UW System Gen Edu requirements in Race and Ethnicity
UW System Plan 2008
The Design for Diversity three‐credit graduation requirement on historically under‐represented U.S. racial/ethnic groups (African American, Latino, Asian American, and American Indian) remains unchanged. Course requirements on international issues, women, gay, bi‐sexual, lesbian, or trans‐gendered groups are complements to the graduation requirement and yet may not be substitutes for the requirement. Additional institutional course requirements are complements to the Design for Diversity requirement and may be developed at an institutional level to enhance the caliber of the educational experience.
Campus Plans
UW Madison:
“The University of Wisconsin‐Madison is committed to fostering an understanding and appreciation of diversity, in the belief that doing so will:
- Better prepare students for life and careers in an increasingly multicultural U.S. environment,
- Add breadth and depth to the University curriculum, and
- Improve the campus climate.
One of the University’s overarching goals is to infuse the curriculum in all disciplines with diversity, including those where traditionally it has been absent. The Ethnic Studies Requirement (ESR) is one of several key elements in reaching this goal. This is a requirement that all students take a 3‐credit course that considers ethnic/racial minorities that have been marginalized or discriminated against in the U.S. Because issues of ethnic diversity and religion are often intertwined and cannot easily be separated, courses that focus only on religion may, where appropriate, fulfill the ESR.
All courses that the implementation committee approves as satisfying the requirement must provide evidence that the course material illuminates the circumstances, conditions, and experiences of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States.”
UW Platteville:
Ethnic Studies
The purpose of ethnic studies is to awaken the minds and spirits of students to the issues of race and ethnicity in the United States and the social realities and moral challenges of racism in U.S. culture. It strives to help students fulfill their intellectual, moral, and social potential, and encourages them to remove barriers that can prevent others from achieving their own potential. Through their study of ethnic studies, students will:
- explore the history, culture, customs, values, lifestyles, and contributions of populations of color in the United States;
- investigate the social and political structures that support racism;
- recognize the influence that students’ own culture and experiences have on their attitudes towards people of color;
- understand multiple viewpoints regarding ethics and justice;
- examine the scholarship that depicts, analyzes and articulates opposition to racism.
Gender Studies
The purpose of gender studies is to help students come to a better understanding of themselves as responsible individuals operating within gendered cultural context, paying special attention to perspectives involving women. A course that meets liberal arts requirements in gender studies will enable students to engage in personal reflection and explore implications of:
- the cultural constructs that create and perpetuate gender‐based stereotypes and unequal power relationships;
- the contributions of diverse populations of women and persons of varied sexual orientations in transforming knowledge;
- the influence that students’ gender and experiences have on their attitudes toward others.
UW River Falls:
American Cultural Diversity Requirement
- Students will examine the ways in which issues of race and/or ethnicity shape social identities and influence behaviors within diverse segments of American society.
- Students will analyze social and historical factors that may influence their interaction with members of a diverse society.
UW Parkside:
“The purpose of the ethnic diversity requirement is to familiarize students with and sensitize them to differences among diverse ethnic groups. In accordance with the UW System Design for Diversity initiative, students graduating from UW‐Parkside are required, as part of their 120 credits, to complete a minimum of one 3‐credit course dealing with issues of race and ethnicity within the United States.
UW Stevens Point:
You must take at least one course designated non‐Western (NW) culture and at least one course designated minority studies (MNS). Although a course may be designated both NW and MNS, you may not satisfy both requirements with one course.”
UW La Crosse:
Title: Minority Cultures or Multiracial Women’s Studies Requirement
Language: “An essential goal of General Education is to improve students’ understanding of and sensitivity to cultural diversity in the United States. All students take at least one course that focuses on minority cultures in the United States or women in the United States from a multiracial perspective. All courses in this category fulfill the UW System ethnic studies requirement. (Minimum of 3 credits required.)
UW Green Bay:
“Ethnic Studies Learning Outcome—An understanding of the causes and effects of stereotyping and racism and an appreciation of cultural diversity in the United States.”
UW Eau Claire:
“All candidates for the baccalaureate degree must satisfactorily complete the equivalent of at least three credits of content in a course or courses dealing with the following groups: African American, Hispanic, American Indian, or Asian American (Southeast Asian).”
UW Milwaukee:
“Three credits in a course relating to the study of life experiences of African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians or Asian Americans.”
UW Stout:
6‐9 credits in ethnic studies
study abroad or 6 credits global courses
UW Superior:
3 credits “diversity”
3 credits Non‐Western
UW Whitewater:
“a 3‐unit diversity course, the primary focus of which is racial and ethnic minority issues.”
UW Colleges:
In order to earn an Associate Degree, “[a] student must earn a minimum of three credits in courses designated as Ethnic Studies.