Those who make a habit of reading Williams’ course catalog (and many folks do) may notice a growing number of listings designated with a (D), courtesy of the Exploring Diversity Initiative. Now in its second year, the initiative requires students to take at least one course that promotes “a self-conscious and critical engagement with diversity” and urges them “to consider the operations of difference in the world.” With 70 courses available in 2009-10 (up from 46 the previous year), there’s a lot to choose from, including:

History of American Childhood (history, Africana studies)

Pictures That Rocked the Nation: Courbet and Manet in Second Empire France (art history, women’s & gender studies)

The Indian Economy: Development and Social Justice (economics)

The Tropics: Biology and Social Issues (biology, environmental studies)

Modern Arabic Literature in Translation (Arabic, comparative literature)

Latinos and Education: The Politics of Schooling, Language and Latino Studies (Latino studies, American studies)

View the course catalog at http://catalog.williams.edu