Group votes to test non-English-speaking TAs

By HEATHER COOK
and KATE DAILEY
Collegian Staff Writers

The Undergraduate Student Government Academic Assembly voted last night on a topic that has been an issue at Penn State for almost 20 years. The assembly approved a motion on regulations for non-native English speaking teaching assistants by a vote of 17-0-1.

The proposal, written by Assembly President David Kayal, emphasized enforcing and strengthening existing Penn State policy regarding international teaching assistants (ITAs).

The policy, which was written in 1981, recommends only those students who score over 250 on the English Oral Language Proficiency Test may teach without restrictions. Those who score between 250 and 230 are permitted to teach while they take speech classes, and those who score below 230 must enroll in speech classes before teaching. But Kayal said the policies often are disregarded and full of loopholes, leading to a language barrier in the classroom.

"What we're really trying to do is eliminate that small percentage that are really bad," said Kayal. "Nobody should ever have to face a class where they can't understand the teacher."

Under the new proposal, the scoring recommendations would become mandatory, and those who score below 250 will not be permitted to teach. The university also would be required to enforce policies on TAs, as well as offer more courses to all TAs to help improve teaching and communication skills. The resolution also asks for a more efficient test to screen non-native English speakers and an official report to study TAs in the classroom.

"I don't want to discriminate," said Kayal. "But we're putting students at a disadvantage due to lack of enforcement of current policies. It's not the TAs fault. It's the university's."

Assembly member Emily Freeman said the resolution would help both students and TAs.

"It's not an attack on the TAs," she said, adding often TAs are required to teach before they feel prepared. "They want help. We'll help the TAs to teach better . . . and at the same time increase the educational fortitude of the school."

The council voted after reviewing a 36-page report by Kayal documenting the question of ITAs from as early as the 1979.

The resolution will now go to the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education, which will decide whether or not to pass legislation enacting the articles.

Newly elected Council of Commonwealth Student Government president Jon-Michael Roman represented CCSG in support of the resolution.

"Especially with the advent of our four-year degrees, we feel the need to back this up," he said.

The assembly also voted in favor of a resolution asking professors to show leniency in dealing with Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon participants who may need to miss classes or exams.

"I don't want the professors to see this as an excuse to get out of class," said Assembly member Jeffrey Tranell, author of the resolution. "It's a fact of life that other things go on besides classes . . . Thon is a big fact of life at Penn State."