By Matt Kiernan

The faculty senate discussed the future possibility of a diversity requirement as part of the general education policies on Monday.

The diversity requirement, which would need a minimum of three years preparation to establish, would be added into classes of the different schools of CCSU to raise an awareness of different cultures and people’s backgrounds.

In the general education curriculum proposal, which addressed the topic, it was voted that the requirement of a limit of 25 students in each section should be deleted from the proposal, an issue that relates to the intimacy students feel in smaller classes.

“Many students feel intimidated in larger classrooms and when they’re in smaller groups they’re willing to talk about very sensitive issues,” said English professor Paul Karpuk.

With a maximum freshman class of 1400 students, there would be 56 sections of courses needed each year to fulfill the diversity requirement. This would need the department chairs to agree that they’d help to offer the classes. Another factor involved is the amount of funding that would need to be examined to see if the university could afford to implement the requirement.

“We have to be able to have enough sections for students from the other end,” said Karpuk.

Diversity would be separate from the international requirement which provides understanding of other countries, whereas diversity would be seen as a more personal education. It is expected that students wouldn’t be able to take a class that would fulfill both at once.

If the requirement is established, students would be able to fulfill it during any year of college like the other general education requirements. The requirement is estimated to be ready within three to six years.

The senate also discussed tenure applications, which brought up the discussion of listing professors applying for tenure by race. The listing of races may single out professors who may be the only one of their race to ask for tenure which would create undue exposure for applicants.

“I’ve never spoken to an ethnic individual who’s had a concern,” said advising and career specialist Montez Johnson, while asking that the listing of races be erased from future tenure lists.

Monday’s meeting also saw a proposal to have a committee created called the Task Force on Child Care at CCSU which would help college parents who could drop their children off at a center during emergencies. There will be a listing of members of the committee made during the following month.

The next faculty senate meeting is scheduled for Oct. 26.