UNA Pressroom

Una Dept. Of Foreign Languages Adds More Options For Students

Dec. 14, 2015



Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

Bryan Rachal, University Communications

FLORENCE, Ala. - A recent accreditation approval from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) means the University of North Alabama Department of Foreign Languages will be able to offer more variety to students.

UNA Department of Foreign Languages Chair Dr. Claudia Vance said in the past students received a degree in foreign languages with an emphasis on a specific language; now, thanks to ACHE approval, the department will offer separate majors in French, German and Spanish. Vance said the majorswill be added to the department's existing offerings and are similar in structure to the currentcombined Foreign Languages major.

"The difference in the combined foreign language major andthe separate language majors is that with theseparate majorsstudentsmore strongly focus on theprincipal language of study," said Vance. "TheDepartment of Foreign Languagessatisfies the global competency mission of UNA by graduating students who are prepared to meet the challenges of a multicultural society in the age of globalization."

"This includes gaining adequate proficiency in the target language and cultivating sensitivity to cultural difference and an appreciation for the languages and cultures of the world.Students who major or double major in a foreign language have an importantadvantage in any area of specialization over students who do not," she said.

Vance said the department has already seen an increase in students taking introductory language courses, and she said these new separate majors will continue to attract students to the program who want to earn a B.A., or a minor.

For more information on Foreign Languages at UNA: https://www.una.edu/foreign-languages/

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and Nursing. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. UNA also operates a renowned collegiate athletic program in NCAA Division II's Gulf South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age or national origin.

http://www.una.edu/