Diversity (DV) Requirement Criteria

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Mission Statement - The Diversity requirement stands as an institutional commitment to develop and teach ways of thinking drawn from multiple histories and cultural heritages that shape the United States. Courses which fulfill this requirement are designed to explore the national society—its norms, laws, public policies and discourse—in the context of the rich and varied cultural diversity which has shaped it. The goal of this requirement is to extend cross-cultural understanding, perhaps replacing the impulse to stereotype, with better informed reasoning, understanding, and judgment skills. This, in turn, will open possibilities for meaningful communication across social boundaries and allow students to better consider ethical and social decisions from multiple perspectives. This requirement also signals to students that their distinctive traditions, opinions, and insights belong at the university.

The Diversity Requirement Committee has approved the following criteria for courses meeting the requirement:

1. The central focus of the course is the culture, history or current circumstances of one or more groups of people in the US who have experienced inequitable treatment.
2. The course critically examines and grapples with one or more factors supporting and sustaining inequitable treatment of groups of people in the U.S. (e.g., institutional racism, homophobia, sexism, ageism, classism).
3. The course critically examines methods and strategies of moving toward a more equitable society and challenging social structures.
4. The course challenges students to reflect on and apply the concept of equity to their interactions.