Ethnic Studies May Get Funds

Ethnic studies courses and faculty could be included in the allocation of capital campaign funds in areas where undergraduates need them, Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles said in an interview yesterday.

"Every department of course constantly pressures the dean for more faculty and more resources," he said. "It is a matter for [me] to discern where the pressures are greatest."

Dean for Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell said although he feels ethnic studies should not be a specific target at this early stage of the campaign, he sees a need for it in the ultimate distribution of funds.

"When it comes to deciding what specific openings are going to be funded and filled, at that point, I think the priority of ethnic studies as one of the significant areas in need of curricular development should kick in," he said.

Planning for the capital campaign, which will officially begin sometime next year, is still in the preliminary stages, Knowles said.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences will likely add 40 new professorships, with 20 in the humanities and social sciences, according to Knowles. Which departments will receive the appointments remains unclear.

The debate on what form new ethnic studies additions should take in the curriculum is currently under-way in a subcommittee of the Educational Policy Committee.

Subcommittee members yesterday said they see a definite need for greater resource allocation for ethnic studies courses and professors.

Professor of English and Comparative Literature Barbara E. Johnson, a member of the subcommittee, said she sees a need for more ethnic studies professors and classes for undergraduates, especially in history and English.

"We are all inclined to think that more faculty should be hired in ethnic studies," Johnson said. "It is certainly an area in which students are exerting pressure on [me]."

Subcommittee member Aage B. Sorensen, professor of sociology, said although it is not the subcommittee's responsibility to allocate campaign funds, he thinks the Faculty needs more professors specializing in ethnic studies.

"We make proposals to the dean and he sets the priorities," he said. "There are so many conflicting claims...Someone has to make the decision.

The debate on what form new ethnic studies additions should take in the curriculum is currently under-way in a subcommittee of the Educational Policy Committee.

Subcommittee members yesterday said they see a definite need for greater resource allocation for ethnic studies courses and professors.

Professor of English and Comparative Literature Barbara E. Johnson, a member of the subcommittee, said she sees a need for more ethnic studies professors and classes for undergraduates, especially in history and English.

"We are all inclined to think that more faculty should be hired in ethnic studies," Johnson said. "It is certainly an area in which students are exerting pressure on [me]."

Subcommittee member Aage B. Sorensen, professor of sociology, said although it is not the subcommittee's responsibility to allocate campaign funds, he thinks the Faculty needs more professors specializing in ethnic studies.

"We make proposals to the dean and he sets the priorities," he said. "There are so many conflicting claims...Someone has to make the decision.