UW Ditches Diversity Requirement in Favor of AR Points

UW’s Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Edward Taylor, announced last Tuesday that there would be changes coming to the general education requirements needed to graduate. Taylor specified that the English Composition, Writing, Reasoning, and Foreign Language (Polish and Cantonese will be the only languages offered for the foreseeable future) requirements will remain as is. The Diversity requirement however will be replaced with a new Accelerated Reading category.

Accelerated Reading points, known colloquially as AR points, can be earned by reading any novel of cultural significance (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Divergent, etc.) and taking an online assessment. The amount of points received is determined by the score earned on the assessment and the complexity of the novel (for example, Animal Farm is valued at 5 AR points while Insurgent is valued at 10 AR points). 

When Off Leash News reached out to Taylor about the decision to replace Diversity credits with AR points he responded that “the choice to change the general education requirements was not one taken lightly.” Taylor continued “The goal of the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office is to best prepare our students to be productive members of society after college. The general education framework is the best way we can assure that students have a holistic view of the world.” 

We asked why the Academic Affairs Office made the choice to terminate the Diveristy requirement Taylor answered, “What? The credits have pronouns?” Taylor concluded our interview by saying, “You would be astonished by how many doctors haven’t even looked at Allegiant. For the future of our students and our country, we’re going to change that.”

Starting with the 2024 academic year, Huskies will be required to earn 400 AR credits before receiving their degree. We recommend starting early and to always remember to get your reading sheet signed by your professor and to take time during library class to go on the computer and take your AR test. The Off Leash News staff recommends reading the Maze Runner saga which will net you a quarter of the required AR points for graduation.