Upon its formation last fall, Student Movement for Change strongly advocated a variety of policy innovations, including increased funding for ethnic studies programs and renewed emphasis on the recruitment and retention of minority students. But recently the group has focused its energies on a single project -- advocating a proposal for a cultural analysis requirement.
Since proposing the United States Cultural Analysis Requirement last semester, SMC has been in discussion with faculty members and administrators on multiple levels in an attempt to raise awareness of and support for the idea.
"The main focus of SMC this year has been and will continue to be USCAR. We really want to just hone in all our efforts into this proposal," United Minorities Council Chairman and SMC member Carlos Rivera-Anaya said.
Currently no timetable exists for implementing the proposal, but leaders hope that the idea will be put in place once the new administration formulates a conclusive opinion and appoints a permanent provost.
Both College senior Rivera-Anaya and SMC member and Engineering senior Rohini Khanna said that the response from University officials has been surprisingly positive, with only a few suggestions for changes in the technical aspects of the proposal.
Students across campus remain unsure about the proposal. But leaders plan to concentrate on raising student awareness during the upcoming semester, hoping that through forums and speak-outs they will be able to establish a base of support.
"Students who don't support [USCAR] generally are misinformed about the intention and the logistics of the actual requirements," said Khanna, who is also the chairwoman of the Asian Pacific Student Coalition.
One notable critique, Rivera-Anaya said, was made by former Provost Robert Barchi. He thought the proposal should be geared toward the study of diversity on a global scale.
However, Rivera-Anaya said that such criticism misses the fundamental point of the proposal, which is to look at the domestic experiences of people of color. SMC members stress that these domestic experiences are distinct from global perspectives and need independent focus.
"The whole point of USCAR is [for] all Penn students to get a broader look at some of the subject matter ... from a different perspective," Rivera-Anaya said. "USCAR isn't about a diversity requirement. ... It's taking a class on history, on literature, on music, on science, on whatever your [area of study] is, except learning about it in a different way."
Most recently, SMC advocated its proposal at the curriculum forum held earlier in the week. SMC believes that a cultural analysis requirement fits into the overall mission of the University, SMC member and College senior Jesse Salazar said.
The organization has also worked to appeal to the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education. SCUE continues to discuss the measure as part of a broader debate over potential changes to the College curriculum, but so far has not come down for or against the proposal.
