Cultural Competenceat SILS

“the ability to understand and respect cultural differences and to address issues of

disparity among diverse populations competently” (Overall, 2009)

Our changing

nation

Asian American

Pew Research Center, 2012

Sexual Orientation

Our users? Our students?

Our nation is changing

and changing quickly

Does our curriculum address this?

Cultural Competence at SILS• Every course addresses the diversity of users in the context of the course

• Every core course addresses diversity (this guarantees all students encounter the issues)

• A series/specialization of 3 and 1.5-credit elective courses focused on diversity issues

• Existing courses with diverse focus:– 758: International and Cross Cultural Perspectives for Information Management – 890-147: Youth Services in a Diverse Society– 739: Information Services for Specific Populations

“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of

gradualism.” (MLK, Jr., 1963)

Are we ready and willing to do something about our curriculum to address cultural competence

in a focused way?

• Commit as a faculty to give focused attention to issues of cultural competence in our classes?

• Diversity Committee to spearhead a data collection from each of us as to how we currently address cultural competence in EACH of our classes– This helps assess our current state– It helps with our COA evaluation (we’ve been called to

task on our last COA report)

So what shall we do?1. Every course addresses the diversity of users in the context of the course

2. Every core course addresses diversity (this guarantees all students encounter the issues)

3. A series/specialization of 3 and 1.5-credit elective courses focused on diversity issues

Existing courses with diverse focus:– 758: International and Cross Cultural Perspectives for Information Management – 890-147: Youth Services in a Diverse Society– 739: Information Services for Specific Populations