If you feel bad about the few pounds you might gain from all the good food you’ll be eating over the holiday season, think how the students at Lincoln University might feel.

All students with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher at this Pennsylvania college are required to complete a fitness course before they are eligible to graduate. Lincoln, a historically black university, has made this decision based on research that shows high rates of obesity and diabetes among black people. The campus mandate is effective immediately—which means overweight seniors have just one more semester in which to take the class in question.

According to the Lincolnian, the campus newspaper, students are not too pleased that the administration is taking such a strong stance when it comes to their health. A campus poll indicates that 3 out of 4 students are against using body weight as a factor for graduation.

Granted, Lincoln University is not requiring its students to achieve a certain BMI for graduation; the administration is simply making them take a class that will help them combat obesity. But as any college student knows well—particularly graduating seniors—there are enough requirements already for graduation, and this new one might cause conflicts in class scheduling.

What do you think—is Lincoln University right in its concern for its students, or is it overstepping its bounds and discriminating against the obese? Weigh in on the matter with a comment below.

–Barbara Bellesi