Will Mid East Studies Finally Get Diverse?

The university departments that provide them may soon have to.

The U. S. House Education and the Workforce Committee just recommended a new law—the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform, or PROSPER Act—that would open them up. “Specifically, the new bill states that the ‘Secretary shall use [the diverse perspectives] requirement…as part of the application evaluation, review, and approval process when determining grant recipients for initial funding and continuation of awards,’” the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET) notes “And the bill further mandates that the Secretary annually ‘submit to the authorizing committees a report that identifies the efforts taken to ensure recipients’ compliance with the requirements under this title relating to the ‘diverse perspectives and a wide range of views’ requirement…”

“I am thrilled by the new language included within Title VI of the PROSPER Act,” Sarah Stern, founder and president of EMET said. “Congressman Wilson’s amendment is nothing short of historic; students previously discriminated under Title VI of HEA programming for their religious and political beliefs – including politically divergent views, Jewish student groups, and pro-Israel groups – will now be guaranteed protections under Title VI.”

“Furthermore, EMET has been calling for reforms to Title VI of HEA for years – and we are pleased that many of our recommendations have been included in the PROSPER Act, including an annual report by the Secretary of Education on ‘Compliance with Diverse Perspectives and a Wide Range of Views Requirement.’”

You can read more about EMET here.

You can read the PROSPER Act here.

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