University of Mississippi students, led by Students Against Social Injustice, or SASI, are seeking to collaborate with the University General Education Committee, the UM Provost, and relevant faculty members to integrate a multicultural studies requirement into the general education prerequisites of all College of Liberal Arts students. As Chancellor Jeff Vitter wrote in the UM Diversity Plan, "diversity is a hallmark of education and enriches the environment and experiences of all our campus constituents," and our efforts to implement a multicultural studies requirement for Liberal Arts students would achieve the Diversity Plan's goal to enhance "the overall curriculum by infusion of content that enhances multicultural awareness and understanding."

We propose that UM Liberal Arts students be required to take 6-9 hours of multicultural courses, as well as an additional 12 hours of diversity-related extracurricular/volunteer hours. We believe that a multicultural course requirement will further institutionalize inclusion at the University of Mississippi, and advance UM's mission of "enabl[ing] students to…understand a variety of world cultures as well as the richness and complexity of American society." What's more, such a requirement will push students to center the intellectual and historical contributions of marginalized communities (black, Latino/Chicano, indigenous, Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled, women, etc.) in their educational narrative.

We encourage you to add your name to this petition, and share your support via social media!