Cultural Studies, Multicultural Studies, and Latin American Studies are interdisciplinary concentrations with relatively few students. The recommendation is to eliminate these programs as separate administrative units. The intellectual and curricular contributions offered by the programs are valuable and should not be lost. A portion of the resources that supported these programs should be shifted to the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry, a new unit that will also house the Honors Program, First-year Seminars, the Humanities Center, and Women's Studies. The Director of the Center, working with the faculty of the respective programs, is charged with finding a way to incorporate the intellectual contributions represented by Cultural Studies, Multicultural Studies, and Latin American Studies.
Enrollment is low and the degree relies on too many undergraduate courses.
The importance of foreign languages is unquestioned. What is equally clear is that the traditional college level approach to acquiring a second language is inefficient and often ineffective. In general, a minimum of three years of studying a second language in a classroom setting is necessary to achieve minimal competence. In the 21st century, it will be increasingly important that many Drake graduates have familiarity with other cultures and that they acquire fluency in a second language. We need to implement a program that incorporates the powerful learning effect of immersion experiences.