Ethnic Studies Proposal Close to Completion

The ethnic studies subcommittee of the Committee on Educational Policy is close to presenting its proposals for ethnic studies at Harvard, according to Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell.

"I would call them broad-ranging and substantial suggestions about curricular planning and development," said Buell, who chairs the subcommittee. He declined to speak about specific ideas in the report.

"We will have taken a quite major step for developing a quite comprehensive program for ethnic studies at Harvard," Buell said in reference to the presentation.

The proposals will be presented to the entire Educational Policy Committee on May 11, Buell said, and to the Faculty Council after that.

But the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will likely have to vote on some of the suggestions if they are going to become reality, Buell said. That vote would likely be next fall, he said, which is "not a long timetable" for educational policy changes.

The full Faculty must vote on proposals to create new academic committees and departments, as well as to begin awarding certificates in an academic field to students taking courses in the field.

The subcommittee has met twice, Buell said, once with students from the Academic Affairs Committee of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles formed the subcommittee in early March. Also in early March, the undergraduate Coalition for Diversity protested at Junior Parents Weekend events, calling for Asian-American studies courses and Latino studies.

Members of the subcommittee, speaking before its first meeting, expressed support for increased ethnic studies representation in the curriculum.

They also advanced some possible suggestions, including adding ethnic studies specialists in existing departments, awarding a certificate in ethnic studies and expanding the graduate program in American Civilizations to the undergraduate level.