GENERAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE
CULTURAL DIVERSITY COURSES
Rationale
A Cultural Diversity course helps students appreciate differences in the ways that people think by taking
an explicitly comparative approach, in both space and time. The research on multicultural education
strongly suggests that being attentive to diverse voices and views provides an individual with a better
understanding of how social, political, economic, and cultural variables shape our worldview. An
emphasis on the fact that there are many ways of knowing prepares students for the complexity of the
diverse world in which they will work and live. Cultural Diversity refers to the differences among people
in terms of beliefs, customs, values, politics, and experiences. In essence, culture is a worldview; it is both
learned and evolved. Diversity includes, but is not limited to, the following: age, education, ethnicity,
gender identity, geography, language, nationality, occupation, physical ability, race, ethnicity, religious
affiliation, sexual orientation and socio-economic class.
Guidelines
1. Interculturally and/or cross-culturally focused assignments (Cultural Diversity assignments) will be
an integral part of the course.
2. Cultural Diversity assignments will be distributed throughout the course. Assignments may be
drawn from discipline-based course content that encourages students’ appreciation for and
understanding of historical and environmental factors that contribute to cultural differences.
• Assignments may examine how global, regional, and local factors affect underlying cultural
differences.
• Assignments may focus on the identification, critical analysis, and applied scholarship of
cultural diversity.
3. The course will encourage positive engagement with and/or about individuals of a variety of
histories and communities.
• Assignments and scheduled activities should promote engagement in positive discussions
and/or interactions with members of different communities when possible.
4. Cultural Diversity assignments will constitute a significant portion of the course grade and
content. At least 30% of the course grade and content should be based on such assignments.
5. Cultural Diversity courses should discuss and employ, where applicable, discipline-specific ethical
standards.
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