Another Curriculum Conspiracy Debunked

[Stallion]

I read recently Mexmustangs never ending attack on SMU's viciously strict admission standards-this time the fact that SMU requires 2 foreign language credits. Finally got around to checking that requirement out. In fact, its a requirement under the Recommended Graduate Plan under Texas State government and is required by UT, A&M, TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech and I'm sure just about every other university. Next argument

[CalallenStang]

I'm pretty sure that what Mexmustang said was that SMU was going to add a requirement to take a year (two semesters) of foreign language while at SMU, not in high school as a requirement for athletes. Let me know if I'm mistaken in how I read Mexmustang's post

[Stallion]

SMU requires 1 less credit in Math than A&M, Tech and Baylor
SMU requires 1 less credit in Science than A&M Tech, Baylor.
SMU does require more Social Science (3) but I hardly doubt that's a real big problem in High School since the Recommended Texas High School Plan requires 4 Units.
TCU's requirements are almost the exact same as SMU but they require one less lab in the 3 science cores.
UT are the same as SMU except that UT requires 1 less science course BUT it is Strongly recommended: Prospective students interested in studying architecture, business, geosciences, natural sciences, engineering, or other technical files are advised to prepare by taking science, including chemistry and physics, every year of high school. The additional unit may be counted as an elective (see below).

[Stallion]

I'm pretty sure that what Mexmustang said was that SMU was going to add a requirement to take a year (two semesters) of foreign language while at SMU, not in high school as a requirement for athletes. Let me know if I'm mistaken in how I read Mexmustang's post

That's not what he said and even if it was it poses no competitive disadvantage to our athletic department any more than another school that might require an alternative core requirement AFTER they are already in school. Its also no road block for admission of transfers since the policy says:

If you have not completed two consecutive years of a foreign language in high school or two semesters at the college level, you will be required to complete two semesters of a foreign language at SMU.

[Grant Carter]

I'm pretty sure that what Mexmustang said was that SMU was going to add a requirement to take a year (two semesters) of foreign language while at SMU, not in high school as a requirement for athletes. Let me know if I'm mistaken in how I read Mexmustang's post

That's not what he said and even if it was it poses no competitive disadvantage to our athletic department any more than another school that might require an alternative core requirement AFTER they are already in school. Its also no road block for admission of transfers since the policy says:

If you have not completed two consecutive years of a foreign language in high school or two semesters at the college level, you will be required to complete two semesters of a foreign language at SMU.

My recollection is the same as CalallenStang, that Mexmustang was referencing 2 semesters of foreign language during college. I looked but cannot find the post.

[Mexmustang]

First, I made no mention of admissions requirements. The topic was "athletic friendly majors"--keeping our players in school. I had heard that our players had previously not had to take a foreign language and that there was a new requirement that they take two semesters their freshman year. I asked the question whether or not this was true. Another poster checked with a current student and said that this had just been initiated.

Second, you can setup all the minimum hours in any subject, but the content can range greatly. In math a two year requirement could be four semesters of calculus or "math for home economics". I know you are aware of the practice and I know you are aware of "special" classes and "special professors" made available to athletes that help them succeed. At Vanderbilt, they have these classes setup in Peabody School of Education, at the University of Michigan is setup in the Phys Ed department, Stanford has a general set of general classes.

At other schools they are dumbed down courses in Psychology, Communications, Social Services, Law Enforcement, etc. Just watch any player introduction of any top twenty program and see how many football players on the same team have the same major, they are all majoring in general education, communications, etc. Every major program has it. So just how did Vince Young, the all-time lowest score on the Wunderlick (sp?) NFL test make it through UT, where only the top 10% or higher of Texas High School student get admitted?

Rant and rave and stick your head in the sand all you want--but you are absolutely wrong that big programs don't provide remedial programs to get their kids to a better place than when they entered, but that place is barely the level of their starting freshman class.

The only thing being debunked here is your intellectual honesty or naivet├â┬⌐’.

[Stallion]

Ha! Yeah Pal-SMU's big obstacle to a strong athletic program is that they have to take a foreign language just like Texas High School students. Ha! Wow! SMU students have always had to take a foreign language(or place out based on test in first year). You know why I know that? Because my mom was the Head of the Foreign Language Department at SMU. That has always been a requirement at SMU even in the Pony Express days. I took the test and placed out the entire requirement. Let me repeat-SMU's foreign language requirement is no more an obstacle to a successful athletic department than any other required curiculum.

