While it is important for higher education institutions such as MSU to offer the most possible number of courses geared to the study of different cultures, it is of greater consequence it offers a more diverse curriculum within general studies courses.
Universities can do a greater service to students by treating them to a smorgasbord of culture in general courses taken by the majority of their students to fulfill liberal arts requirements rather than lecturing young scholars on the status quo.
The more than 45 MSU students, faculty and staff who discussed infusing multicultural curriculum into college classrooms Monday night should be commended for recognizing the importance of a diverse education and seeking the proper direction to make it happen.
Among the participants were people from various departmental backgrounds along with representatives from the Alliance for Lesbian-Bi-Gay-Transgendered and Straight Ally Students, Black Student Alliance and the Women’s Resource Center.
The cardinal subjects discussed included classroom experiences with diversity, teaching in a multicultural society and methods of including varying viewpoints in MSU’s curriculum.
The group recommended increasing service learning opportunities via the classroom, incorporating multicultural topics into courses where it is not required, including more diverse reading materials and using midsemester course evaluations as ways to better the Spartan educational experience.
As far as education is concerned, more is merrier.
For example, a standard English literature course would be better to include writings geared toward topics such as women, African American and queer studies alongside the works of mainstream authors.
Likewise, a general history course would be more beneficial if it acquainted students with the stories from minority populations as well as the majority experience.
This pattern holds true for many liberal arts courses. Students with a more diverse background are better equipped to be positive voices in society than those who are sheltered by being familiar only with mainstream opinions.
While focusing on the improving of general study courses through diversity, it also is important for MSU to search out ways to expand the departments and programs it has that are geared toward specialization in specific minority topics.
The school would also be well-advised to explore the possibility of creating a LBGT studies program along with other minority-based degree specializations that also exist.
The world is not a shelter in which only mainstream opinions and experiences reside.
All points of view are beneficial when it comes to education. The more information that one knows, the better equipped he or she is to make intelligent decisions.
