As Tufts' prominence and reputation expands, the University is undergoing the process of evaluating and reviewing its curriculum. The review gives students and groups a chance to voice their opinions on the future direction of classes and major programs.
In March, following a faculty diversity initiative instituted several years ago, and months of lobbying by the Asian American Curricular Transformation Project, the English Department began to search for a professor of Asian-American studies.
As Tufts announced it would expand its Asian-American offerings, UC Berkeley Professor Ronald Takaki came to Tufts to speak with students about diversifying its curriculum. Takaki is a nationally renowned expert in Asian-American studies and was instrumental in developing an American cultures requirement at Berkeley. At a luncheon with a coalition of students, he laid out a suggested plan for integrating American cultures into the curriculum.
Takaki emphasized that adding an Asian-American studies professor would enhance other cultural studies programs as well. "The study of our diversity is for everybody because we're all Americans," he said.
Latino Center director Rub?©n Salinas Stern shared similar sentiments about the diversification of the University's curriculum. While he acknowledged Tufts' Latin-American studies program, -the study of the countries that comprise Latin America - he pointed out that Tufts lacked a program in Latino studies- the study of Latinos in America - itself.
"Latinos in this country have a long and rich history - hundreds of years that we don't teach anywhere," Stern said. "I'd like to see Latino history incorporated as a part of US history."
Stern also advocated the development of an ethnic studies program and the recruitment of more Latino studies teachers. "I don't think the curriculum has kept up with the changes over time," he said.
For example, Stern believes English professors should include Latino writers in their reading lists and history professors should include events like the Chicano movement in their syllabi.
Although Stern referred specifically to Latinos, these types of subtle curricular changes apply to several other American cultures that are underrepresented in traditional curricula as well.
After experiencing the Tufts undergraduate curriculum, some seniors agree the University needs more curricular diversity.
Outgoing Tufts Community Union President Eric Greenberg said the University's curriculum has some "gaping holes" because "it has been a little behind in keeping up with the times."
During his visit to the Tufts campus, Takaki emphasized Tufts should be designing a "curriculum for the 21st century." He indicated the international relations program as one of these areas where Tufts excels and said the University should work to strengthen, "what we're already good at." Takaki also suggested that American diversity courses could count for the world civilizations requirement, which brings a constant stream of complaints from students who find the requirement difficult to fulfill.
Takaki pointed out that since Tufts brings in students from such diverse backgrounds, including international students, the University has to provide a curriculum that will allow these students to understand more about the world and about each other.
Takaki's message of making a curriculum relevant to its students and their future place in the world has taken root at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, as well. The curriculum has come to include more topics than just "Law and Diplomacy."
Fletcher publicist Terry Ann Knopf said the curriculum has new courses in humanitarian assistance, international business and finance, the environment, and peacekeeping.
"As a person who handles the media, I can say that the overlong name is confusing... and I don't know if the character of the school is necessarily reflected in the name," Knopf said.
The Fletcher school was founded in 1933 during a national period of staunch isolationism as an effort to promote internationalism. Knopf believes the school has stayed true to this goal. "The school [and its curriculum] has changed to reflect the times; it has to remain relevant," she said.
Fletcher senior Ben Ball believes the name is too long and outdated, but said that students who apply to the school are well aware of the courses offered. He does not think the school should be limited to the constraints of international law as its title suggests.
Ball explained that students who consider applying to the Fletcher school typically compare the institution and its curriculum to other schools of international affairs. "In a way, what the Fletcher school is trying to do is create a liberal arts graduate school [partly because] international affairs is such a broad discipline," he said.
According to Ball, most of the courses at Fletcher are straight out of news headlines. "Every day we talk about the past and how the past relates to now," he said. "Our graduating class is really going to have to deal with all of this stuff."
