UT is one of the biggest universities in Texas and has a diverse campus community. Having such a large and diverse community means there are different languages spoken on campus. In Travis County, the most popular non-English language is Spanish, spoken by 21.91% of the population.

To better reflect the language diversity on campus, the University should provide conversational Spanish language classes to all interested employees.

According to Jennifer McClain, Senior Training Coordinator for University Housing and Dining, UHD is one of the departments that offers conversational Spanish classes. The time employees spend in these classes is considered work time. 

The University should follow UHD’s lead and offer these classes to help reduce language barriers on campus.

There are many benefits to learning Spanish that can be shown in the workplace. Some employees on campus may feel more comfortable speaking Spanish and should have the option to communicate in their preferred language. If the University offered conversational Spanish classes, employees could assist one another without needing a third-party translator.

Allison Childs, senior human resource representative for UHD, first began taking these classes in 2020 in order to create a smoother work environment. 

“When I first started working for housing and dining, I realized that there was a large group of staff members that I wasn’t able to help,” Childs said. “Sometimes that made me feel a little bit incompetent, that I had to go and run to a coworker to get their assistance. But learning Spanish has really helped me be able to assist staff in different ways … I’m not fluent by any means, but that’s definitely the goal long term.”

Not only does learning Spanish help employees in the workplace, but being able to speak another language can also help foster a stronger sense of community. Learning a new language isn’t easy, but by offering language classes, the University can provide a useful lifelong skill and strengthen bonds between coworkers and strangers. 

“It’s definitely enriched my personal life,” Childs said. “I have a lot of Spanish-speaking friends, and now I’m able to better understand conversations. I know what’s going on a lot better whenever they switch back and forth. (I’m) even able to spend time with their families and understand what they’re saying for the most part. That’s been a really cool experience.”

Providing Spanish classes to employees is already a precedent at other universities. For instance, by 2014, more than 100 UCLA employees had already completed a “Spanish as a Second Language” course. It’s disappointing that UT hasn’t already taken this initiative.

After contacting the University for a comment, Veronica Trevino, media manager for Financial and Administrative Services, said that some departments offer the option of a language program for employees. However, this initiative should fall on the University itself, not individual departments. 

UT should take initiative in reducing the language barriers on campus by providing optional Spanish classes to employees. These classes would not only help employees communicate more easily with their coworkers, but also encourage a stronger sense of community. 

Ponce is a journalism sophomore from Laredo, Texas.