The Faculty Senate approved a resolution today to establish German and French Language Houses.

The language houses offer “an immersion environment that supports classroom instruction so that students may practice their target language daily to increase their proficiency,” according to the proposal.

According to the resolution, the language houses would be located in an existing apartment in the Tom Brown/Pete Wright apartments.

There would be 14 beds available for 7 students studying German and 7 students studying French.

A resident assistant, who is an advanced or native speaker of German or French, would live in each house to assure that the language is being spoken between students. A Modern Language Studies faculty advisor would also be assigned to each house to help facilitate the program.

“Students interested must have studied the language for at least one year within the department,” said Dr. Marie Schein, professor of French.

Schein said the language houses are a great recruiting tool for the university and will greatly enhance the Modern Language Studies department.

The Senate also received an update by Provost Nowell Donovan about the progress of Academy of Tomorrow.

“We are doing well building-wise, we are ahead of schedule on the construction for Rees-Jones hall, the west side of the library and on the renovations to Bass Hall,” said Provost Donovan.

Rees-Jones will have conventional and scalar type classrooms. Scalar classrooms are geared for technology and will allow professors to place the furniture wherever he or she desires and control what wall he or she projects on, said Provost Donovan.

Rees-Jones will house a global seminar room that any faculty member may reserve so that their students may converse with people on the other side of the world in real-time.

The Faculty Senate’s next meeting is March 7.