MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -- In the midst of the "Black Lives Matter" movement, a new course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison could stir up controversy.

According to UW- Madison's website, "The Problem of Whiteness" is a new course taught by Damon Sajnani. It will be offered in the Spring 2017 semester.

The course is described as understanding how whiteness is socially constructed and experienced in order to help dismantle white supremacy. The course description says "the class will explore how white people consciously and unconsciously perpetuate institutional racism and how it not only devastates communities of color, but also perpetuates the oppression of most white folks along the lines of class and gender."

University officials describe the course as a "challenge and response to racism of all kinds."

In a statement released Monday officials also stated, "All UW-Madison students are welcome in courses like this, which is not designed to offend individuals or single out an ethnic group."

The required readings include:

- W.E.B. Du Bois, 1920. “The Souls of White Folks” in Dark Water

- George Yancy, 2010. "Look, a White!"

- Ta-Nehisi Coates, 2015. "Between the World and Me"

- Damon Sajnani, 2015. “Rachel/Racial Theory: Reverse Passing in the Curious Case of Rachel Dolezal”

- Tim Wise, 2016. "White Lies Matter: Race, Crime, and the Politics of Fear in America"

This comes at a time when The University of Wisconsin-Madison has seen an increase in racially motivated incidents.

The most recent incident on campus was in October, when a man wore a costume depicting President Barack Obama in a noose to a University of Wisconsin football game.

Copyright 2016: WMTV