California community colleges will now require students to complete a course in ethnic studies.
Under a new regulation adopted this week by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, students pursuing an associate degree or transferring to a CSU will need to take a four-unit quarter class or a three-unit semester in ethnic studies. In addition to improving diversity studies, this move is intended to help students transferring to a CSU, so students may use the required course to meet a general education requirement for their degree.
Community college presidents and district chancellors across the state have also praised the requirement, saying it will benefit students to learn about the histories and contributions of nonwhite ethnic groups. The requirement will affect students at California’s 115 community colleges that award degrees. It won’t apply to students at Calbright, the online-only college that awards certificates but not degrees.