Bates College faculty have unanimously voted to delay a sweeping new mandatory curriculum on race, power, privilege, and colonialism, pushing implementation back three years after growing concerns about the timing and potential fallout.
The requirement, known as RPPC, was originally approved in 2023 and scheduled to take effect for the Class of 2030. Faculty have now postponed it to the Class of 2033, citing what they called an “ethic of care” amid heightened national scrutiny of campus diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Under the plan, students would be required to take two RPPC-designated courses, including at least one within their major. Supporters say the curriculum is intended to deepen discussion around race and colonialism both in the U.S. and internationally.
But with federal attention increasingly focused on programs labeled “DEI,” faculty acknowledged that forcing a rushed rollout could create unnecessary risks for students, staff, and the college.
The ad-hoc committee responsible for shepherding the curriculum has also been extended. Meanwhile, many RPPC-aligned courses are already being offered, and additional academic units continue developing proposals.
College leaders and student government representatives told the campus newspaper that postponing the requirement was a strategic, not ideological, move, allowing more time to prepare for a complex and controversial mandate without abandoning the initiative altogether.
The debate highlights a growing tension on college campuses nationwide: how far institutions can push politically charged curriculum changes at a time when public scrutiny and legal challenges are intensifying.
