Exploring Difference News Today

Stanford’s Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing system for undergraduate breadth requirements allows students to choose from a set of nearly 2,000 approved courses to count toward their degree. Although the Ways system has been in effect for a decade now, disparities remain in the number of Ways-approved courses across departments and the categories of Ways requirements. Social Inquiry is the most widely available Ways credit, as opposed to Ethical Reasoning, which is more than five times as scarce,...

Martinez argues that Ways requirements can actually be helpful in building a well-rounded education, contrary to the beliefs of many Stanford students. She writes, "In taking some of these classes outside of their major, students are able to explore different areas that might provoke a new interest or a possible new path."

In its inaugural article, the Editorial Board of Volume 263 urges Stanford to condemn its fraudulent alumni and initiate campus conversations around ethical abuses as they happen. "If Stanford refuses to acknowledge the wrongdoings of its recent graduates, the university is denying its role in shaping leaders who have harmed people's lives and livelihoods," the Board writes.