We, the undersigned, call on Gonzaga University to fulfill its mission to promote “social justice [and] diversity” through commitments not only outside the classroom in service, but within our university wide coursework as well.  As a Jesuit institution, which claims to champion the marginalized, our classroom curriculum does not consistently reflect this important stance, as oftentimes only “special topics” courses within the core curriculum engage with feminist perspectives or scholars of color. The individual classes focusing on these specialized topics brings great attention to important work, and we applaud the efforts of professors who specialize in this material or go out of their way to include it in their syllabi, however, it is our belief that all professors teaching core curriculum, regardless of specialization, should attempt to engage in this work by including at least one scholar of color and one female scholar in their semester long reading list, even if it be only a short article or single classroom discussion centered on these perspectives. We wish to see every Gonzaga student encounter multiple instances of classes that engage with these important materials. It is our duty in this polarized time to stand as allies to the marginalized, both in voice and in action.  We may be unable to change our world, where femicide continues to occur every day, or our country, where racial inequality plagues our systems, but we are able to change our university and the education of its students. Gonzaga has made enough hollow promises to fight against racism and provide equal opportunity for marginalized students.  We must act within our sphere of influence and promote diverse perspectives, challenging the notion that these marginalized perspectives exclusively exist in their own separate space of an academic discipline.  These voices are indeed inherently important to the mainstream of an academic discipline as well.   

We are calling for all faculty and departments to stand for diversity, inclusion, and equality by including these too often overlooked perspectives in mainstream coursework. By signing this petition, students and clubs voice their support for this demand, while singing faculty give their promise to include at least one scholar of color and one female scholar in their syllabi for the fall 2021 semester.

Please direct questions and concerns to Gonzagasew@gmail.com