Senators urge adoption of international studies

Others suggest plan undermines ethnic studies

Senators sophomore Nicole Johnston and first-year Bobbi Lopez presented three International Studies program petitions, encouraging the creation of an International Studies concentration, an office and a program house, to three dining co-ops this week.

Although most students were supportive of the petitions, several students of Third World Dining Co-op felt the petitions undermined other students' efforts to add programs such as Asian-American Studies, Queer Studies, Latino Studies and American Cultural Studies to the college curriculum.

According to Johnston, a great number of students have signed the petitions.

The petitions, as well as the strong concerns which had been raised, were taken to Suzanne Gay, chair of the Educational Plans and Policies Committee (EPPC) and Acting Associate Dean of the College, for review. "It's still very much at the beginning stages of discussion," Gay said.

She said that because the International Studies concentration and office would not ask for any additional staff and not take resources away from any other program, she did not see it as undermining other efforts to add to the curriculum.

Gay said that the structure of the International Studies concentration could serve as a model for other additions to the curriculum.

"My issue with the proposal is not what it aims to do, but why it has gained support already when students have been pushing for 25 years for things like Asian-American Studies, Queer Studies, Ethnic Studies and American Cultural Studies," Senior Pavel DeJesus, a member of Third World Co-op, said.

"We tend to fit things under an umbrella. [But] we want these things to be central," senior Dieprye Kuku, a member of Third World Co-op, said .

Senior Jeff Cabuso, a member if Third World Co-op, raised the concern that if an International Studies Program was created, when students pushed for additional specific ethnic studies, they would be met with, "Well, we have International Studies."

Gay said, in response to student concerns, "I don't see [the programs] as hurting each other at all." She said that the International Studies concentration and office would only require a reorganization and no new faculty and resources.

First-year Laura Saslow, a member of Fairchild Co-op who signed the petition, said, "If students are interested, we should have an avenue to let them have the major they want." She said that the fact that other colleges have both International Studies, as well as other more specific cultural studies, shows that the different curricular elements can work together and not undermine each other.

Johnston said that the idea of an International Studies program was raised in a Academic Affairs group earlier this semester, and that she decided to research the possibility of creating an International Studies program after the work group met. As a member of the Independent Majors Committee, Johnston said she was also aware that International Studies has been a popular independent major for students.

Facilitating easier study away is a major part of the proposed project. "I, myself, and other students who I know ran into extensive problems as far as finding a resource advisor about studying away," Johnston said.

Concerns about the proposals were not limited to the mere effect they might have on the curriculum.

DeJesus said that Senate may have been able to gain support for the International Studies proposals so quickly because they know the curricular structure better than other students, but he said gaining such audience, particularly with the EPPC, has been historically difficult for students.

Kuku was particularly struck by the contrast between the 25 years students have been working towards the development of Asian-American Studies, and the relative ease with which Senate was able to gain an audience for the International Studies proposals.

Johnston enlisted support for the International Studies Proposals from many sources. She said she decided to talk to international politics professors, President Nancy Dye and Chair of EPPC Suzanne Gay about her interest in establishing an International Studies minor, major and/or concentration.

Johnston also spoke with members of the International Student Organization about her idea. Members showed support for her ideas and said they were interested in creating an International Program house, according to Johnston.

In hopes of gaining more student input on her idea of an International Studies program, Johnston decided to hold open discussions on the subject in Senate dorm raps as well as talk to students in dining co-ops. She said that this week, she and Lopez presented the ideas to Harkness, Fairchild and Third World Co-op. Senators also presented the idea in two dorm raps yesterday.

Kuku said that he felt Johnston and Lopez were doing the right thing in presenting the petitions to students at the co-ops. "It's their job. That's why we elected them," Kuku said.

Kuku and DeJesus said that they feel senate needs to better gauge student support for various ethnic studies programs. "I think it's really simple," Kuku said. He said senate needs to get input and talk to students.

Some members of Third World Co-op felt that Senate overlooked the substantial efforts of students over the years to add additional ethnic studies to the curriculum. According to DeJesus, Senate has historically been opposed to these types of campaigns. DeJesus interprets this not as malevolence on the part of Senate, but oversight. He credits the oversight to the failure of students of color to integrate into Senate.

"Senate is negligent in its responsibility to represent students," De Jesus said.

Kuku voiced a similar sentiment. "It is not to say that a white man could not represent my position on Senate, but he never has," Kuku said.

Kuku said that he felt Senate thought about other group's concern to its capacity, but that he does not feel represented by Senate.

"Senate tends to be a self-interested group who sometimes gives lip service to other groups, but overlooks them with their actions," Kuku said.

Lopez said that from the Third World Co-op presentation she better understands that some students are weary that the pursual of the International Studies concentration and office will hurt ethnic studies. "Hopefully, it will be reviewed," Lopez said. She added, "Maybe we should reconsider the whole thing."

According to Gay, Thursday's EPPC meeting responded positively to efforts for the International Studies program. Gay said that members of the committee will closely evaluate the concerns that have been raised.