Multicultural Awareness (3 credits)

All undergraduate plans of study leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Forestry, or Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture must include a minimum of three credits of multicultural awareness selectives.

Students must broaden their awareness of the United States domestic, multicultural environment. The objective of the multicultural awareness component of the core curriculum is to stimulate students to become aware of self and others to be better prepared for the workplace and participatory citizenship. Students are encouraged to explore coursework outside their own culture.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Examine one’s beliefs, values and assumptions regarding cultural differences and social group memberships and experiences.

  2. Analyze the specific intersections of two or more social groups, and the challenges that can result from those intersections.

    1. Social groups can refer to those defined by race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, age, language, citizenship, religion, class, sexual orientation, or physical ability.

  3. Evaluate how inclusion in, and exclusion from, social groups manifests, and the relationship to the power and privilege of dominant cultures.

    1. Social groups include the groups defined in 2a.

    2. Achieving this outcome may involve analysis of discrimination based on gender, race, sex, class, social stratification, disabilities, or membership of another social or cultural group.

  4. Examine differences in communication within multicultural interactions and settings.

    Achieving this outcome may involve

    1. Analysis of verbal and nonverbal communication used by cultural groups.

    2. Demonstrating communication using both non-discriminatory language and non-verbal behaviors, to bridge the differences across cultures and social groups.

The requirement may be fulfilled by taking courses approved by the Agriculture Curriculum and Student Relations Committee. The courses meeting this requirement are identified in the Ag Core course listing which is available in the format below:

Ag Core Courses in (filterable) Excel format

Most often, students meet the multicultural awareness requirement by wisely selecting a communications, humanities, or social science selective, or another course applying toward the major.

Alternatively, students may complete an approved non-credit multicultural awareness work experience (AGR 49600) of a minimum of 4-weeks duration in lieu of 3 credits of a multicultural awareness selective. The Associate Dean for diversity will be the instructor of record for AGR 49600. Course proposals that address the learning objectives of the experience and define how the culture in which the immersion will take place is different from their native culture will be evaluated for approval by the Assistant Dean for diversity. Approval is required as a condition for registration.