When Todd Walters first enrolled in college, the only thing he knew about the German language was that he liked the way the words sounded.But after taking German classes at the University, Walters fell in love with the language. He spent a summer in Germany through a University program, graduated this May with a German minor and is returning to the University in the fall to earn a full German degree.Walters credits introductory German classes for piquing his   interest and his trip abroad for solidifying it, but he and others connected to Academic Programs Abroad fear the elimination of the University’s German degree could reduce future students’ interest in studying in the country.Chancellor Michael Martin announced plans on May 24 to eliminate degree programs in German, Latin and Library and Information Sciences in an effort to save money during the University’s budget crisis.Though some German courses would still be offered, students studying in Germany said not offering a degree in German could deter future students from earning the level of language proficiency required to study there — generally a four-semester minimum, according to Harald Leder, director of Academic Programs Abroad.Kyle Chandler, a German and English senior currently studying in Tübingen, Germany, said the requirement could be daunting for students who wouldn’t need it otherwise.”There isn’t much of an incentive to take all of these hours if a major cannot be achieved,” Chandler said in an email. “People may have the desire to learn German, but without being able to tell future employers that they received a BA in a foreign language, there seems less of a reward for the hard work.”Leder said eliminating the German degree would be detrimental to Academic Programs Abroad.”It definitely would have an impact on the study abroad program and limit students who want to do something with or in German,” he said.Germany is one of the most popular destinations for students who study abroad longer than a summer, according to Leder.”Most students who choose the year-long option are students who go to Germany,” Leder said. “More students are going to Germany than to France or Spain.”International studies senior Stacey Zumo, who is presently studying in Marburg, Germany, said studying in the country provides copious opportunities for students after graduation.”Germany plays an important role in world politics and economics, and it is important to offer the opportunity for students to learn the language and culture of this important country,” Zumo said in an email. “Learning German opens many doors career-wise.”There are also progressive opportunities in Germany for students with various academic interests, Leder said.”Germany is still a first-rate place to research,” Leder said. “Germans do very advanced engineering. Students find something very interesting there — not just students in social sciences or humanities, but also in science and engineering.”Studying in Germany also gives students a unique chance to encounter something totally different than what they experience at the University, said Janet McDonald, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.”It’s a wonderful experience to go and immerse yourself in a language and in the culture,” McDonald said. “That is one of the most important things you learn in college — to open yourself up to the world.”Walters said his trip to Germany did just that.”Going there and studying was one of the greatest things I’ve done in my life, and it will stay with me the rest of my life,” he said.But because he had never studied German before college, Walters said the availability of a degree program at the University allowed him to discover his passion for the language and culture.Animal science senior Mandy Orlik lived in Germany until she was four, but had forgotten most of the language by the time she entered college. Orlik, who is studying in Bonn, Germany, for the summer, said she plans to declare a German minor when she returns to the U.S., but the University’s German degree was her initial attractor.
“Originally when I applied to college I wanted to do a dual major, one in German and another in Animal Science,” Orlik said in an email. “So ultimately I would have never considered LSU if they didn’t offer a German degree.”Chandler said cutting the German program would also have a negative impact on the University’s reputation.”LSU is the flagship university of Louisiana, and as such it needs to be an example … to show the rest of the nation that the state of Louisiana is more than just Mardi Gras and crawfish boils,” he said. “I know the economy is tough these days, but the decisions made now will have a ripple effect into the future — ones that we can foresee and some that we can’t.” 
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Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]