Section One: Baccalaureate Degree Curriculum – United States Cultures (US) and International Cultures (IL) Course Requirements

1. Objectives for United States Cultures (US) and International Cultures (IL) Courses

The criteria for the approval of United States Cultures and International Cultures courses have been derived from the legislation of April 19, 2016. The guidelines for the implementation accompanying this legislation asked that courses fulfilling this requirement require students to make comparisons, particularly with their own realm of experience. Each course must meet the objectives stated below for United States Cultures, International Cultures, or both.

Associate degree students will continue to have a three-credit requirement and may choose either a United States Cultures course or an International Cultures course.

2. Procedures for Submitting United States Cultures (US) and International Cultures (IL) Course Proposals

1. Course proposals must follow the appropriate course proposal form format for new or changed courses. A US and/or IL course proposal must be consistent with the objectives of the United States Cultures and/or International Cultures requirements. Specifically, each proposal must:
   1. State whether the course meets the definition of 1) a United States cultures course, 2) an international cultures course, or 3) both a United States cultures and international cultures course.
   2. Include a complete course outline including a statement of course objectives that reflect the US and/or IL content, and a listing of major topics with an approximate length of time for their discussion.
   3. Include pertinent information on the US/IL aspects of the course in the long course description (Item B.3. on Course Add proposal form).
   4. Describe how the course encourages students to develop understanding of the historical backgrounds, cultural and scientific contributions, economic, social, psychological, and political circumstances of the group being studied. While no one course or section is expected to achieve every criterion, each course proposal must clearly specify which criteria it proposes to meet. Thus the proposal should explain how students, within the context of the course, will be encouraged to do or achieve three or more of the following:
      1. see nations, cultures, and/or social identities not in isolation, but in relation to each other;
      2. cultivate awareness of the pluralism and diversity within the United States and international cultures;
      3. increase knowledge of different cultural values, traditions, beliefs and customs;
      4. appreciate the diversity that exists among persons who share a particular social identity;
      5. increase knowledge about the range of cultural achievements and human conditions through time;
      6. recognize and be sensitive to the different ways social identities have been valued;
      7. re-examine beliefs and behaviors about social identities (ethnicity, race, class, religion, gender, physical/mental disability, or sexual orientation);
      8. increase understanding of the nature of stereotypes and biases of other cultures and other nations;
      9. interact successfully with representatives of other nations and with persons of different social groups;
      10. increase ability to locate and evaluate information and gain knowledge about other peoples of the world.
      11. Increase understanding of the nature of social justice, and equity at the societal, institutional, and individual levels.
   5. Include a statement that explains how the achievement of the US/IL educational student objectives will be assessed (e.g. grading procedures).
2. The sequence of action on US and/or IL proposals is:
   1. The proposal is submitted following the standard course procedures.
   2. The United States and International Cultures Subcommittee (and the subcommittee for General Education, Integrative Studies, and/or Writing Intensive proposals, if necessary) reviews the proposal and makes recommendations to the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs.
   3. The Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs acts on the proposal and publishes the results in the Senate Curriculum Report.
   4. The United States and International Cultures courses will undergo a recertification process each 5 years to maintain the designation(s); implementation of the recertification process is pending.