Faculty across campus are voting March 30 through April 10 on a proposal that would require all undergraduate students in the UCLA College to complete a course focused on diversity.
The proposal is backed by UCLA College deans and faculty, who say universities have a responsibility to prepare students for life in a multicultural world. Understanding and respecting the perspectives of others, they say, is a core competency.
Also supporting the proposal are UCLA scholars who specialize in research related to diversity.
“Research has produced clear evidence indicating that students who take diversity-related courses have a greater ability to negotiate controversial issues and work cooperatively with people from different backgrounds,” said Sylvia Hurtado, a professor of education who has studied the issue.
Mitchell Chang, a professor of higher education and organizational change, said, “Not only has diversity-related curriculum been shown to reduce racial bias among students, but its positive impact is also magnified at institutions with a diverse student body such as UCLA’s.”
Following previous approvals by the College faculty and various Academic Senate committees, the Academic Senate’s Legislative Assembly — which includes faculty representatives from academic departments across campus — overwhelmingly approved the requirement in November.
The Academic Senate’s rules committee later ruled that a petition submitted by some faculty required a vote of the entire voting membership of the Senate — about 3,600 professors, including 1,110 emeriti faculty.
The proposal calls for College undergraduates to earn at least a C grade in a course that substantially addresses racial, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic, sexual orientation, religious or other types of diversity. The College represents approximately 84 percent of UCLA’s undergraduate student body. All other University of California campuses but one — UC Merced — have diversity-related requirements in their primary undergraduate units. The UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture already has a similar requirement for undergraduates.
The measure would not increase the number of units students need to graduate, and many students are already taking classes that would fulfill the requirement. More than 100 existing courses — in departments as varied as history, biology, classics, political science and religion — would already meet the requirement.
If approved, the requirement would take effect for freshmen entering in fall 2015 and transfer students entering in fall 2017.
Studies also have shown that employees with diversity skills are in demand. A recent American Association of Colleges and Universities survey found that employers want secondary institutions to place more emphasis on awareness of cultural diversity in the U.S. and other countries and to ensure that students have the ability to work well in diverse groups. Hiring managers are seeking graduates who have studied diversity at home and abroad, according to the report.
Chancellor Gene Block has voiced support for the proposal, emphasizing that it was based on academic research demonstrating the benefits of diversity-focused curriculum.
Many students are encouraging faculty to approve the proposal.
