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Diversity Requirement Criteria and Guidelines

Criteria
Courses that satisfy the diversity requirement aim to give students significant opportunities to:

  • Address diversity issues, particularly those involving unequal and/or discriminatory treatment Compare positive and negative implications of various parochial or "...centric" perspectives Encourage global awareness and sensitivity Engage issues of racial or ethnic perceptions, attitudes and stereotypes
  • Examine patterns and trends of diversity in the United States
  • Explore ways to communicate and participate constructively in a diverse community
  • Foster appreciation of aesthetic dimensions of other traditions and cultures
  • Learn systematic approaches to understanding cultural differences and commonalities
  • Learn systematic techniques for dealing constructively with problems arising out of cultural differences
  • Participate in special programs that promote understanding other peoples
  • Study Western and non-Western cultures in a world context or from a comparative perspective
  • Understand how one’s own culture shapes one’s perceptions, ideology and values

It is understood that not every course will address all of these criteria.

Guidelines

  1. As part of the requirements for any bachelor's degree, all students must satisfy the diversity requirement. Normally a student must complete two courses chosen from the diversity course list.
  2. Students are required to take one course addressing domestic (U.S.) issues and one course addressing global issues.
  3. At least one course must be taken as part of the Kent Core.
  4. Students may satisfy the second diversity requirement in one of three ways:
    1. They may complete a second diversity course from the Kent Core, which also will count toward fulfilling the Kent Core.
    2. They may complete any non-Kent Core diversity course. This course may also count toward major or minor program requirements or may be used as an elective.
    3. They may, with approval from their dean, satisfy the second diversity requirement by completing one semester of study in another country.