The Academic Senate discussed revisions to SF State's Latin American area studies minor and political science master's program Tuesday, eventually sending both items back to committee for further discussion.

The discussion brought guests from the College of Behavioral and Social Science's as well as from the Spanish department.

The Senate's main issue with the revision to the Latin American Studies program was its foreign language requirement. The proposed revision changes the wording of the foreign language requirement to require "only a basic competency in a language other than English."

Many on the senate floor felt that this was not enough. "That's not really a wording change, that's a change of the requirements," said Sen. Mohammad Salama, of the department of foreign languages and literatures. He said that foreign language is important and crucial, and not something extra to be tagged on.

Mike Hammer, Spanish program coordinator, was invited to speak on the issue. "If the state purpose is to invigorate the minor, then we fail to do that with the issue of language requirements," he said.

Hammer recommended a retooling of the university's placement tests and translating exams to use them as a tool to asses what attention individual students need.

The senate also discussed possible revisions to SF State's master's program in political science. James Martel, chair of the department of political science, said that there had been rumblings in the department for sometime about the inadequate training of the university's political science graduate students.

"First, we have mandated a new course, Political Science 700 to cover research design which students will have to take in their first semester," Martel said of what he expressed was the most lacking aspect of the current program.

The changes also include switching the courses units from 4 to 3, dropping some requirements, and updating the programs writing requirements.

Many senators commended Martel and his team on their hard work, adding only that a more focused plan for increasing the writing requirements be implemented into the revision.

Sen. Paul Sherwin, a SF State presidential appointee, requested that Martel speak with Mary Soliday, Director of Writing Across the Curriculum and Writing in the Discipline, for more and better alternatives to the writing requirements.

Sen. Wei Ming Dariotis, from the College of Ethnic Studies, agreed with Sherwin, adding that high stakes exams are not a good way to access student writing ability.

Both items were sent back to the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee, which meets every other Tuesday, for review.

The Senate also passed two revisions to the university's Retention, Tenure, and Promotion Policy. One allows the departments to review a candidates editing in a professional reviewed journal when considering promotion. The other clarifies that "program directors who have responsibility for RTP review" will not be allowed on the University Tenure and Promotions Committee.

Web sites for people interested in the senate and its issues:

Main senate Web site

Current senate membership and links to senate documents. This includes the two revisions discussed in the article.

Where and when committees meet, as well as what they are discussing.