Students lobby for new diversity requirement
By Emily Ackerman | November 25, 2002In response to concerns about multicultural awareness on Grounds, several minority student leaders have discussed the introduction of a multicultural education requirement to increase sensitivity toward diversity in the University community. Fourth-year College student Michelle Morse, one of the students attempting to implement the diversity education requirement, explained that by making diversity a core value, such as honor or student self-governance, the University community will grow more aware of the perspectives of students different from themselves. "Honor and the University Judiciary Committee get lots of funding, but diversity is something that the University" does not officially recognize as of yet and therefore "does not get the funding it needs," she said. Concerned students haveworked with The Coalition, a group of student representatives from minority groups on Grounds, to implement a multicultural education requirement for all students. The requirement would be different from the non-Western perspectives requirement, focusing primarily on diversity issues faced within the United States. Although the development of the requirement remains in its early stages, two routes now are being discussed.One is a class based upon a current Education School course -- EDLF 555, Multicultural Education, taught by Education Prof.
