Teaching a Multicultural Humanities Curriculum in the "P.C." Era.

In the wake of a debate about multiculturalism on college campuses, about one-third of the humanities faculty at Valencia Community College (VCC), in Florida, volunteered to revise the traditional eurocentric curriculum to render it more inclusive and multicultural in nature. Early in the process, faculty identified and evaluated institutional and personal assumptions, biases, and values, and formed guiding principles for curriculum revision by consensus. Though some VCC faculty saw no need to revise the curriculum, those participating in the revision felt that multiculturalism is not a passing political trend, but rather a reflection of an emerging world community which will require its members to navigate differences. As the word "multiculturalism" is politically charged, the faculty members began by agreeing on what multiculturalism does not denote; e.g., an abandonment of the basics or a lowering of standards and requirements; a right- or left-wing personal political agenda; a rigid doctrine of "political correctness"; fixed allegiance to traditional curriculum content or methods; blanket approval of the values or behaviors of all cultures; or a return to "internationalism." The faculty defined their approach to multiculturalism as an intent to include previously excluded groups in curriculum content and teaching methods; to make cultural stories as complete as possible; to recognize academic integrity; and to reflect the cultural and ethnic composition of the student population. An example of a study unit, entitled "1492," which requires students to study and describe the culture of Native Americans pre- and post-colonization by Europeans, is provided. (ECC)