Students, regardless of their particular concentration, will be required to take comparative courses in their first and senior years.

Yarbro- Bejarano says she hopes the program will be in place by next fall.

"There's a lot of support, but you can't ever predict what will happen," she says. "I'm very optimistic."

Princeton is developing a comparative ethnic studies program in its certificate program in American studies, according to Dean of the College Nancy Weiss Malkiel. In a program similar to a minor, Princeton students can earn certificates in subjects outside their meiors.

"We have a determination to develop under the aegis of our program in American studies work in the comparative study of the history and culture and perspectives of the peoples of America, broadly defined," Malkiel says.

Princeton currently has no plan to develop a degree program or a program in any of the specific fields of ethnic studies.

In the spring of 1994, a Brown University committee recommended the creation of an undergraduate concentration in ethnic studies. It is not yet clear if there will be one concentration or individual concentrations in each of the subfields.

According to Brown spokesperson Tracie Sweeney, by the end of this year, Brown should have a committee to advise independent ethnic studies concentrations and be developing a two-course introductory program.

By the end of the 1998-99 academic year, Brown should have an undergraduate concentration in ethnic studies.

Ethnic Studies' Future at Harvard

Although Harvard's student activists admit they would like to have an undergraduate concentration, they are reluctant to advocate, a course of action beyond that proposed in their spring proposal to Knowles.

That report calls for four endowed professorships, one each in Asian American studies, American Latino studies, Native American studies and comparative ethnic studies.

"Basically [we want] a program that acknowledges the legitimacy of ethnic studies as its own discipline," says Julie C. Kim '97, co-chair of the AAC. "The question of whether there should be specific departments, I don't think it's a useful question."

Kim and AAC co-chair Veronica S. Jung '97 have suggested that the funds for those professorships come out of Capital Campaign funds Knowles is unwilling to commit these funds.

"It would be irresponsible of me to do anything else than to put resources in departments where the need is greatest," Knowles says.