Diversity course required class of 2011

On Monday, April 27, 2009, over 82% of full-time Green River Community College (GRCC) faculty voted yes to a new diversity course requirement for the A.A. transfer student degree.

With a 66.39% vote yes, this new course will take effect for students starting Fall 2011, a new catalog year for the college. This new course will now require students to take a diversity class along with their 90 credits required to transfer to a 4-year with the A.A. degree.

GRCC faculty has expressed that this has been an in-demand requirement by staff and students for years. “Lots of people [staff and students] want this” said Dr. Vik Bahl, an English teacher at GRCC. “This doesn’t have any guarantee, but gives [students] tools to understand diversity and apply them to other classes.”

The hope for this class is to not stress students out more by making more requirements, but to open their minds up to new ideas. “We don’t want to force students to believe anything, just be more informed,” said Brad Johnson, an English teacher at GRCC. Johnson and other faculty members also expressed that the new requirement is great for students going into the workforce as many companies prefer to see a diversity course in their interviewees.

A diversity course requirement is not a new thing to Washington, according to Bahl, 12 out of 24 Washington State Colleges have this requirement now. Faculty is hoping that this will be a positive change to GRCC and open students up to new things.

“This gives students a chance to take something that they never would have,” said Jennifer Whetham, and English teacher at GRCC.

“Our goal as educators is to take [students] to a new place of learning,” said Johnson.

“This is a really rich, really fascinating area, really fascinating. It’s so exciting! Were bringing new ideas to a class setting. We need diversity,” said Whetham.

Not only will it give students a change to learn something new, but it will also help with other classes on campus. David Nelson, Math division chair at GRCC, said “I do group activities in my classes so hopefully it will help students to relate to one another. This is a good idea to get people to think about things from different perspectives.”

Having different perspectives of people is the goal for this new requirement. Donnie Hallstone, a Math teacher at GRCC said “I am hopeful that this will make a difference, it cannot hurt from my prospective. The ultimate goal is going to improve the atmosphere at GRCC in reaction to people who are different.”

Now, don’t fret students. Although this is a new requirement for the A.A. transfer degree it is not an extra class students will have to take. Right now there are 31 courses already approved, and more are to come as teachers are changing their (CAR) to fit the new requirement. A CAR is then approved from the Instructional Diversity Committee (IDC). This new class can count in the additional credits, fine arts/humanities, social sciences and more.

The diversity-designated course criteria must consist of at least one of the following: one or more groups historically excluded on the basis of culture, race, immigration, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, disability, religion, age and/or geopolitical power (may be within the U.S., outside the U.S, or across national borders). An aspect of one or more historically excluded groups (e.g., literature, history, culture, art, profession/labor, etc.). Critical approaches to the study of culture, power, stratification or oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, homophobia, poverty, ageism, persecution, imperialism, etc).

The course must also substantively address at least two of the following: recognize ones social position and geopolitical location, along with the consequences of both. Examine economic, political, and social relations, along with their impact on communities, systems of interdependence, inequalities, and/or process of transformation. Analyze the multiple identities, histories, cultures, perspectives, contributions, knowledges, struggles and/or strategies of historically excluded groups. Understand the operations and effects of institutional oppression and dominate group privilege; prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination; and/or the construction of dominant perspectives and disciplinary knowledge. Develop skills and concepts related to conflict resolution, intercultural communication, cultural competencies, confronting inequitable treatment, and/or advocacy for social justice; and or learn to collaborate and interact effectively, equitably and respectfully in diverse groups within the classroom or campus-related workplaces and practice areas.

This may sound like a lot for students to have to learn about, but there are already classes in place that cover these study courses. In the school years 2005-2006, 784 GRCC students graduated earning the A.A. degree, 335 (43%) met the diversity course requirement. In 2006-2007, 764 graduated students earning the A.A. degree, 275 (36%) met the diversity course requirement. In 2007-2008, 790 students graduated earning the A.A. degree and 301 (38%) already met the requirement.

The new course is needed at the GRCC campus and will have hopes to be a positive influence on the campus; to students and staff.

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