Rationale
The unequal distribution of social, economic, and political power in the United States and in other countries is sustained through a variety of individual beliefs and institutional practices. These beliefs and practices have tended to obscure the origins and operations of social discrimination such that this unequal power distribution is often viewed as the natural order. The DPD requirement engages students in the intellectual examination of the complexity of the structures, systems, and ideologies that sustain discrimination and the unequal distribution of power and resources in society. Such examination will enhance meaningful democratic participation in our diverse university community and our increasingly multicultural U.S. society.
Criteria
Difference, Power, and Discrimination courses shall:
- Be at least 3 credits,
- Emphasize elements of critical thinking,
- Have as their central focus the study of the unequal distribution of power within the framework of particular disciplines and course content,
- Focus primarily on the United States, although global contexts are encouraged,
- Provide illustrations of ways in which structural, institutional, and ideological discrimination arise from socially defined meanings attributed to difference,
- Provide historical and contemporary examples of difference, power, and discrimination across cultural, economic, social, and political institutions in the United States,
- Provide illustrations of ways in which the interactions of social categories, such as race, ethnicity, social class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and age, are related to difference, power, and discrimination in the United States,
- Provide a multidisciplinary perspective on issues of difference, power, and discrimination,
- Incorporate interactive learning activities (e.g., ungraded, in-class writing exercise; classroom discussion; peer-review of written material; web-based discussion group), and
- Be regularly numbered departmental offerings rather than x99 or blanket number courses.
DPD Learning Outcomes
Students in Difference, Power, and Discrimination courses shall:
- Explain how difference is socially constructed,
- Using historical and contemporary examples, describe how perceived differences, combined with unequal distribution of power across economic, social, and political institutions, result in discrimination, and
- Analyze ways in which the interactions of social categories, such as race, ethnicity, social class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and age, are related to difference, power, and discrimination in the United States.
When developing your course syllabus, list the DPD learning outcomes separately from other course learning outcomes. Clearly identify DPD learning outcomes on the syllabus.
Additionally, the course syllabus must include the DPD Baccalaureate Core Statement:
(The syllabus must include verbatim) "This course fulfills the Baccalaureate Core requirement for the * category. It does this by *." (Take 1-2 sentences to briefly make the connection between your course content and/or approach of your course to the BCC category student learning outcomes.)
In addition, the syllabus must:
- explicitly identify/label these outcomes as BCC Learning Outcomes for the category it satisfies
- include a description that helps students understand the connection between the course and the BCC Category
- make clear to students how the BCC category learning outcomes will be integrated into the course and assessed
In addition to submitting your completed syllabus, the submission process will require you to describe:
- the ways in which the course your are proposing meets the DPD course criteria and learning outcomes,
- the process by which assessment of student learning will take place in your course, and
- the ways in which your unit will ensure consistency in meeting DPD learning outcomes across all course sections/locations/modes of delivery.