As Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, one of the inevitable and daunting tasks that we have to do is choosing our schedule for next semester. DARS reports, the Timetable and course catalogs make it difficult, if not impossible, to figure out how to balance our major’s requirements with fulfilling breadth requirements before graduation.
One of the requirements many of us have dreaded is the Ethnic Studies requirement. According to a report from the Ethnic Studies Requirement Review Committee in 2002, 65 percent of those taking an Ethnic Studies course for the first time were supportive of the Ethnic Studies requirement. The committee admitted, however, that some of the comments about this requirement, such as “unnecessary” and “a waste of time,” ” … indicate that there is some degree of student unrest in regards to the requirement.”
As with every requirement, there will be some complaints. I myself have had my reservations about the requirement. When I took Hebrew Studies 377 Jewish Cultural History, I wondered why I was taking the course. Though the course did affect my understanding of Jewish identity, I could not figure out how a class that covered Jewish history from prehistory to 1492 directly affects my understanding of Jews today in America. Looking through the Timetable to choose a class that would satisfy the Ethnic Studies requirement, I noticed that the classes that had the “e” symbol were relatively arbitrary and that there were some ethnicities that were not at all represented with their own Ethnic Studies class.
The University of Wisconsin has made some strides to fix the confusion and dissatisfaction over the Ethnic Studies requirement. The final report of the Ethnic Studies Implementation Committee set new criteria for a class to qualify, such as 25 percent of the class being devoted to understanding the conditions of ethnic, or in some cases religious, groups that have been marginalized in the United States. The report states that these classes must have a goal to “better prepare students for life and careers in an increasingly multicultural U.S. environment.”
With the new standards, UW this semester removed the “e” symbol from 64 classes that do not meet these requirements. One of the classes was Hebrew Studies 377 — the class I took. This may take care of the perception of the Ethnic Studies requirement as being completely arbitrary, but UW needs to implement two of the recommendations of this committee: adding more classes that satisfy the “e” requirement and changing the perception of what this requirement actually is.
The Ethnic Studies requirement covers a myriad of ethnic groups from African–Americans to women to Latinos, to name a few. For the 2005–6 academic year, however, there is no class exclusively devoted to either Muslims or Arabs in the United States. With the large amount of misunderstanding in the United States about these groups, many Americans do not know that there is a difference between the two, classes devoted to smashing cultural bias against these groups should be a top priority at UW. Instead, UW does not offer a single Ethnic Studies class committed solely to either of these groups. Considering the blatant discrimination in this country by some Americans as a result of Sept. 11, UW has done both of these groups an injustice by not fully representing them in this requirement.
There is also a perception problem over what the Ethnic Studies requirement actually is. Until I read the Ethnic Studies Implementation Committee’s report, I was still unsure what the point of the Ethnic Studies requirement actually was besides something that I needed to complete in order to graduate and move on with life. The report states that even advisors and faculty do not understand the requirement well. While students need to understand why UW mandates any breadth requirement, a misperceived requirement such as this one needs additional explanation. From SOAR to choosing classes for our last semester, UW needs to explain and then reinforce why we need to take these three credits.
The Ethnic Studies requirement is a valuable asset to our education. We have the opportunity to study a group in our country with whom we may have had little or no contact. I know that my Ethnic Studies class did give me a much better understanding of the origins of the Jewish identity. I discussed my new understanding with my friends, who also benefited from this requirement. The noble goal of the requirement — facilitating a dialogue about different ethnic groups in our country — actually can be met. Certain groups, however, are not represented solely with their own “e” class, and the Ethnic Studies requirement is poorly understood by both the students and their advisors. UW needs to take a serious look at solving both of these issues for us to take the Ethnic Studies requirement seriously. Right now, too many of us consider it to be just another requirement we have to do to get a diploma.
Jeff Carnes ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in linguistics.
