Dean of Faculty Edward Berger and Dennis Washburn, the chair of the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Language and Literature will meet on Monday to discuss the implementation of a Korean language program at Dartmouth.
The first indication that the College is considering creating the program came on Friday when a group of 15 students met as advocates for Government Professor David Kang.
Kang, who is half Korean and a strong advocate for the Korean language program, is being considered for a tenure position.
Present at the meeting was David Blanchflower, associate dean of social sciences. Blanchflower said that the College had decided to offer three introductory Korean language classes.
"We've listened to what the students want, and now we're going to work on the details," said Blanchflower.
This initial commitment on the part of the College comes after 12 years of student lobbying for classes in Korean language and culture. Since the foundation of the Korean American Student Association in 1989, students have been struggling with the faculty of DAMELL to get approval for classes.
"I think the faculty of DAMELL was concerned that the department didn't have enough depth, and that they preferred to add culture, history and economics classes rather than add a new language," Berger said as explanation for why the program has taken such a long time to come into existence.
"The DAMELL didn't want to become a Berlitz school," Berger added.
The Student Assembly has also played an important role in advocating the creation of the Korean language program.
At their last meeting, the Assembly passed by overwhelming majority a resolution in support of the creation of a Korean studies program. This resolution is the third in a line of resolutions passed by the Assembly on this issue beginning in 1998.
"In my dream of dreams, what I would like to see happen is for the DAMELL or Dean of Faculty to acknowledge the hundreds of students who have been pursuing this for the last 12 years," said Assembly President Jorge Miranda '01.
"This is a case of slow change here at Dartmouth ... it shouldn't take 12 years for this to happen, but in the end I think it's a great thing," Miranda commented.
"Diversity has always been important to students, but not to the College. They have obviously put other things in front of this ... it hasn't become a priority until now," Miranda added.
