Incoming freshmen may soon be required to take six hours of diversity courses before they can graduate.
The new requirement effort, proposed by former Nicholls Student Government Association President Alcie Maxwell, is pending approval by the University of Louisiana System. If passed, the new diversity program will be required at every institution in the system and would only fill open elective slots previously required in each college course curriculum, without adding more total hours to graduate.
“We wanted to have it just like other classes,” Maxwell said. “We wanted to help people be able to get along and understand each other’s different cultures and backgrounds.”
After developing the idea of offering diversity courses, Maxwell met with all SGA presidents in the UL System to share his vision. Each president welcomed the idea and presented the case before the UL Committee Board who are in the process of approving it.
Nicholls has already created a diversity class beginning this fall. African American History will be taught by Rose Harris, director for the Louisiana Center for women and Government, in the fall.
Maxwell said some of the courses currently offered could also possibly be considered as diversity courses. If a course has a significant amount of “diversity” elements, it could possibly be deemed a diversity course, he said.
“The Mass Communication Department offers a class about women in the media,” he said of the seminar class taught by Felicia Harry, mass communication instructor. “Classes like that would definitely be considered a diversity course.”
While Maxwell said gaining new resources might be a challenge for some schools, plans are being made by the UL System and each of its universities to offer new classes.
The process for creating the classes and gaining resources is under construction by Nicholls Academic Affairs.
“They would be specifically separated in the latest bulletin as ‘diversity’ classes,” Maxwell said. “That African American history course and maybe a Women’s history course would be ideal for our cause.”
While each university will create its own definition of diversity, Maxwell said the more commonly known diverse issues include differences in age, gender, alternative lifestyles and race.
Eugene Dial, vice president of student affairs, said the new course requirement effort only coincides with activities already active at Nicholls.
During the Spring 2002 semester, the University held activities and exhibits recognizing African-American History Month and Women’s History Month. Hispanic History Month was introduced this past Spring.
Honoring the first statement in the Nicholls Creed adopted eight years ago, “I will value all members of the Nicholls community, respecting and appreciating their differences,” was a motivating factor in promoting the events and courses, Dial said.
“Most people think diversity issues only deal with minority issues,” Dial said. “But this will provide us an opportunity to even deal with majority issues. We should be showing students to look at things from other perspectives than what they’ve only grown up with.”
Maxwell believes promoting diversity on campus, through both activities and courses, will only better educate students.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Maxwell said. “It will help create a more cohesive student body, help people understand each other and prepare them for the real world.”