Two weeks after Associated Students of Madison members proposed a mandatory diversity education program as an addition to the Student Orientation Advising and Registration program, SOAR directors said they are in favor of the program, but they remain undecided how it should be implemented.

“We are definitely very supportive of it,” director of the Office of Orientation and New Student Programs Wren Singer said.

The program, which was introduced to the SOAR Board of Directors April 5, stems from the Plan 2008 Committee, which focuses on recruiting and retaining students of color and fostering environments where people can discuss diversity issues.

The educational program proposed by the students would be an hour and a half long and involve a video compiled by current UW students in hopes to educate incoming students about diversity and social-justice issues. After the video, students would split into groups of 20 to 25 students to partake in several activities designed to make them more aware and accepting of people unlike themselves.

Singer said that although the board is in favor of the proposal, members felt the program should not take place solely during orientation. She said they hope to continue working with ASM students and develop programs to implement during SOAR, Wisconsin Welcome Week and throughout students’ first year of college.

“We are trying to expand this beyond SOAR and do this throughout the year,” Singer said.

Proposal organizer Jeff Wright said he thought the long-term goal for the university should be to have diversity programs throughout the year, but he said “that is a huge leap from where we are right now.”

He added his committee has spent the semester speaking with many student organizations and UW officials and the current best option for when the program should be implemented seems to be during SOAR.

However, Singer said SOAR might not be the most appropriate time to implement the new program, because incoming students are often still focused on high school and have other issues on their minds.

“[The program] absolutely should start with first-year students,” Singer said. “But it should be a progression, so they learn when they are ready to learn.”

Wright said he disagrees with Singer and he believes students are mature enough to handle the program during SOAR. He added SOAR is often the first official experience for students at the university, so it is important for the program to be implemented then.

“It is up to the university to instill high expectations for the students coming in,” Wright said.

Singer added that there are already many programs that her department plans to educate students about diversity and becoming aware of their own biases. She said ASM’s proposal is similar to what her department already does; however, this will broaden the department’s work to educate students.

Singer said her department will continue to work with ASM next fall and plans will most likely not solidify until summer 2006 because programs for this summer have been made.