The Proposed UGA Diversity Requirement and Me
As students and faculty consider their own opinions about the pros and cons of this
question, the following are issues to think about...
1) A proposed multicultural curriculum requirement for students at UGA: "What's in it for me?"
A) Learning at a major institution is about new perspectives and experiences, challenges, goals, lights turning on in minds, developing strong identities, becoming independent thinkers, and taking risks. It is to develop a rich understanding of history, humanities, theories, and society at multifaceted levels. What students can gain from the proposed requirement is representation of a variety of viewpoints which would not otherwise surface in the curriculum as it stands today.
B) A diversity requirement can provide new
insights and create portrayals of
facts and information that represent the variety of people who coexist in this
American democracy. What's in it for you? An
education that puts meaning
back into American values of democracy, justice, and
equality, and also provides further tools to
face what lies ahead in careers, life decisions, and
competition in the diverse, global
economy.
2) "Will I have to take additional classes In order to
graduate?"
No! The proposed diversity requirement does not add to the total number of
hours students are currently obligated to carry for graduation. This requirement
will be a course taken from a wide selection of courses that in fact also satisfies
some other requirement.
3) "Will new courses need to be created In order to fulfill this requirement?" No! Currently, there are 40 courses offered in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences among the areas of history, drama, psychology, religion, speech communications, and political science. For example, English 102M (Multicultural English Composition) is a new course created as an alternative to English 102. All students (not only Arts and Sciences students) are required to pass the English 101-102 sequence. Therefore, students can easily take 102M instead of 102, thereby f uff illing the freshman English requirement, as well as the multicultural requirement. The English department plans to offer even more sections of 102M in the future. Additionally, courses are currently offered in the College of Education in a variety of departments including Educational Foundations, Occupational Studies, Language Education, Recreation and Leisure, Adult Education, and Counseling and Personnel that would currently meet this proposal. Women's Studies also offers a number of courses that would be appropriate for this requirement.
4) "What other Institutions In the US have implemented a diversity requirement?"
A) Cornell University mandated cross-cultural coursework in the 1980s. Undergraduates take two courses under the headings "geological breadth," a course dealing with a place outside Western civilization, and "temporal breadth," a course from a historical period before the 20th century.
B) The University of California at Berkeley instituted this requirement in the 1990s. Although there was a great deal of resistance similar to the resistance at UGA, students demanded representation in the curriculum and the implementation has been successful.
C) Iowa State University recently approved a U.S. diversity and international perspectives requirement that will debut in the fall of 1997. All undergraduate students will be required to complete both a three-credit U.S. diversity requirement and a three-credit international perspectives requirement.
D) Washington University is currently considering a resolution to pass a
general diversity requirement of no fewer than five credits of coursework for
students during or after autumn quarter 1998 in order to meet graduation requirements.
5) "Does the University have a stated position on Its responsibility to address multiculturalism?" Yes! The "Strategic Plan" clearly defines how the University will meet its mission into the next century. It includes six themes selected for emphasis for the next five years. Theme 3 addresses the cultural diversity stated position with an accompanying goal:
"Theme 3: The University will assure cultural diversity
in its student body, faculty and
staff and sensitivity to cultural diversity in its programs, policies, and procedures. One goal includes: Expanding multicultural education by reflecting diversity and the
roles of different ethnicities throughout curricula and
programs."
6) "What are the goals of a multicultural education requirement?"
A) To promote critical thinking;
B) To provide a responsible and authentic education; and
C) To prepare students to be competent in interacting with persons from a
variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds
since our world is becoming
more culturally diverse.
This fact sheet was developed by the UGA Multicultural Network. The Network is
comprised of faculty, staff, and students representing a variety of programs and
departments across campus. The mission of the UGA Multicultural Network is to
provide students, faculty, and staff with access to resources that will encourage and
support multiculturalism across the University. Please
contact Martha
Allexsaht-Snider
(542-4318) or Talmadge Guy (542-4015) for more information.