The following criterion was developed and approved by the Faculty Council.
To satisfy the Global Cultures Flag, at least one-third of the course grade must be based on content dealing with in-depth examination of the broader cultural context and perspectives of one or more non-U.S. communities, countries, or coherent regional groupings of countries, past or present.
*For three- or four-credit courses. For two-credit hour courses, at least one-half of the course grade should be based on Flag content.
Interpretation
The following interpretation was developed by the faculty committee that oversees the Global Cultures Flag and was approved by the Undergraduate Studies Advisory Committee.
Courses carrying the Global Cultures Flag critically engage with the cultures of one or more non-U.S. communities. Global Cultures courses may study any area of human activity and may come from any discipline, but in every case must address in-depth the histories, traditions, practices, and/or perspectives of those communities. Proposals should specify which non-US cultural groups students will study and explain how the course will expand students’ cultural understanding and awareness. In order to highlight experiences of members of the non-U.S. cultural groups being studied, courses carrying the Global Cultures Flag should, whenever possible, include texts (broadly construed) created by members of those cultural groups and give substantial consideration to diverse cultural perspectives within those groups.
Critical reflection is key to helping students analyze the work that culture does in non-U.S. cultural groups and in students’ own lives. By critical reflection, the committee means a process of analyzing the forces – social, political, historical, and/or economic – that have shaped students’ own cultural experiences, those of the groups they are studying, and those of others in their communities.
Instructors should structure and guide the reflection process, but students should participate in an active process of critical reflection that asks them to analyze and articulate how what they learn in the course is affecting their understanding of their own cultural experiences and those of the groups they are learning about in the course. Depending on the course content, some suggestions for this kind of critical reflection may include:
- Written activities, either formal or informal, that consider beliefs or assumptions that may have been challenged or refined by a reading or assignment
- Collaborative inquiry such as perspective sharing or class discussions
- Creative projects – like making a podcast, drawing a comic, writing an autobiography, attending a performance, or exploring a place – with a reflective component
Students earning the Global Cultures Flag should learn about non-U.S. cultural content, experiences and/or perspectives in depth. Courses may be structured in different ways to provide a substantive exploration, but must include at least one of the following:
- a sustained focus on one or more non-U.S. communities, countries, or regions;
- a coherent examination of a particular issue, theme, or phenomenon within the context of two or more non-U.S. communities, countries, or regions;
- a close study of global phenomena through a comparative cultural framework.
Learning Objectives
The faculty committee that oversees the Global Cultures Flag has also developed a set of learning objectives, or goals for what students will learn to do in these courses. These learning objectives can be adapted to your course and help communicate course structure and goals to your students.
Student Feedback
We administer end-of-semester surveys to students enrolled in courses that carry a Global Cultures Flag. Here’s a snapshot from our fall 2019 survey.
Questions?
Are you a student with questions about the Global Cultures Flag? Please contact the Core and Flags Student Program Coordinator for advising and petitions support.
Are you an instructor with questions about the Global Cultures Flag? Please contact Dr. Brooke Rich, Senior Academic Program Coordinator for the Global Cultures Flag.