U of Illinois students now must take minority culture class

URBANA, Ill. -- A change has been made to the general education requirements at the University of Illinois that will require Urbana-Champaign students to take a course in U.S. minority culture.

The campus senate approved the change Monday after a debate about race and diversity. Right now students have to take one course designated as "Western culture" and one that is either "non-Western culture" or "U.S. minority culture." The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that now students will have to take all three.

All of the major colleges and numerous campus departments endorse the measure. However, some faculty and students oppose it. They argue it could be costly and force some students to delay graduation to fit the course into their schedules.

The school's Committee on Race and Ethnicity developed the proposal.