Foreign Language Requirements - UNC System
Students headed to University of North Carolina system campuses in the next decade will have to prove they're better prepared for college by taking more foreign language and advanced math in high school.
The UNC Board of Governors approved a proposal to raise the minimum requirements for admission at the 16 campuses. The plan requires all entering freshmen to have completed two years of a foreign language starting in 2004 and four years of math starting in 2006.
The previous admission standards, adopted in 1984 and fully implemented by 1990, required three years of math. Study of a foreign language was recommended but not required. The UNC proposal signals a shift in the standard curriculum for North Carolina high schools - with more students enrolled in foreign language and math beyond Algebra II.
Among the 16 campuses, students' level of proficiency varies widely. For example, 97 percent of UNC-Chapel Hill freshmen had two years of language and four years of math, compared with 52 percent of freshmen at UNC's five historically black campuses.
The UNC Board of Governor removed the suggestion that one of the two units be taken in the senior year. It just requires two units of a language other than English. Some colleges and universities are already giving preference to students with advanced levels (III and up) of foreign language study.
Posted by h.fasciano | Legislation & State Board Policy | Permalink