According to SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras in an interview with the New York Post, “We believe teaching and learning about diversity, equity and inclusion is essential for SUNY students to be global citizens and to prepare them for an ever-changing world. This new foundation requirement will help ensure that all students are exposed to a range of diverse perspectives and experiences.”
The requirement will be applied to all incoming freshmen and is expected to roll out across all 64 campuses of the SUNY system by next fall. The course will be guided by a curriculum created by faculty and staff from various SUNY campuses, led by SUNY’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
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The move has been met with some criticism from those on the political right, who view the measure as an attempt to indoctrinate students in politically-left ideologies. In an article from the Washington Examiner, James Carafano, vice president of the Heritage Foundation, was quoted as saying that it “looks like a systemwide attempt to indoctrinate all of the students in left-wing, progressive orthodoxy.”
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However, others have argued that this requirement could be beneficial for students across the political spectrum. As SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman H. Carl McCall said in an article in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, “This class is designed to promote a better understanding of different cultures and experiences, which will be beneficial to all students, regardless of their political views.”
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The recent decision by the 64-campus SUNY college system to require incoming freshmen to pass a “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice”-themed class to earn a diploma has provoked debate among many in the political arena.
Those on the right are especially concerned about the implications these changes may have for educational standards and for the academic freedom of professors and students. They worry that the introduction of this course could lead to a decrease in rigorous curriculum and an increase in indoctrination at the expense of real educational value.
Furthermore, they are concerned that the course could promote the suppression of dissenting voices, as well as the silencing of ideological opponents.
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