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English Fluency for Faculty Members

JEFFERSON CITY - New faculty members and teacher assistants from the state's colleges and universities would have to prove their proficiency in English under a bill presented to the House Higher Education Committee Wednesday.

Under the bill, each of the schools would be required to evaluate each new member of its faculty for oral, aural and written fluency in the English language before hiring.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Joan Barry, D-St. Louis County. She told the committee her bill was prompted by student complaints that they could not understand lectures given by some foreign professors and teaching assistants.

"As a consumer, I have the right that my children are able to understand what is said in class." Barry said.

"We want a test that makes sure the new staff have the capacity to make themselves being understood."

"We want professors who we can learn from." said Adam Brown, from the Association of Students of the University of Missouri.

A national test approved by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education would be used as evaluation.

The schools would be required to certificate that all of its faculty members and teacher assistants have passed the test each school year.

The University of Missouri's chief lobbyist, Jim Snider, testified against the bill.

"We have a problem, and we need to do something, but I don't think this is the way," Snider said. He defended that the university itself should debate and solve the trouble.

Snider said that most of the complaints come about teacher assistants. Economically, he said, there's no way to have only full-time faculty members in the university system.