[GRGB]

SMU requires 1 less credit in Math than A&M, Tech and Baylor
SMU requires 1 less credit in Science than A&M Tech, Baylor.
SMU does require more Social Science (3) but I hardly doubt that's a real big problem in High School since the Recommended Texas High School Plan requires 4 Units.
TCU's requirements are almost the exact same as SMU but they require one less lab in the 3 science cores.
UT are the same as SMU except that UT requires 1 less science course BUT it is Strongly recommended: Prospective students interested in studying architecture, business, geosciences, natural sciences, engineering, or other technical files are advised to prepare by taking science, including chemistry and physics, every year of high school. The additional unit may be counted as an elective (see below).

To graduate,
SMU also requires 2 less credits in PE than aTm....

You have to level the starting point as well...SMU's starting MATH credit might be higher than aTm's ...so it's hard to just throw those numbers out there.

[CalallenStang]

Ha! Yeah Pal-SMU's big obstacle to a strong athletic program is that they have to take a foreign language just like Texas High School students. Ha! Wow! SMU students have always had to take a foreign language(or place out based on test in first year). You know why I know that? Because my mom was the Head of the Foreign Language Department at SMU. That has always been a requirement at SMU even in the Pony Express days. I took the test and placed out the entire requirement. Let me repeat-SMU's foreign language requirement is no more an obstacle to a successful athletic department than any other required curiculum.

During my time on the Hilltop, there was no such requirement to take a foreign language or place out.

http://smu.edu/gened/default.asp lists the current year's general education requirements...and there is no foreign language to be found:

I. Fundamentals
1. Rhetoric (Written English) 6 hours
2. Mathematical Sciences 3 hours
3. Information Technology 3 hours

II. Wellness 2 hours

III. Science and Technology 6 hours
(Students must take two courses in Science and Technology; at least one must be in the field of biology, chemistry, geological sciences, physics, or CEE 1331, and no more than one may be from the other Science and Technology category)

IV. Perspectives 15 hours

V. Cultural Formations 6 hours

VI. Human Diversity 3 Co-Curricular hours

TOTAL GEC…………………..... 41 hours

[Stallion]

Do I have to take a foreign language class before or after I come to SMU?
A minimum of two years of the same foreign language is required for admission. Students who have not met this requirement will be required to take two semesters of a single foreign language upon matriculation to SMU. Certain majors may require additional foreign language classes at SMU.

http://www.smu.edu/Admission/ConnectWithUs/FAQ

[Junior]

During my time on the Hilltop, there was no such requirement to take a foreign language or place out.

Mine either, so not sure where this "requirement" is coming from. The last time I took a Spanish class was my junior year in high school.

[Junior]

Do I have to take a foreign language class before or after I come to SMU?
A minimum of two years of the same foreign language is required for admission. Students who have not met this requirement will be required to take two semesters of a single foreign language upon matriculation to SMU. Certain majors may require additional foreign language classes at SMU.

http://www.smu.edu/Admission/ConnectWithUs/FAQ

This must be new. I'm pretty sure I took two SEMESTERS of Spanish in high school, not two YEARS.

[CalallenStang]

Do I have to take a foreign language class before or after I come to SMU?
A minimum of two years of the same foreign language is required for admission. Students who have not met this requirement will be required to take two semesters of a single foreign language upon matriculation to SMU. Certain majors may require additional foreign language classes at SMU.

http://www.smu.edu/Admission/ConnectWithUs/FAQ

I took 3 years of foreign language in high school. IIRC, it's required for high school graduation (at public high schools in Texas) to take 2 years. There's no "testing out" requirement at all. If you took it (which any Texas public high school graduate has), they don't question it at all.

The difference from the old policy and the new one that Mexmustang is referencing is that even those who take foreign language in high school (everyone) will be required to take one year of foreign language upon matriculation to SMU.

[ponyscott]

Donde esta la biblioteca is all I ever used at SMU when I was there........lol

[EastStang]

They count dead languages, I took Latin in HS. One question, I noticed that my neice took sign language to fulfill her HS foreign language requirement in Virginia. Is that now considered a foreign language by SMU?