<p>UCSD just recently approved new diversity classes including Introduction to Ethnic Studies, Intro to Critical Gender Studies and Urban Politics for the mandatory diversity requirement. Since colleges are a business that say cater to their clients then how come this requirement is mandatory? Does anyone else feel colleges are taking this diversity movement too far? I grew up around people of all races and classes so such measures seem like nanny state propaganda to me. </p>
<p>“From what I sense, the general student body sees this as a small, but crucial, step toward fighting ignorance and creating a more informed and educated campus community, A.S. President Wafa Ben Hassine said”</p>
<p>Don’t people find such a statement as this insulting to ones intelligence? </p>
<p>People need to be exposed to diversity because they will be exposed to it in the real professional world, Muir College sophomore Anisha Mocherla said. Taking classes at UCSD will better prepare you for it.</p>
<p>Here is a comment from another politico:</p>
<p>"I salute this academic requirement, bringing the right type of education to all students. The truth is, we need a diversity class to be mandatory because, well, a lot of students really are just incapable of being culturally sensitive and good world citizens without the guiding hand of an intelligent professor. UCSDs widespread ignorance can only be remedied if our thoughtful and enlightened leadership also have the bravery to mandate this important aspect of education. I look forward to the day when all students embrace the progressive ideals taught in these required classes and I can be proud of my university "</p>
<p>To me, this sort of thinking reminds me of the inquisition except this time conformist conditioning of cultural relativism under the guise of ‘diversity’. I don’t think colleges should use coercion to impose indoctrination on college students treating them like 5th graders. What do you think?</p>
<p>Years ago, noisy protesters (mostly ethnic studies majors, often majoring in the ethnic studies of their own ethnicity) at Berkeley campaigned for an ethnic studies requirement.</p>
<p>The Berkeley Academic Senate implemented what is called the [American</a> Cultures requirement](<a href=“http://americancultures.berkeley.edu/]American”>http://americancultures.berkeley.edu/), specifying that qualifying courses had to cover more than one of the ethnic cultures, which eliminated most ethnic studies courses from being able to qualify (because they focused on a single ethnic group), and forced the protesting ethnic studies majors to take courses that covered some other ethnic group besides their own. That may not really have been what the protesters wanted, but it was something that they could hardly be against in public.</p>
<p>I think that one of the causes is that when videos like the ‘Asians in the Library’* and ‘No means Yes’** pop up, schools fear that they will develop a bad reputation. They can’t really kick the few troublemakers out since that will also look bad so their only bet is to work with the student population as a whole. The easiest approach is to mandate more diversity classes because it effectively shuts up their critics and it might actually be effective on the student population. Either bigots will change their mind about Xenians*** after taking a mandatory Xenian Studies class, or they will simply refuse to go to the school because it requires the class.</p>
<ul>
<li>[YouTube</a> - Asians in the Library - UCLA Student’s Racist Rant](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</li>
</ul>
<p>^OIC, so we are in gradeschool again. So instead of everyone being forced to stay after class because one person acted up, we all have to be coerced to take a diversity class because of the actions of a few peoe in regards to the UCSD incident. </p>
<p>Experience has shown that when you force others to do something they don’t want to do, especially when it comes to indoctrination, it actually causes the opposite effect. Instead of allowing people to discover for themselves from exposure to others these teeter totaltarian measures more often than not create resentment and increased tensions leading to cultural chauvinism. Instead of opening peoples minds the effect has been a reinforcement of cultural stereotypes used as fodder from all sides. The multicultural over the older pluralist agenda has actually been a major step backwards in race and class relations. To deny this as an outcome of these political agendas is akin to sticking ones head in the sand. </p>
<pre><code>Those that do mingle and discuss these issues have often come to the same conclusion. That we who do know how to get along do not appreciate being treated like toddlers in a playpin. We also do not appreciate as Americans that the government or the ruling class, especially those in leadership positions in academia, have the right to coerce college students to conform to their flawed agenda. It has been a disgrace to US education as a whole and even many from other cultures tend to agree. In fact, it has been a running joke for the last decade (amongst all my friends of color) that just isn’t funny anymore and has become oppressive.
</code></pre>
<p>UCB, I remember that! Anyone who thinks their isn’t a motive behind agendas is naive.</p>
<p>What’s the big deal? Every school has it’s own requirements. No one gets to take whatever the hell they want. The goal is to expose the students to a variety of subjects in order to produce a well rounded graduate. If a diversity course is required, that is no different than a fine arts requirement. I hate art, I think it’s useless (not really, just making a point) but I’ll take it and I’ll make the most of it. It’s not going to kill me, and I may even learn something valuable.</p>
<p>I agree with USMC. Why is anyone so against taking a diversity requirement? What are you losing by actually learning about another ethic group besides our own? I can argue against taking science classes just the same way someone could argue against these. Ultimately it leaves us slightly more well rounded in the best case scenario. And yes, when we have groups like No means Yes and other hateful, ignorant groups, we could use a diversity requirement.</p>
<p>Actually, UCSD’s new requirement, unlike Berkeley’s existing American Cultures requirement, allows courses focused on a single ethnic group to fulfill it. This allows students to take their own ethnic studies courses to fulfill the requirement, defeating the purpose. While I agree that it is not particularly onerous (and certainly not worth an exaggerated rant about how totalitarian it is or whatever), it does not seem to be very well thought out.</p>
<p>ucbalumnus: I totally understand that, and agree. That is absurd, but had it actually been planned out properly, I still think it would be beneficial. And honestly, if an American history course fulfills it (I assume that is what you mean when you say our own ethnicity), then maybe that is good. Most people do not know the history of the US, or even, and I’m not kidding, who the vice president is.
Sorry I’m ranting. I just was in a politics debate.</p>
<p>So is there some form of class for foreigners to learn what’s considered bad manners in the US or not? Or our culture? Probably not. Annoyingly :(</p>
<p>Yeah… not seeing the issue here. Of course I spend a good deal of time on Fundies Say The Darndest Things so I recognize the depths of true human idiocy. Granted, Fundies wouldn’t be caught dead on UCSD in general so these courses aren’t always for them… but it keeps us from becoming like them. If you honestly understood the hate that some groups get, you really wouldn’t be complaining.</p>
<p>What I meant was, for example, Asian American students being able to fulfill the requirement with LTEN 28 and the like, rather than something multicultural like ANTH 23 or HILD 7A/7C, or something focusing on some other ethnic group like LTAF 27.</p>
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<p>Theoretically, UC’s American History and Institutions requirement should take care of that. But it is not a good reflection on the state of the high schools whose courses fulfill that requirement that so many people have poor knowledge of what is supposed to be taught in those courses.</p>
<p>LOL nope. While visiting, there were multiple people distributing tri-fold pamphlets to expose the evils of homosexuality and abortion. I just tell these types that I am a Bible-believing Pentecostal Christian and move on.</p>