In October 2014 UCLA approved a proposal that required students take a diversity requirement to complete their education and earn their degree. This requirement would have gone in affect to the incoming students of fall 2015. A total of 659 ballots were cast with 332 in favor of the diversity requirement and 303 opposed to the requirement. This was a great success in the eyes of those who are in favor this requirement because it has been in the process of becoming a reality for over 25 years now. The diversity requirement has been officially proposed in 2004 and once again in 2012 to only be denied. A great amount of the faculty and Chancellor Gene Block strongly believe in the purpose of this requirement. “ A diversity-related course requirement for UCLA College undergraduates is an important component of our commitment to expose students to beliefs and backgrounds other than their own.” -Block. The goal of this requirement is to provide students with a more holistic view of the world providing them with insight of the inequalities and disadvantages of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and gender.
This explains why the rejection of the requirement is not to be taken lightly and has continued to remain a prevalent issue in our education system. Shortly after the diversity requirement finally passed dozens of professors on the UCLA campus petitioned to expand the vote to all colleges in the university. This petition to further extend the vote to other faculty members not only delays a requirement that has been pushed by many for decades, but could completely prevent the requirement from passing this year. Voting for the faculty members of different colleges begins February 25th and ends March 10th.