CASL Diversity Requirements
CASL has a new Diversity Requirement…
In November 2002, CASL faculty approved the following policy, to apply to all undergraduates entering as of Fall 2004:
“There shall be a 3-credit hour diversity course requirement for CASL students in which students choose from a list of courses on global issues, national issues, or both. Diversity is defined here to include cultural diversity, racial and ethnic diversity, religious diversity, social class, gender, sexual orientation, age, and ability/disability status. When appropriate, these courses may also be used to satisfy a distribution requirement or a requirement for a major or a minor.”
What is the rationale behind this new requirement? Students need to be prepared as citizens and workers in a diverse—and inequitable—society. The need to learn how to handle oneself in a diverse community begins long before graduation and extends long after graduation. Even students who expect to spend their entire careers in Metro Detroit need to be prepared for an international workplace, a shrinking and increasingly interdependent world, and a diverse democracy. Several of UM-Dearborn’s Goals for the Undergraduate Experience also suggest the importance of diversity education:
- Make use of diverse historical, philosophical, and artistic contexts to understand both their own and other cultures
- Understand the world of work and develop skills for participation in it
- Function effectively both individually and collaboratively
Take a look at the list of courses that have been approved to fulfill this requirement. There are many choices. While all of the approved courses devote substantial attention to diversity issues (at least half the course content), some have a national orientation and some have a global orientation.