For the Fall 2016 Semester, all Romance Languages and Literatures courses have been retitled to better reflect the inclusion of culture and history within the course material. The major and minor requirements have not changed, nor has the material of the courses themselves.
Enrique Yepes, associate professor of romance languages and literatures, offered insight on how the names of the classes have been changed to better reflect the material. The new names include Francophone Studies, Hispanic Studies and Italian Studies. The Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee approved of the name change in order to convey that these classes teach language, literature and culture. The major and minor requirements have not changed.
Yepes noted that he hopes the name change will clarify the difference between Latin American Studies and Hispanic Studies. Latin American Studies focuses on the Latin American region and countries that speak Portuguese or French, as well as on Latinos in the United States. Hispanic Studies instead focuses on regions where Spanish is spoken, including Spain.