CAMRY DEAN
Staff Writer
On April 21, the Student Association (SA) General Assembly passed a resolution for a diversity education requirement to be added to the University’s curriculum.
Student representatives from each class backed the resolution and pushed it forward to the University Senate on Monday to be reviewed.
Deanna Buley chair for Diversity Relations for SA, created the Diversity Committee, which has been pushing for this addition.
Though it’s still unclear how the requirement will fit into curriculum, Buley, who is a senior music industry and women’s and gender studies dual major, explained that the committee first tried to implement the requirement through Fredonia’s general education program because all students must complete it in order to obtain a degree. Because of this, student approval, as well as administration, is crucial.
“We wanted to get the student bodies support first. How we’re going to implement it is still being worked on. We’re working with faculty, and we’re working with University Senate, so we’re working with the right people, but we just need to figure out where it can fit it,” Buley said.
The Diversity Committee decided the issue was important enough to pursue, and a handful of the members have been working diligently to make sure the idea gets a fighting chance.
SUNY schools such as Geneseo and Brockport, as well as schools outside of the SUNY system already have diversity requirements in place.
“We found that it worked in a lot of these other schools,” Buley explained. “They were able to incorporate it into their curriculum, so we thought, ‘Why not here?’”
After a hearing with the University Senate, the committee will continue to work with faculty to set up a plan for the requirement to be added into the curriculum.
Graham Caulfield, senior BFA theatrical production and design major and member of the Diversity Committee, explained the importance of learning diversity in a college setting.
“Diversity is important on campuses because studying diversity gives you the opportunity to connect with people across different identities, different cultures and [with] different experiences,” Caulfield said. “We live in a diverse world. It’s important on campus because you’re not going to get the in-depth, critical engagement from just events or covering a topic one day in class.”
In light of recent social issues, Fredonia has already shown its involvement in diversifying the University with the installment of all-gender bathroom signs.
“Everything that is happening outside of our campus, such as the Black Lives Matter movement or the trans bathroom bills, do affect what happens on campus,” Caulfield said. “How can you expect a student to engage with those things if they don’t have the skills to?”
Adding to that, Buley explained, “Anything that happens nationally or right outside of Fredonia will affect students in some way on campus, so having classes where you can kind of examine those things and think critically about them, it’ll give [students] skills to deal with that both on-campus and off-campus.”
Peri Pearson, junior education major, and Gabby Carr, junior music industry major, have also worked alongside Buley and Caulfield to see that the resolution is passed.
Starting Fall of 2017, there will be an implementation of the new general education requirements by the University, and the committee is hoping that with these changes, there will be room to implement the diversity education requirement.