Our university, like most others, claims it strives to be inclusive, diverse and a welcoming environment for students of all ethnicities and backgrounds. The most noticeable way Madison works to achieve this goal is by requiring students to take a three-credit ethnic studies class. By taking this one class, we are all supposed to be better prepared for life in a multicultural environment.
A noble ideal, but unfortunately that is not exactly the affect of the ethnic studies requirement. Rather than increasing diversity and preparing students for a diverse life after college, the requirement is seen by many students as an obstacle to overcome.
This attitude stems from the first exposure to registration during SOAR. While flipping through the timetable, my SOAR guide suggested that I look for a class designated by an “e” in order to get the ethnic studies requirement “out of the way,” implying that I can then devote more time to “real” classes. My experience at SOAR is not unique; far too many freshmen are led to believe that the ethnic studies requirement is just a hurdle and not the educational opportunity and growing experience it could be.
One of the reasons why the ethnic studies classes are not taken as seriously as they should is because of the types of classes offered that fulfill the requirement. Many of the classes that satisfy the ethnic studies requirement are large lectures with no discussion section. While they do provide valuable information and expose undergraduates to cultures they may not have grown up with or been exposed to, the effectiveness of these courses is limited. There is minimal interaction with the material, leaving a disconnect between the student and information. Discussion sections provide the ability to build on the information provided in the lecture and help cultivate a true understanding of other cultures. Without these opportunities, most of the potential these classes have is squandered away.
The University has to start getting serious about diversity and creating a welcoming environment for all students and the ethnic studies requirement is just the beginning. With a renewed vigor regarding ethnic studies, the environment on campus will become more inviting. Coupled with an increasing seriousness in the courses offered, the University needs to step up its enrollment process to reflect a hopefully changing environment on campus.
It was only a few years ago that the UW was in quite a bit of trouble for their Photoshop debacle when they pasted a photo of an African American male into an all-white group at a football game to show diversity on campus. How embarrassing. While that incident may be in the past, the racial homogeny on campus is not.
In 1998, the UW Board of Regents adopted Plan 2008, a comprehensive plan that includes increasing the diversity in applicants, increasing retention of students of color and improving accountability within the UW System. It is important that these goals be achieved, for both the campus and the students. A diverse learning environment not only prepares us for our future, but also provides intangible benefits that help us shape our ideas and opinions.
Despite the work that has been done to improve diversity on campus, there is still a lot left to do. The overwhelming homogeneity at the UW is a disservice to all of the students in Madison, but the responsibility doesn’t just lie at the feet of the UW administration. It is up to us, as students, to demand more from our University in order to see real changes made.
Jackie Lantz ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science.