Steve, we don't have "the context of a free 4-year education" in the United States today. If the liberal arts are taken out of degree requirements in the context of increasing fees and tuitions, students who do not major in liberal arts (and their parents) have only market incentives _not_ to take any, even if they are vaguely interested in them.
Here's some information about the decline of foreign language study:
***** Monday, November 13, 2000 Contacts: Tim McDonough, (202) 939-9365; Fred Hayward, (202) 939-9745
ACE [American Council on Education] Reports Suggest a Decline in U.S. College and University International Education Despite New Public Interest
...The studentPOLL/ACE telephone survey of high school students included 500 high school seniors who intended to enroll in 4-year colleges or universities in the fall of 2000. They are now freshmen at various colleges and universities nationwide. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 4.5. Among the major findings:
* The majority of incoming freshmen have some international experience prior to reaching college or university. Of those seniors intending to continue to a 4-year postsecondary institution, 98 percent had studied a foreign language. Of the students surveyed, over half have traveled outside the U.S. Over 77 percent have some type of direct international experience -- whether they hosted an international student in their home, traveled abroad, or had immediate family members move to another country.
* Incoming students believe it is important that colleges and universities offer international experiences and opportunities. Over 80 percent of students said it was very or somewhat important that colleges offer opportunities to interact with students from other countries. Almost 3 out of 4 students believe it is important that their college offer courses on international topics. Over 70 percent say it is important that their college offer study abroad programs.
* The majority of freshmen plan on studying international topics and having international experiences while in college or university. Over half (57 percent) plan on studying a foreign language. Half of incoming freshmen expect to take courses that focus on the history or culture of another country. Almost half (48 percent) expect to study abroad during their college or university years.
"We were surprised and gratified by the findings in these two public opinion polls," said Fred Hayward, who directed much of the research for ACE. "People clearly have a more global view than they had in the past -- they have greater personal contact with areas outside the continental United States, they see international education as being in the national interest, and they're looking to our colleges and universities to provide increased opportunities and leadership in this area."
The ACE/Ford status report on the internationalization of U.S. higher education builds on a similar study conducted by ACE in 1986-87. That study demonstrated low levels of internationalization at U.S. colleges and universities. The latest findings suggest little has changed since 1987 -- the level of internationalization on U.S. campuses as a whole remains low. Among the major findings:
* Foreign language study by U.S. students has decreased dramatically. Enrollments have declined from a high of 16 percent of total enrollments in the 1960s to a current average of about 8 percent. Foreign language graduation requirements in 4-year institutions have decreased from 34 percent in 1965 to just over 20 percent in 1995. Fewer than 3 out of 5 language students continue past the introductory level of instruction.
* Despite recent optimism about study abroad participation, very few students have a study abroad experience. Fewer than 114,000 students traveled abroad last year -- out of a total student population of over 14 million. Less than one percent of students study abroad each year and less than 3 percent will do so by the time they complete their studies -- a far cry from the recent Presidential Commission's target of 10 percent and the 48 percent in the student poll who said they planned to do so. There is a notable trend towards shorter study abroad experiences -- usually less than a semester.
* Indicators suggest that current international curricula and activities provide students with only rudimentary levels of international skills and competencies. Less than 7 percent of all higher education students meet even basic standards of "global preparedness," defined as four or more credits of international studies and a certain number of years of foreign language study.
* Federal funding for most international areas has declined over the last decade. The Department of State's Fulbright program has seen a 43 percent reduction in funding in constant dollars since 1994. Funding for the U.S. Department of Defense's National Security Education Program (NSEP) has been cut 36 percent in constant dollars since 1995....
<http://www.acenet.edu/news/press_release/2000/11November/ford_intl_rept.html> *****
Students and parents, as well as the American public in general, say that study of foreign languages, cultures, etc. is important, and the majority of them say that they are interested in it personally. However, state funding has declined and foreign language requirements have decreased, so consequently enrollments have declined and smaller proportions of Americans are proficient in foreign languages. Minus funding and requirements, other subjects will also go down (they may have already). -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://solidarity.igc.org/>