Samantha Osaduke
Staff Writer
A proposal to overhaul Glendon’s French program has been approved as of September. The revamped program would increase class sizes and reduce class hours.
The existing program consists of three- to four-hour seminar-style classes with a maximum of 30 students. The proposed new program would be made up of a one-hour lecture of up to 80 students per class and additional two-hour tutorials consisting of 20 students.
“To make things very clear, I have opposed this initiative since the beginning,” says Philippe Bourdin of the French studies department at Glendon.
“Nine YUFA members out of 15 are in support of the proposal,” Bourdin adds. “They think that the existing program is a burden on the department.”
He says the change in the program will adversely affect future Glendon students, Glendon’s state of bilingualism, as well as the contract faculty and the French department itself.
The associate vp academic at Glendon commissioned an opinion survey of 250 students in March 2010.
The results indicated a high degree of satisfaction with overall class experience. The University of Toronto is currently reducing class sizes in language courses due to dissatisfaction.
Bourdin is concerned that larger class sizes will have an impact on students’ impression of Glendon.
“The idea of filling a lecture hall with 80 students is not at all in keeping with the way Glendon College advertises itself,” states Philippe Bourdin.
Others, such as Monique Adriaen, chair of the Department of French Studies, remains optimistic about the changes.
“It is difficult to determine at this time the extent of the impact,” she says. “Given the demand from students for the development of competence in the French language, there will be positions for everyone now that York University will have three units committed to the teaching and learning of French,” she says.
The changes to the program will take effect in the fall term of 2012.
