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In February 2022, a huge possibility arose that left uncertainty at Grand View University. It was announced that the Spanish major was being heavily considered to not be offered to students anymore. Questions such as, ‘Why would such an important major go?’ sparked fear and concern in students and faculty. Assistant Professor of Spanish, Amy Schumann, felt the shock as did many Spanish major students. 

“My initial reaction was… shock, and disbelief, and disappointment. Because I didn’t think that was kind of the way that we were headed with the Spanish program. I just had thought we were actually going the opposite way with growing it,” Schumann said. 

Schumann’s students felt similarly with the surprise. This unsettling news was blocking the major’s plans for their future path. 

“My students were kind of the same way. They were upset and confused, and then at the same time it was tricky because once we were told that the Spanish major was going to be cut, we weren’t allowed to promote a Spanish major,” said Schumann. “So you had students that were trying to possibly think about getting a major and making that decision in a week’s time because they wanted to get in before it was gone.”

The scare turned into relief in November when an email was sent out by Carl Moses, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, announcing to all students and faculty that the plan of discontinuing the Spanish major was officially dropped and that interested students could declare the major. The turn of events brought back hope and joy after months of facing the uncertainty and loss of hope for the major. 

“I’m just thankful. I believe in things happening for a reason and so I just feel like in my life, God had that happen for a reason. I was supposed to learn how to navigate that situation at the time and then take those skills and apply them to my new situation,” Schumann said. 

According to the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute, “Latinos have been the largest contributors to the U.S. population growth, accounting for 54% of the growth.” The report also mentioned that the Latino population has grown most rapidly in the South and Midwest. This growth is the reason why it is so crucial to have the Spanish major in Iowa universities and colleges. In respect to this, Schumann is passionate about teaching the Spanish language here at GVU and expressing how knowing Spanish is important. 

“I always ask the question, what career would you not be using Spanish in at some point in your life? I can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t need to know another language, especially Spanish, just because of the Latino demographics that are growing in our area,” Schumann said. 

If a Spanish major does not fit your schedule, there are other ways to learn Spanish at some level in the community. 

“I would definitely recommend it as a major, but if you can’t do it as a major, I’d say do it at some level,” said Schumann. “So if you can’t do a major, then do a minor and get that experience, if you can’t even do a minor then try to do a couple of different classes.”

There are additional ways you can incorporate learning the Spanish language at GVU. Just one example is taking a Spanish class specific to your major. GVU’s Spanish club is also a great option if you do not have room for Spanish classes but want to practice Spanish in your free time. The Spanish club welcomes students of any Spanish level and gives the opportunity to take part in community and cultural activities.