What does the elimination of the requirement to have proficiency in either Greek or Latin have to do with fighting systemic racism on campus? How does it make classics more open to people who did not have the opportunity to study Greek or Latin in high school? I had no knowledge of Greek or Latin when I matriculated in 1971. Despite that deficiency (which I do not believe was the result of systemic racism), I was taking 300-level courses in Greek and Latin by the end of my sophomore year, including skipping from Latin 101 to a 300 level course in Lucretius. Opening up this track does nothing for the Classics Department but harms its past, current, and future majors who have taken the trouble to learn either Latin or Greek, and who will be subject, inter alia, to ridicule in graduate and job interviews by questioners wondering about their proficiency in Greek and Latin. What next?Eliminating the German requirement in the German Department and offering an alternative German in Translation track?
What does the elimination of the requirement to have proficiency in either Greek or Latin have to do with fighting systemic racism on campus? How does it make classics more open to people who did not have the opportunity to study Greek or Latin in high school? I had no knowledge of Greek or Latin when I matriculated in 1971. Despite that deficiency (which I do not believe was the result of systemic racism), I was taking 300-level courses in Greek and Latin by the end of my sophomore year, including skipping from Latin 101 to a 300 level course in Lucretius. Opening up this track does nothing for the Classics Department but harms its past, current, and future majors who have taken the trouble to learn either Latin or Greek, and who will be subject, inter alia, to ridicule in graduate and job interviews by questioners wondering about their proficiency in Greek and Latin. What next?Eliminating the German requirement in the German Department and offering an alternative German in Translation track?