Stellenbosch University senate backs dual-medium arts faculty

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Maties back dual-medium arts faculty

By Kare Breytenbach

The senate of Stellenbosch University has decided to support the
dual-medium language policy of its faculty of arts, after the issue was
hotly debated by the convocation and the university council earlier this
year and finally referred to the senate. Many students and lecturers
expressed their concern about the policy that could threaten Afrikaans as
the language of instruction and fired heated debate about the future of
Afrikaans as an academic language, and the fate of indigenous languages
given globalisation.

Following a convocation meeting last month, attended by over 1 000 current
and former students who voted in favour of Afrikaans as the main language
of instruction, Rector Chris Brink recommended the matter be referred back
to the senate. On Wednesday the senate debated the language specifications
for next year and decided to recommend the council retain dual-medium
language policy, even deciding to expand it from second- to third-year
level of study, said university spokesman Martin Viljoen.

"The proposed language specifications were presented to the senate and
discussed per faculty. The senate voted and for all the faculties a large
majority accepted the recommendations. These recommendations will be
submitted to the council on December 15," he said.

 Published on the web by Cape Times on December 2, 2005.
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