The breakup of the Department of Romance and Classical Languages was approved today at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting.

The split restructures the current program into two new departments: one comprised of Spanish and Portuguese and the other of French, Classics and Italian.

MSU President M. Peter McPherson believes the new structure will allow the Spanish program to flourish further.

"Through out the country there is more and more demand for Spanish at universities and colleges," McPherson said. "And it is because there is a larger, growing number of people with a Hispanic heritage and it's also because Latin America is so close to us."

The board does not believe the two separate departments will cost extra money in the face of a $5 million cut in state funding.

"The cost will be very modest and the cost will be a reallocation in the college," McPherson added.

The board also approved renovation plans for Marshall Hall, discussed possible improvements to Spartan Stadium and appointed Thomas Dietz as director of a new environmental program.

For more on this story, please see Thursday's edition of The State News.