After a series of racially motivated incidents last semester, students and faculty are working together to make Penn State a more diverse place.

Stemming from the Dec. 5 Faculty Senate meeting, Black Caucus members are currently working with the Faculty Senate to develop a specific course that deals with the history of racism in the United States. Black Caucus wants the course to be a mandatory requirement for all students.

Terrell Jones, Vice Provost of Educational Equity, said the caucus is exploring the option of replacing the current diversity requirement with the class so every student would be able to take it without increasing the required number of credits.

"Students come from more segregated environments now than they did 10 or 15 years ago," said Jones. "They're a lot less cross-culturally educated than they used to be."

While the suggested course would most likely deal specifically with the history of African-Americans and Caucasians, there is a good possibility that such a course would evolve into courses that deal with other races as well.

Penn State, one of the largest schools in the country, has only four core staff members in the African and African American Studies department, and only twenty-six supporting faculty members.

Currently, there are fifteen courses being offered in the African and African-American Studies program. Students present at the meeting felt that these numbers were too low. They want the university to expand the entire department and add more diverse courses throughout the curriculum, bring in more faculty members and increase the size of the program.

Some involved in the diversity organizations on campus had opinions on the matter.

"While we don't deal with class scheduling, we would definitely like to see the university incorporate more diverse class offerings into the schedule, not only those dealing with African-Americans, but with all racial and ethnic groups," said Alicia Bunnell, chair of the Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity.

According to the Affirmative Action department, minority enrollment has risen significantly in the last ten years, while classes focusing on minorities and diversity have not.

Many people referred to the diversity requirement that has been added to the general education requirements that all students must fulfill.

According to the General Education in the Curriculum handbook, these courses are designed to "help students develop the intercultural and international competence required to function effectively in a pluralistic society and an ever-increasing interdependent international community."

Many felt that this requirement went a long way in fostering diversity at Penn State.

"The diversity requirement at the university is an important one," said Bonnie Ortiz, Affirmative Action director. "Preparing students to work in a world that is global and diverse is a critical part of education, and the requirement helps that."

There were complaints surrounding the requirement as well. Some students can fulfill the requirement by taking classes they say seem less than diverse.

"I was able to fulfill my diversity requirement by taking a world religions course," said Jessica Grote (sophomore – division of undergraduate studies). She went on to say that the course dealt mainly with the dominant religions of the world, making her feel that it really wasn't all that diverse at all.

Some students feel that the proposed course is the answer to the varying range of diversity in the classes that fulfill the diversity focus requirement.

After last semester's chain of racially motivated hate acts, which included threatening e-mails, Jones said that this course was an excellent idea, and one that he felt would be a benefit to most students.

"I don't think that most students understand racism," said Jones. "A course like this would be beneficial."