The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Curriculum and Courses Committee approved the sociology course White Racism during a meeting Tuesday. The course, offered last fall on an experimental basis, now will be a permanent offering. The course was proposed by Noel Cazenave, an associate professor of sociology, who taught it last semester.

All but one member of the committee approved the course. Paul Goodwin, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the vote was a "strong endorsement of the course, quite a turnaround from before."

"People have had that much more time to look at it. They've listened to student input. Everything I've heard suggests that students have enjoyed the course" Goodwin said. From the perspective of the dean's office, "this is does not appear to be a matter of contention or controversy," he said.

A group of students showed up at the meeting with a petition in favor of the course, Cazenave said. He said that he would be on sabbatical next year, but hopes to teach the course in fall 1998. He also said graduate students have approached him about teaching a graduate course on white racism.

"It was clear that this was a substantial course with a solid educational purpose and (the committee members) were quite comfortable with it now as a course," added Wayne Villemez, chair of the sociology department.

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