Student government officials are beginning to express interest in proposing changes to the University of Wisconsin’s ethnic studies general education requirement.
Mia Akers, the chair of the Associated Students of Madison’s Diversity Committee, said the committee’s interest in changing the ethnic studies requirement comes from the desire to make the ethnic studies courses more applicable to the lives of students at UW.
“We are looking to change the requirement so it’s more reflective of our climate and diversity here at UW,” Akers said.
Akers said they hope to enhance the requirement by making the ethnic studies classes more open to discussion among students in the hope students will better understand each other.
She also added she wanted the ethnic studies courses to have a greater focus on racial situations in the United States rather than focusing on racial roles in the international environment.
“We would like the classes to deal more with race relations in the U.S. so the things discussed can be applied to situations on campus,” Akers said.
According to Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate Damon Williams, the parties involved with the changes have not yet decided on a concrete plan for the development of the changes.
However, Williams said he hopes UW will obtain a broader and more valuable curriculum in the process of discussing potential requirement changes.
“Given how the world continues to evolve, it may be time for us to look at how we could embrace an even broader and more learning-centered requirement in the curriculum that might contain not only a focus on ethnicity, but other dimensions of difference,” Williams said in an email to The Badger Herald.
According to Akers, the ethnic studies requirement has not been updated since 2002 because people tend to think of diversity as something stagnant, when in reality it is constantly changing.
Akers added this common perception reflects the need to include diversity-based discussions in the ethnic studies courses UW students can apply to their lives on campus.
“We need to think of [diversity] as a changing environment and make changes to [the curriculum requirements] that allow students to recognize the diversity we have,” Akers said.
Williams said changes that will make the ethnic studies curriculum more specific to the UW environment will not only help the development of students now at the university, but also in the students’ future lives.
According to Williams, by creating a set of “powerful learning goals,” a newer curriculum will also add to the leadership development of students and position them to better to engage on and off campus.
Williams added the process of changing the curriculum would involve many UW faculty members but should also require the recommendations of students.
“I think a number of individuals on campus would have a lot of keen insights that could help the faculty as they consider ways that we create curricular experiences to prepare students for the world they live in today,” Williams said in the email.
