Students can enroll in new classes approved by De Anza College starting in the fall 2020 quarter.

The Curriculum Committee approved of new courses added to the Asian American, Mandarin, computer information systems, kinesiology, math and nursing departments.

Some new subjects include Asian Americans and Racism, Introduction to Data Science, Mandarin Grammar and Composition, Health Assessment and an honors Finite Mathematics class.

To come up with new courses, Mandarin studies department chair Hua-Fu Liu said the departments check the demographics of the school and the surrounding community.

“We find programs universities have to offer and try to fit them in the De Anza mapping,” she said. “We work with other community colleges to make these classes come together.”

“We need to do a lot of online research. We find programs universities have to offer and try to fit them in the de anza mapping. We work with other community colleges to make these classes come together.”

But budget and funding for new classes is still the biggest problem Liu said.

“It doesn’t matter if a class gets the green light. If there is no funding for it the class will not be offered anyway,” she said. “The enrollment is shrinking, we went from having 22,000 just a few years ago to 17,000.”

Liu said creating new classes will bring in more students to help both the school and community.

“The Asian American classes are good because Asian Americans don’t get a ton of representation, so not many people get to learn much about asian culture,” Jenn Nguyen, 21, psychology major said. “It opens up a lot of options for students who want to do different things.”

Certain courses stick out for Sierra Dredge, 20, psychology major, who said that she would take the health assessment lab, young adult literature and Asian American politics class.

“I just wish there was more of a variety of classes being added,” she said. “Most of the classes listed seem more focused towards Asian Americans but regardless they are still good courses.”

Travis Nichols, 24, psychology major, said he feels that the Asian American classes for racism are important to teach. Nichols said that the health assessment classes can teach people how to take better care of one another.

“I believe the Asian American classes are good, especially since a large portion of De Anza students are Asian American,” he said. “I feel like these are good classes overall, especially the health assessment and history classes. I hope they add more nutrition classes, as well as dieting classes in the future.”

“I feel like if you are familiar with a subject and may have past experience with it, that would determine whether or not you would take a course,” Natnatan Tesfay, 19, business administration major said regarding the new classes offered.

Tesfay said more Mandarin courses would help in the community where most students are Asian American.

“Depending on who you are if you are part of a culture then it is more helpful because you are more surrounded by a language,” he said. “It would be easier to learn and practice rather than someone who isn’t accustomed to the culture.”