of the many languages from this region and beyond, please read below the statement of our "UOG Language Drive." Faculty and administrators at UOG are planning on reducing the required language classes for undergraduates from 2 to just 1 next year. This would reduce the language learning for all students from a single year (8 credits) to just a single semester (4 credits). Students could still take more courses if they wanted to, or if their major required it, but in general this will lead to a severely negative impact on any programs, such as mine, Chamorro Studies that are language focused. Please read this statement, written by a group of faculty including myself, and consider signing our Protect Languages at UOG Petition.

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The purpose of this signature drive is to promote and to advance language learning at the University of Guam.

Students and faculty of the University of Guam learn, teach and serve in order to preserve the essential strengths of the region’s cultures and natural resources and to use those strengths to cope with current and future challenges. The preservation and revitalization of the Chamorro language and the learning of foreign languages are critical for the future development of the people of the Mariana Islands and the broader Micronesian region.

The University of Guam is now proposing to reduce the language requirement for General Education from two language courses to one language course, while keeping the number of minimum credit hours for graduation the same.

We, the people listed below, request the University of Guam to maintain the current two language courses requirement of General Education.

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