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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
De Anza students two weeks ago cheered on speakers during a walk-out on the campus. Many who spoke protested the possible changes in the mulicultural elements of the school's curriculum.
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De Anza senate weighs its options
Curriculum choices provoke debate
By MICHELLE KU
What began as a scheduled review of De Anza's general education criteria has mushroomed into a larger issue: an effort by students to ensure the school retains its diversity-focused curriculum.
In 1991 the FoothillDe Anza Community College District adopted a progressive policy: Every general education course must be taught from a variety of perspectives.
This policy recently came under review when a teacher-based committee issued a report that indicated some faculty members no longer supported having a diversity focus in every class. The committee formed in 1997 to reevaluate DeAnza's general education requirements. Its recommendations were reviewed March 1 by the Academic Senate--the body representing De Anza's full- and part-time faculty.
The report has drawn criticism from students who feel its findings are a precursor to weakening the culturally pluralistic view of the curriculum.
"From statements [two of the teachers] have made at the forums--that multiculturalism is too complex to include in the curriculum--I'm inferring that multiculturalism in the general education courses is in danger," said Supriya Bhat, a student representative to the Academic Senate.
The steering committee, which disbanded after completing its report, presented five options to the Academic Senate regarding changes to the general education criteria.
One option was to keep the current GE criteria, but to relax the cultural diversity requirement for some classes like math or physical education, said philosophy teacher Steve Rappaport.
"People take for granted that math and science can't be taught from a multicultural point of view, but that's not true," said Karl Schaffer, a math teacher. "We need to learn again how mathematics was started and developed around the world."
Minutes before he attended a Feb. 22 senate meeting on the proposed changes, Schaffer compiled a list of nine mathematics books from different perspectives that he had in his office, including one titled Ethnomathematics: Challenging Eurocentrism in Mathematics Education.
"Don't put out a lower standard for math and science classes, because that would be a double standard," said Cynthia Kaufman, a psychology teacher.
The other options from the steering committee ranged from not making any changes to adopting the general education requirements of the UC and CSU systems. The problem with this plan, according to Jamiel Danesh, a student representative to the Academic Senate, is that it would water down De Anza's general education requirements. "It will make us irrelevant because it bypasses the requirements here," he said.
At the March 1 meeting, the senate voted 16-1 to delete two of the options that would have removed De Anza's right to review and decide the GE criteria. The other options are still under review.
"Why would we give up that responsibility particularly when we haven't seen their criteria?" one teacher commented.
Students have taken an active role in the general education criteria by holding a Feb. 22 walkout, a student rally and the placement of two student representatives on the Academic Senate.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
