The French department, commonly viewed by chairmen and faculty as the conveyor of culture, is admonished to revamp its curriculum and attempt to embrace a broader, more humane understanding of the nature of culture. With the traditional, belletristic, college French curriculum having been rejected in favor of programs based on "cogency, cohesion, and conscience," the author offers his views on the interrelatedness of language, literature, and civilization, deprecating the attitude that would make language and civilization courses handmaidens to the study of literature. He urges the use of electronic media, essential to the maintenance of language skills and to the development of interest in the language. Much of the paper is devoted to description of a proposed "Institut d'Etudes Francaises," and elaborates on the type of interdisciplinary programs in French currently being offered at the University of Illinois (Urbana). A partial list of courses in "things French" for 1970-71 is contained in the appendix. (RL)