Ethnic Studies Changes Possible

Six months after a coalition of minority student groups called for the incorporation of ethnic studies into the Faculty of Arts and Science's curriculum, a faculty committee has suggested some reforms but stopped short of creating a new concentration.

Minority student leaders expressed concern yesterday that the committee's report does not go far enough, and said they will continue to press for the establishment of a special ethnic studies concentration.

The report, produced by a subcommittee of the Faculty's Educational Policy Committee (EPC) calls for a standing committee and more faculty specialists in ethnic studies, according to Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell.

The EPC subcommittee's report does not recommend including ethnic studies in the Core curriculum partially because it would be "very complicated," said Professor of Sociology Aage B. Sorensen.

According to Sorensen, who chairs the current ad hoc committee on ethnic studies, a new standing committee could "work to develop models" of a possible special concentration. The standing committee might eventually develop a tutorial in ethnic studies, said Sorensen.

The subcommittee's report is the first step in the process of increasing the presence of ethnic studies in the curriculum, according to Buell. The recommendations will go to the full EPC "either at the first or second meeting of the full committee" this fall, he said.

The question of upgrading the ad hoc committee to a standing committee on ethnic studies must go to the Faculty Council and then to the full Faculty, Buell said, a process which could take months.

For students involved in the campaign to diversify the curriculum, the subcommittee's suggestions are promising but still fall short of the demands issued last March.

The Coalition for Diversity, an alliance of minority student organizations, demanded last spring that ethnic studies be included in the core curriculum or be made into a concentration.

Richard Garcia '95, the coalition'sspokesperson, said he had not expected the EPCsubcommittee to create a special concentration.But he said he thought the proposals were stillnot satisfactory and said the coalition willlikely push harder toward the goals it set.

"There is a visiting professor this semester,Maria Herrera-Sobek, in Folklore and Mythology andWomen's Studies, and I plan to take both," saidGarcia. "But I'd like to see more lecturers in themore mainstream departments."

Austin W. So '96, a member of the KoreanStudents Association who worked on the ethnicstudies effort, said he did not expect to seequick results. "There has been a lot of progressmade," So said. "I didn't expect Harvard with itslong-standing traditions to change overnight."

So, however, said the hope of creating anethnic studies department will not fade with thesubcommittee's report. He said he will likely pushfor a separate ethnic studies department atHarvard, like those at Columbia and many WestCoast colleges

Richard Garcia '95, the coalition'sspokesperson, said he had not expected the EPCsubcommittee to create a special concentration.But he said he thought the proposals were stillnot satisfactory and said the coalition willlikely push harder toward the goals it set.

"There is a visiting professor this semester,Maria Herrera-Sobek, in Folklore and Mythology andWomen's Studies, and I plan to take both," saidGarcia. "But I'd like to see more lecturers in themore mainstream departments."

Austin W. So '96, a member of the KoreanStudents Association who worked on the ethnicstudies effort, said he did not expect to seequick results. "There has been a lot of progressmade," So said. "I didn't expect Harvard with itslong-standing traditions to change overnight."

So, however, said the hope of creating anethnic studies department will not fade with thesubcommittee's report. He said he will likely pushfor a separate ethnic studies department atHarvard, like those at Columbia and many WestCoast colleges