Multicultural Understanding

CRITERIAFOR COURSES SATISFYING THE MULTICULTURAL UNDERSTANDING REQUIREMENT

SCOPE

"Culture" may bedescribed in its broadest sense as all socially patterned, symbolicallymediated, learned behavior among humans. It covers everything from technology to aesthetic judgments.  Students who would be truly educated musthave an appreciation of the interrelatedness of and the diversity withincultural traditions on a regional and global scale.  They must also recognize that issues ofculture are not limited to the societal level but include race, class, andgender.

The multiculturalunderstanding requirement recognizes and reflects the full range of humangroupings and cultural perspectives as well as the complex relationships amongthem.  Its role is to enhance students'self-understanding and their understanding of the contemporary culturalcontext, a context characterized by a rich diversity of cultures andexperiences in which the Western European intellectual tradition figures as oneamong many.

To satisfy thisrequirement, students will be required to takeone course from each of the two categories described below.  Such courses willbe selected from among courses marked with an "x" or "y" inthe Undergraduate Bulletin.  While thecontent of individual courses might address concerns outlined in bothcategories, no course may be designated as fulfilling both.

SPECIFIC CRITERIA

1) Cross-cultural Studies ("X")

Courses willintroduce students to cultural variation around the globe.  Courses will examine differences amongcultures in general or will examine in detail one or more cultural traditionsoutside the dominant currents of European civilization.

2) Diversity in Western Experience ("Y")

Courses willintroduce students to the diversity within Western culture by examining thenature of the relations among the many groups that have contributed to Westernexperience.  Courses will focus primarilyon one or more groups whose contributions traditionally have been undervalued.  Topics such as race, class, gender, orethnicity will be explored.

GENERAL CRITERIA

To be approved for multicultural credit, theinstructor must:

1. include an activity/assignment that requires each student to demonstrate the ability to analyze and synthesize knowledge about cultural variation within and/or between cultures;

2. develop and submit a common rubric for evaluating individual student performance onthis assignment; and

3. agree to submit students’ scores on this rubric to the Undergraduate Policy Committee for inclusion in its annual report to the Southern Association of Colleges andSchools (SACS).

Revised: 11/2011