The long-awaited report on mandatory diversity requirements will be debated by the Faculty Senate today, following a senate subcommittee's request for input from faculty and students.

Feedback will enable the Subcommittee on Culture and Race Diversity to amend and prepare legislation for the March meeting, said Paul Axt, subcommittee member. The senate will meet at 1:30 p.m. today in 112 Kern.

The curriculum change is one way of dealing with issues of race, gender and sexual orientation on campus, Axt said. It is intended to "help students understand the diverse nature of groups and the contributions they make to the country," he said.

According to the proposed requirement, students would have to pass either a three credit "diversity focused" course or four three credit "diversity enhanced" courses.

A focused course would examine the "racial, gender, ethnic and or global perspectives." Enhanced courses would devote 25 percent of the time investigating these perspectives.

Neither option would require additional credits but would count as general education courses.

The senate subcommittee discussed other alternatives to the requirement including proposals for mandatory black studies courses, a single required course on cultural diversity or curriculum integration "of all appropriate courses."

In the last three weeks, student groups including the Academic Diversity Awareness Project and the Undergraduate Student Government's Academic Assembly have questioned whether such a requirement will accomplish its goals.

A.D.A.P.T is a student group created to work to integrate different race and gender perspectives across the curriculum instead of specific course requirements.

Students speaking at the Senate's meeting include Jeanette Gibson, a member of A.D.A.P.T.

Brian McKernan, a member of the Lesbian and Gay Student Alliance, said a member of that group will also try to speak, but as of yesterday no one from that group was on the agenda.

LGSA favors the proposal, McKernan said, but wants to ensure classes containing gay and lesbian perspectives would satisfy the requirement.

In other business, the committee will report on permanently changing parent's weekend to a non-football date and improving methods of communication between the University and parents.