University of Nebraska Kearney

Attachment, October 2, 2003

Cultural Diversity Guidelines

The purpose of the Cultural Diversity requirement is to introduce students to non-Western cultures (such as those of Africa, Asia, and Latin America) and to give voice to traditionally underrepresented groups in America and Europe.

1. In Cultural Diversity courses, issues of race, ethnicity, or gender must be integral to the design of the course. That is, they must not be mere add-ons, even if substantial ones.
2. Cultural Diversity courses must take a comparative approach giving appropriate amounts of attention to all groups being compared.
3. Cultural Diversity courses may focus on topics in the United States, Europe, or in the non-Western world.
   1. Courses focusing on the United States should incorporate substantial discussion on issues of race, ethnicity, or gender and must feature at least one of the following groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and/or Women.
   2. Courses focusing on Europe should incorporate substantial discussion on issues of race, ethnicity, or gender and must feature groups that are not traditionally considered as being in the mainstream of Western culture.
   3. Courses focusing on the non-Western world should emphasize the cultural interactions between the Western and non-Western worlds, and/or the interplay between various racial, ethnic, or gender groups.
   4. Readings and other material used in Cultural Diversity courses must give substantial voice to the selected groups and must be an integral part of the course. The materials may include artwork, archeological materials, and other non-written forms of primary sources created by the specific group.