The university faculty is considering whether to develop a race and ethnicities major to increase the University of Richmond's commitment to diversity.
That's according to religion professor Jane Geaney, who spoke at this week's Westhampton College Government Association Senate meeting.
"We have to increase our commitment to diversity and it has to go beyond just words," Geaney said. "We are trying to create a synergy within the faculty who are already here with the resources we already have."
Faculty members proposing the major are trying to integrate students into the program when they come back from studying abroad, Geaney said. Race and ethnicity classes might also attract international students so there will be a large spectrum of students in the class, she said.
The faculty members want the major to be composed of introductory-level field-of-study literature classes, social analysis classes and a senior thesis class, Geaney said. Other departments may not want new programs to be introduced because the race and ethnicity classes might take students away from the classes offered in their major departments, she said.
Junior Sen. Bailey Leuschen asked how many students would be interested in this major. Freshman Sen. Ashley Miles said she had spoken to a number of students who were interested in African-American studies. Several senators said they would be interested in a minor.
Michael Murray, a sophomore Richmond College Student Government Association senator, who was also visiting the meeting, proposed wallet-sized index cards with important campus numbers on them for incoming freshmen. Information listed on the card would include numbers and hours of the Cellar, Dial-a-Nurse, Parking Services, the Safety Shuttle, the Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness and Boatwright Memorial Library.
Freshman Christie Barrows, who was visiting the meeting representing Spiders for a More Inclusive Community requested $500 for 300 more "No Ignorance, No Prejudice, No Excuses" black-and-white T-shirts. Later in the meeting, the senate unanimously voted to release the funds to the group.
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