A proposal to increase the cultural diversity requirement from three to six credit hours will be introduced to the Student Government during tonight’s meeting at 7 p.m. in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

If approved by the senate, the proposal will be made to the Council for Academic Affairs on behalf of the student body.

“By researching peer institutions of Eastern Illinois University outside of Illinois we were able to find many other Universities have already established a cultural diversity requirement minimum of six credit hours,” the resolution reads.

“This encouraged us to expand the Cultural Diversity Requirement, bringing Eastern Illinois University to the same level of our peer institutions, while being at the forefront of Illinois Institutions,” the resolution reads.

The university’s catalog defines a cultural diverse course as one that has content relating to “the study of diverse peoples (including issues of race, ethnicity, and gender) at home and abroad; the history, traditions, and/or language of other countries or cultures; and the role or cultural sensitivity in making informed and ethical decisions.”

Another resolution being introduced to the senate would permit the student shuttle bus committee to distribute surveys to students about shuttle bus usage.

Committee chairwoman Karen Armour told the senate during Thursday’s meeting a third shuttle bus might be rented depending on further research.

Bylaw changes for the student Tuition and Fee Review committee will also be introduced for a vote. Levi Bulgar, student executive vice president, said the required representation for the committee would be changed if the resolution passed. One member in question is President Bill Perry.

Rick Kambic can be reached at 581-7942 or at rwkambic@eiu.edu.