By Jordan Darling, Editor-in-Chief
Intro
Future CSUDH students could be in for a new GE requirement on a state level and a CSU level. An Ethnic Studies bill requiring a three-unit course in the subject as part of the graduation requirements for California State University students is awaiting its fate in the California Senate. If passed, the requirement would affect the class of 2024-25. However, the statewide Academic Senate, which represents faculty across the CSU, is proposing a separate ethnic studies requirement.
Background
The assembly bill was introduced last February by Assemblymember Shirley Weber and passed through the assembly before falling short when it hit the Senate last fall. The bill faced serious backlash from minority groups who felt that the bill was too exclusive. The most vocal of the groups was the Jewish Legislative Caucus. “Our culture is a critical part of the ethnic fabric of America, and our oppression is a visible, dark stain on our country’s narrative. As a former school board member and a proud product of our public school systems, I am acutely aware of how misrepresentation in our history books decreases compassion and creates a cycle of bias and intolerance.” Senator Ben Allen, Chair of the caucus said in an official statement. The bill was placed on hold in August before being reintroduced to a senate appropriations committee on Jan. 23 where it passed and was read on the Senate floor for a second time, the bill was amended and read again on Feb. 11 and was put on the docket for the third reading on Feb. 18.
CSUDH Community
The CSUDH chapter of the California Faculty Association and ASI, the student-led government, support the bill.
“[We were] hoping to push for this semester but that didn’t happen,” Samila Amanyraoufpoor, CSUDH’s CFA chapter political action chair said. “ [We are] hoping for the fall of 2020. We believe [it should be] mandatory [for students] who are graduating to know the history of minorities in this country.”
“ [It was] noticed [that an ethnic studies course] reduces tension, brings more understanding, empathy, and compassion,” Amanyraoufpoor continued. “Because of that, at a time of conflict, we believe that understanding each other’s history will be very helpful.”
The student governing body ASI held a board meeting on Friday, Feb. 14 where it was decided that the student group would create a resolution in favor of the bill’s passage. The resolution will be read out loud at the Board of Director’s meeting on Feb. 28.
State-wide Sentiment
The CSU Chancellor’s office and the state-wide Academic Senate oppose the bill on the grounds of legislative interference.
“The opposition had nothing to do with the importance of these studies, but rather the legislative intrusion and the precedent that would that set, in my opinion, about the legislature coming in and dictating to what ought to be the domain of the faculty about what should be the curriculum and scope of impact on the things that we teach,” CSUDH President Thomas Parham said last fall in an Academic Senate.
In a Feb. 5 CSUDH Academic Senate meeting, the conversation about an ethnic studies requirement in the upper-division GE’s turned to the senators talking about avoiding interference in the curriculum from the legislation. The statewide senate is proposing its own ethnic studies general education that would be implemented in two parts, the first for lower-division GE’s and the second for upper-division GE’s. The group has met for one town hall and will be meeting for another to continue the discussion on the requirement. The Chancellor’s office sent out a survey looking for feedback on the resolution, the deadline to submit feedback is Feb. 28.
The Next Step
The bill currently being considered by the California Senate will need a majority vote after its third reading before being passed on to Governor Newsom for a final signature. The bill was placed on the docket for Feb. 18 but as of The Bulletin’ press time of 8 p.m. Tuesday, no vote had been taken. If the resolutions pass campuses will be tasked with figuring out how to implement the requirement into their curriculum on an individual basis.
I am a proud graduate of CSUDH class of 2014. Also BA degree in Africana Studies. I know the importance of brodening the perspective of history and literature. It is because of my interest of Africana Studies I am in my last year of academic work for my MA in Theology at Xavier University Istitute for Black Catholic Studies.