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Diversity requirement begins for new BSU students next fall
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After over 10 years of discussion, a new diversity requirement aiming to educate students on cultural differences goes into effect during the fall 2006 semester at Boise State.
“I think it’s crucial for students to have an awareness of other cultures and address our world’s issues in terms of cultural exclusion and oppression,” said Bob McCarl, chair of the Faculty Senate’s diversity committee and anthropology professor.
Students will fulfill the requirement for a baccalaureate degree by taking a three-credit class exploring differences in gender, sexual orientation, class, race, culture, ability, nationality, religion and/or ethnicity. The new diversity requirement will not affect the current 128 credits that are necessary for graduation.
According to the National Survey on Diversity in the Undergraduate Curriculum, 54 percent of U.S. colleges and universities have a diversity requirement.
McCarl said discussion of a diversity requirement at BSU arose about 10 years ago with ASBSU Vice President Lisa Sanchez.
“We’ve been working on it ever since,” McCarl said of the Faculty Senate committee.
ASBSU passed a resolution supporting a diversity requirement in December 2002, which was later approved by the Faculty Senate in November 2003.
Classes approved for the diversity requirement are already part of the catalog of classes offered at BSU, McCarl said.
“Many of the classes that qualify for the diversity requirement are core classes,” McCarl said, thus students can fulfill both the core requirement and the diversity requirement with some classes.
McCarl said BSU would offer more sections of the classes that will fulfill the diversity requirement beginning this coming fall in order to accommodate more students.
Classes that fulfill the diversity requirement include cultural anthropology, plants and society, African-American literature, introduction to gender studies, contemporary political ideologies, introduction to multi-ethnic studies, urban sociology, exceptionality in the schools and all foreign language classes. However, McCarl said the aim of the diversity requirement extends beyond these few classes.
“The goal is to have diversity content in all of the classes at the university and we hope to help the faculty do this,” McCarl said.
The requirement applies to students first registering in fall 2006 and will not affect students who were enrolled prior to fall 2006, McCarl said.
“As long as you are continuously enrolled, you are held to the catalog that you began with as a student,” McCarl said.
In the future, McCarl said stipulations would be added to the diversity requirement.
For example, he said international students or students who speak a foreign language may be able to opt out of an introductory foreign language course, which would fulfill their diversity requirement without having to take a class.
McCarl said the study abroad program might also fulfill the diversity requirement in the future. McCarl said English professor Marcy Newman was integral to developing the new diversity requirement. McCarl said it was a very collaborative effort by the BSU Faculty Senate, faculty and students.
Sara Bahnson
News Editor