Christina VarvisThe University of Alberta recently eliminated nearly all of the requirements for their new Bachelor of Arts degree commencing in the fall of 2018, and now the Native Studies Course Requirement (NSCR) group wants to add a mandatory native studies course for every degree. Are you kidding?
It’s not that I’m necessarily against the idea of having a mandatory native studies course, or any mandatory course for that matter. After all, it worked for the University of Winnipeg and Lakehead University (although I’m not positive how elated those students are about this addition). I also still wholeheartedly disagree with this “flexibility” movement adopted by the Faculty of Arts, and I do, in fact, think that some courses (aside from one English or writing studies course and six credits in a second language) should be mandatory. But if I’ve learned anything throughout the BA renewal process, it’s that the university doesn’t give a shit about what students want. So advocate away NSCR, it won’t happen.
I first heard about this requirement push through the notorious Overheard at the University of Alberta Facebook group. And through the sheer amount of angry face responses and disapproving comments, I’m gathering that many students outside the NSCR aren’t on board. I realize this could mean that the university may actually adopt this requirement simply based on their track record of ignoring the majority of students’ wants. Another commenter also mentioned the potential monetary gain for the Faculty of Native Studies — forcing every undergraduate student at the U of A to take a native studies course is a big payday for the faculty. So who knows, this may become a reality faster than the PLLC became a college.
But why draw the line at mandatory English and native studies courses? With this logic, students can and should argue for a mandatory course of their choosing because fuck it. Philosophy was my minor in my undergrad and I absolutely loved it. I think there’s a vast array of super fascinating and important philosophy courses that everyone should take during their degrees in order to successfully question the existence of every goddamn thing and improve their critical thinking skills. A lot of those courses are mentioned on BearTracks only as a kind of teaser — the demand is too low for a lot of them to run each year, so when you end up clicking on a class that peaks your interest, chances are you’re greeted with a “No sections found for this term” each semester. By forcing every Science, Business, Engineering, Education, you name it student to take philosophy, the department would be saved. That’s the whole point of this, right?
Or is it to discourage racism and inform students about Canada’s history and Treaty Six territory on which the U of A resides? NSCR’s website cites the importance of “understand(ing) … the history of colonization and genocide that is the basis of Canadian history” while challenging and critiquing current forms of education or “colonial institutions” that simply “assimilate Indigenous students.” They also aim to provide a “safe space to learn and teach (because) there are many students holding onto racist attitudes, stereotypes, and narratives that can impact their relations with Indigenous students.” I agree this is important, but I also think existentialism and ethics are important. And I guess you couldn’t learn about this history in say a Canadian history course offered at the U of A, could you? Or a Canadian literature course in which you read Indigenous authors and learn about their culture?
And who can accurately rank the importance of various subjects, like native studies or English or philosophy, in a way that fits the bill of each and every degree at the U of A? Maybe students. With the new BA ploughing over every obstacle in its way in order to allow students the “flexibility” to choose their own path, why not follow suit and let students choose if they want to be enlightened with a native studies course or not? If it’s really all about informing the student population, then coercing students into taking a course they don’t want to take or have no interest in taking simply undermines the very goal of this project.
You can’t force students to be interested in something they’re not. As much as I’d love to preach about the epistemology course I took during my undergrad, only a few people will get remotely excited about it. And if you think they’ll become more informed from the class, you’re forgetting the Sociology 100 course many students took, sold their textbook from, burned their notes, and instantly forgot about.
The reality of it is that it’s not a terrible idea. Student voices are inevitably meant to be silenced. So, I just don’t think the NSCR’s efforts will be successful.
