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Georgetown Universityā€™s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown Universityā€™s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Students Gather To Discuss Diversity Course Requirement

Students gathered to discuss the need for a structured diversity course requirement on campus in a conversation hosted by Leaders in Education about Diversity and the Philodemic Society in the Black House on Tuesday. Students continued their discussion on the diversity course requirement at a town hall hosted yesterday by the Georgetown University Student Association Multicultural Council and the Last Campaign for Academic Reform.

The diversity requirement, which will be voted on by the Main Campus Executive Faculty on March 27, will mandate all students to enroll in two courses that are currently part of the core requirements, but will have an additional component in the syllabi about issues of power and privilege.

At the discussion on Tuesday, incoming GUSA Vice President Connor Rohan (COL ā€™16) said that integrating the diversity requirement with current courses decreases the possible cost to the university.

ā€œUltimately it just seems like itā€™s no cost to the university. Nothing new is going to be created from it,ā€ Rohan said. But it just makes sense in that a lot of the classes that the diversity requirement is going to fit is classes where you would expect these issues to come up in the class anyway. ā€¦ Itā€™s almost like a correction on a lot of the syllabi in that if they arenā€™t tackling these issues that the diversity requirement requires that they tackle, then theyā€™ve been screwing up up to this point.ā€

Some students expressed the importance of the diversity requirement in shaping the identities and values of the university as a whole.

ā€œAnother reason I think the diversity requirement is so important is because when you take a tour at Georgetown, they tell you about Problem of God and that becomes an expectation. When you come here you know our identity and what we stand for,ā€ Reed Howard (SFS ā€™17) said. ā€œSo to have Georgetown say that as a university we are committed to creating individuals who know about diversity and having that become an anchored identity and have people come to this university expecting to engage in these uncomfortable conversations I think is so important.ā€

By making this requirement more structured, some students hoped that it could bring together more widespread dialogue than that currently being held, which involves only students who are most interested in these issues.

ā€œMy hope is that if this diversity requirement is implemented is that we can take these type of discussions and take them outside the Black House, because a lot of people here right now are here because we have an interest in diversity and multiculturalism and the fact of the matter is that we need to spread that throughout campus to bridge the gaps between people,ā€ Steven Xie (COL ā€™18) said.

Another attendee, Luke Brown (COL ā€™17), expressed similar hopes that the requirement would prevent discussion from being limited to a small circle of students on campus.

ā€œ[If] you donā€™t have this requirement, Iā€™m afraid that youā€™ll have the same small group of students who are happy to engage in these types of conversations and so many members of the student body who donā€™t,ā€ Brown said.

Some students also believe that the requirement would help make campus conversations related to diversity, such as race issues, become more well-informed.

ā€œSomething that really concerns me is political correctness and thatā€™s the thing that this conversation really comes back to, ā€˜I donā€™t want to say the wrong thing or offend the wrong person even if my intent isnā€™t there and isnā€™t malicious,ā€™ā€ Olivia Holmes (COL ā€™16) said. ā€œAnd I think if we have classes that inform students on these issues, you never really have to worry about being politically incorrect because you will be informed.ā€

Philodemic Society President Michael Whelan said that the lack of formal education on diversity issues currently leads to a lack of awareness in current events related to race issues such as the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer in August.

ā€œYou go up to the average Georgetown student and I think, unlike a lot of colleges across the country, you can ask them ā€˜Whatā€™s your opinion on Vladimir Putin?ā€™ or ā€˜Whatā€™s your opinion on all of these sort of complex international issues or fracking?ā€™ā€ Whelan said. ā€œAnd I feel like if you know about those issues but then donā€™t know about [Michael Brown], then thereā€™s a disconnect there.ā€

To Rohan, this disconnect comes directly from the inability of students to enter into the conversation with any formal instruction on these issues.

ā€œI think itā€™s the perfect example of why we need a diversity requirement. People are more apt to talk about what they can critically analyze and think about in a nuanced way,ā€ Rohan said.

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    Kevin MaganaFeb 5, 2016 at 2:26 pm

    It makes me a VERY proud alumni to see how student leadership at Georgetown sees the diversity requirement as a much needed reform to the core curriculum. Thank you Reed, Olivia, and Conor for these insightful and thoughtful comments you’ve provided. ~ Kevin G. MagaƱa (COL ’14)

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