Status & Updates

It is the university's goal to prepare students through the study of human differences for responsible citizenship in an increasingly pluralistic and diverse society (USC). A way to reform curriculum is to discuss social issues. Educators can transform their classrooms by fostering an environment where students can ponder ideas such as what it means to be an active citizen, how discrimination and prejudice negatively affect democratic society, or how they can become more sensitive and respectful to social differences. Multicultural lesson plans should encourage students to develop critical thinking skills, as well as increase their self-understanding. Educators can best encourage this development by modeling critical thinking situations. When students learn to recognize their values, feelings, privileges, and biases, they become more self-aware. (BYU)

For this demand, a Creation of Inclusive Classrooms working committee was established. 

• The committee was comprised of faculty, students, and staff. The guidelines they created were based on extensive engagement across the university including two input sessions, a faculty survey, the establishment of a steering committee, four working groups to investigate curricular planning, and a sub-committee to draft student learning outcomes.

• The final product of the committee was "Creating Inclusive Learning and Research Environments: Key Concepts and Recommendations"

• The College of Arts & Sciences has included these recommendations in several freshmen seminars as a test pilot

• In an act of solidarity and in an effort to make the college as inclusive and open as possible, McMicken College (which housed Arts and Science majors) changed its title to The College of Arts and Sciences. McMicken was historically known for bequeathing money to the University for the sole purpose of educating only white students

• Two Breadth of Knowledge (BoK) courses (which are mandatory to graduate from UC) are being added: 1) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and 2) Society, Culture, and Ethics.