By Marlee Brooks

Ithaca College established the diversity requirement in 2010 in order to “communicate the college’s understanding of the importance of diversity to the education of IC students and the vitality of the college itself.”  

This course requirement and the diversity statement the college implemented at the same time aims to increase the enrollment of ALANA students, create a community on campus that celebrates and appreciates diversity and to make certain that the skills taught in the diversity course are “incorporated into every student’s program of study.” In a broader sense, this program is meant to inform students about cultures, issues and ideas that go beyond their own perspective.

But, how effective is the program and the diversity goals in general?

Morgan Mittelstadt, Alex Blas, Steven Cox, Julia Paltrineri, Hunter Haff and Audrey Evelyn all seem to have the same opinion regarding the diversity requirement: it is a great idea, but it falls short in practice.

Students are expected to learn about and respect other cultures, backgrounds and perspectives through this diversity course, but according to Evelyn that is not always the case.

She recalled an instance in which a friend made a stereotypical comment toward Evelyn because she told her friend that she did not like a certain food. “That’s not what being black means,” she responded to her friend.

Mittelstadt, Paltrineri and Haff all admit to witnessing microaggressions on campus, with the most common form being racial slurs.

The diversity course will not fix these problems alone, nor will it get rid of them all together. However, the program can only impact the students if they truly want to be there, not because they will be a few more credits closer to receiving their diploma.

Evelyn talked about how the students in her diversity course, Introduction to Race, Culture, and Ethnicity, do not engage in thought-provoking conversations. Not until she called on them during her presentation did they offer their opinions on the subject matter.

“I think that many students are taking these courses in one diversity course because now they have to and maybe they wouldn’t be taking that course if it wasn’t this requirement,” Professor Patricia Rodriguez, an associate professor of politics, said.

One of the main issues with the diversity program is the level of impactfulness it has on the entire student body. This problem will not go away overnight and most students feel as though the school could do more to address these issues.

Steven Cox, a sophomore at Ithaca College, said that the school does a good job at educating some sections of the student body about diversity, but not the entire student body. When he was being trained to become a Residential Assistant he was taught, for example, what to say and what not to say, he said.

“They try, but it’s not as affirmative as it needs to be,” he said.

According to Ithaca College’s diversity statement, it is the institution's job to create “an inclusive and welcoming community of individuals with diverse talents and skills from a multitude of backgrounds.” As far as these six students are concerned, along with other students and staff members, the institution is not doing a good enough job at making sure the entire student body is included or welcomed.