The College of Education’s Cultural Diversity Requirement Journey

The College of Education Cultural Diversity Requirement

Endorsed by The College of Education Faculty Senate, July 14, 1998

On June 5, 1997 the University Council of The University of Georgia adopted a Cultural Diversity Requirement. The purpose of this document is to establish the College of Education’s guidelines and procedures for complying with the letter and the spirit of the University of Georgia’s Cultural Diversity Requirement.

In developing this plan, the faculty recognize the complexity and multiple perspectives of diversity issues. It is the faculty’s intent to foster critical reflection and intellectual discourse appropriate to students’ fields of study. Each department, therefore, will design its own
implementation plan based on the guidelines from the University and the College.

1. Statement of Goals:

   The University of Georgia Cultural Diversity Requirement states that “in order to further enrich the educational experience of the University of Georgia and to ensure that our graduates acquire the understanding and respect for cultural differences necessary for an enlightened citizenry, all undergraduate students will be required to study cultural diversity within a domestic or global context before graduation.” Further, it states that the requirement should be implemented in a way that enables students to develop their understanding of cultural diversity “not only with the cultures they are studying, but also as applied to their own cultures.”

   The College of Education’s mission statement, adopted by Faculty Senate on April 28, 1993, broadly defines “cultural diversity” to include, but not be limited to, issues related to race, ethnicity, age, gender, educational and socioeconomic status, language, religion, national origin, disability status, and sexual orientation. The College has established cultural diversity learning outcomes for students which reflect both conceptual knowledge and knowledge of application. The College of Education seeks this experience for their graduate as well as undergraduate students.

   The College of Education’s cultural diversity learning outcomes are:

   Conceptual Knowledge

   1. Students will develop a critical awareness of the issues related to discrimination in society and in professional settings by
      1. learning how myths and stereotypes reflect cultural biases;
      2. learning how diverse groups have made major contributions to educational, social and cultural institutions;
      3. learning how to identify and discuss indicators of discrimination within specified institutions and/or groups and how these practices create barriers for some and opportunities for others,
      4. learning how to advocate for non-discriminatory policies and behaviors on behalf of their clients, students, colleagues, etc.
   2. Students will explore the different cultural perspectives that influence the construction of knowledge, practice and research.

   Knowledge of Application

   1. 1) Students will increase competence and effectiveness in interacting with diverse groups of people by understanding the issues of cross-cultural and within-cultural interactions and communications.
   2. 2) Students will be able to apply conceptual knowledge to achieve more just and equitable educational and interpersonal practices relative to culturally diverse settings in their fieldwork, internships, and school and clinical experiences.

2. Implementation

   Departments have responsibility for determining what course(s) and/or experiences fulfill the cultural diversity requirement. Units will design the requirement so that there is not an increase in hours beyond the approved limit. Because of the breadth of the College’s learning outcomes, departments may develop multiple methods, requirements, and/or experiences to enable students
   to accomplish the learning outcomes. Departments are encouraged to incorporate and/or expand, as appropriate, their previously established curriculum action plans to create their departmental process and guidelines for meeting the College cultural diversity requirement. The cultural diversity requirement may be completed by curricular and/or extra-curricular experiences.

   Curricular experiences might include, but not be limited to, a course or series of courses, which could be integrated with guided field experiences; supported learning experiences in off-campus settings (including service learning projects, study abroad, internships, etc); program option certificates or specialities, such as gerontology, ESL, women’s studies; and/or infusion of
   cultural diversity content across courses.

   If extra-curricular experiences are used, they should be systematically coordinated with departmental courses and programs in a way that allows students to make connections between their extra-curricular experiences, their academic coursework, and the cultural diversity learning outcomes. These experiences might include, but not be limited to, community service programs or related projects; supported learning experiences in off-campus settings (including service learning projects, study abroad, internships, etc); participation in campus and/or community lectures or workshops (e.g., Minority Student Services “Events & Programs” series), or
   attendance at COE Multicultural Education Task Force sponsored events (e.g., annual conference, monthly seminars). A faculty member should provide guided reflection throughout the experience and a product should result from the experience.

   Candidates for degrees in the College of Education, beginning with those students matriculating in the Fall, 1998, must show that they have met the cultural diversity requirement. The advisor will note that the student satisfied the requirement on the appropriate graduation and/or program of study form.

   The College’s Task Force for Multicultural Education will continue to promote learning in this area and will be a resource to departments in the development of their process and plans.

3. Impact

   Each department should complete their departmental guidelines for satisfying the College of Education’s cultural diversity requirement and submit that plan to the Dean for review. The departmental guidelines should reflect how the department is meeting the College’s cultural diversity requirement. These guidelines should include an evaluation component to assess how students believe their department has prepared them with regard to cultural diversity.