In the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and countless other Black lives needlessly lost to police violence, we call upon Villanova University to commit toward educational change across all colleges, aligning with the university's goals of recognizing diversity as an integral component of the teaching and learning experience. This aligns with the goals established by Rachelle Joy Potente ('20, '23) in her email to Father Peter sent earlier.

There are a number of courses on race and social justice across different programs that include Africana Studies, Cultural Studies, Ethics Concentration, Public Policy & Ethics Elective, Gender & Women's Studies, and Philosophy. Some of these courses are included but not limited to Constructs of Blackness, Violence & Justice in the World, U.S. Black Freedom Movement, Justice and Society, Race, Class & Gender, Education & Social Justice, Race & Democratic Dignity, Politics of Whiteness, and Topics in Intergroup Dialogue (IGR). The last course, Intergroup Dialogue, goes the extra mile in teaching students to engage in dialogue about topics that intersect with race such as gender, socioeconomic status, ability, faith, and sexual orientation. 

However, these courses currently can be taken as a free elective, meaning that students have a choice to opt-out of taking these courses and thus escaping the conversations surrounding race that are pervasive throughout society today. Taking these courses allow students to learn and engage in dialogue with one another, and grow as more empathetic individuals. As such, we firmly call upon Father Peter Donohue, the President of Villanova, and Villanova University as a whole to require a course on race alongside requiring Intergroup Dialogue among all colleges' core curriculums. Should these courses be unable to accommodate all, we call upon the university to develop more courses that teach about Black history and white privilege. 

Currently, Villanova University only requires the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences to take "diversity courses" to fulfill graduation requirements. We ask that the Villanova School of Business, Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, and the College of Engineering no longer be exempt from these requirements. The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion speaks of how the "recog[nition] of diversity [serves] as an integral component of the teaching and learning experience and as an essential element of the ongoing intellectual, social and spiritual development of every member within the Villanova community." These changes are the right step forward toward these positive developments across all students. 

According to Fall 2016 statistics according to the Provost website, Villanova currently is 75% Caucasian/White. Asian and Hispanic/Latinx make up 7% of the population and Black students make up 5%. Mandating taking a course focused on race as part of the core curriculum across all colleges ensures that all students are able to engage in dialogue necessary for the rest of their lives when talking about race and other issues that intersect. To not require courses that deal with race allows students to go into the world ignorant regarding the social constructs that define power structures, institutions, and society writ large. This is a disservice to all Villanova students, and we believe this is the way to fix this.