The objective of university courses is develop a student's ability to integrate information, acquire new knowledge, enhance a student's critical thinking and reasoning skills and to communicate these ideas. Such university-level courses would seem to be more significant for a student's development than granting credits for skills that were acquired in high schools. A side issue is whether granting of credit for language skills acquired in high school may be more accessible to students from wealthy private schools. The value and benefits of studying either Hawaiian or a second language have never been questioned or the issue. The value to students of undertaking foreign language study is self evident, as is the study of other disciplines.
Foreign languages offer a window onto other cultures and an appreciation of communication.
Similarly, linguistics, history, art, music, theater, anthropology, philosophy, religion and dance provide other windows on cultures. The issue is the absolute requirement for a foreign language. There is no option to the mandated Language Graduation Requirement. This absolute requirement is being applied even if the faculty of a whole School or College objects. Associate Dean O'Mealy's letter further confuses student's responses to being required to take languages and the student experience in a required course.