In an effort to appease black lives matters, the Cal State University board of trustees votes to implement new ethnic studies courses. Trustees voting 13-5 last week to replace one of the three unit social science requirements with a class in Native American, African American, Asian American or Latino studies. The new guidelines would also include courses on Jews, Muslims, women studies and LGBTQ. The Cal Poly ethnic studies instructors don’t like it. Department chair Jenell Navarro says her department opposes the trustees’ decision calling it “hollowed-out diversity.” She says students can fulfill the ethnic studies requirement without ever taking an ethnic studies class.
They prefer Assembly Bill 1460, which would limit the ethnic studies classes to the four major racial and ethnic groups. AB 1460 is opposed by the trustees because they don’t want the legislature dictating CSU curriculum. They’re also concerned about the cost.
So, the battle over ethnic studies may not be over.
