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General Education

Introduction

Introduction

NNU's cultural competency program is designed to increase the student's cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.  

As a result of participating in the Cultural Competency Program, an NNU student should become an informed, open-minded, and responsible person who is attentive to cultural diversity in a variety of settings.  They should seek to understand how their actions affect both local and global communities and address some of the world's most pressing and enduring issues collaboratively and equitably.

Each undergraduate student must meet the University's General Education Cultural Competency requirement while attending NNU. This is achieved through designated coursework or by participating in an international study program outlined in the Study Abroad Section of the NNU Undergraduate Catalog. Students who grew up in a multi-cultural/multi-lingual home or lived overseas for more than a year may request to have their life experience considered as fulfilling the Cultural Competency requirement. 

Outcomes of a Quality Experience

Outcomes of a Quality Experience

Cultural Competency (CC) courses must meet five outcomes from either Section I or Section II.

Cultural Competency Experience (CE) courses must meet three outcomes from Section II and two additional outcomes from either section I or II.  

Section I:  Cultural Competency (CC) course outcomes (CC courses must meet five of the outcomes from either section I or II).

  1. Focus on a cultural group other than one’s home culture.
  2. Provide a significant knowledge base regarding a different culture or cultures and, in so doing, emphasize the importance of developing a comprehensive worldview.
  3. Explain ethnocentrism and its role in the development of perceptions and reality.
  4. Identify the alternative views of reality and perceptions of the cultural group(s) studied: beliefs, values, customs, language, non-verbal communication, etc.
  5. Include the study of the accomplishments of the culture(s) being considered.
  6. Strive to develop empathy toward the group or groups studied.
  7. Develop an understanding of social and cultural change.

Section II: Cultural Competency Experience (CE) course outcomes (CE courses must meet three outcomes from section II and an additional two outcomes from either section).

  1. Address the issues of cultures in conflict, whether it be between or within nations.
  2. Experience resolution (or lack of resolution) of tension or accommodation to the values of a different culture.
  3. Collaborate with individuals from a target culture within a specific discipline by applying domain-specific knowledge.
  4. Apply domain-specific knowledge, and problem-solving for the benefit of individuals from another culture.

Cultural Competency General Education Outcome

General Education Outcome

 

HU3

Students will become informed, open-minded, and responsible agents regarding their own and diverse cultures.  They will seek to engage and understand diverse worldviews to better shape their attitudes and actions so they may positively affect local and global communities.  

 

 

Minimum

Target

Exemplary

HU3

Transformation

  • Demonstrates surface understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture in relation to its history, values, politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs and practices.

  • States minimal interest in learning more about other cultures.

  • Views the experience of others but does so through their own cultural worldview.

  • Demonstrates adequate understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture in relation to its history, values, politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs and practices.

  • Recognizes intellectual and emotional dimensions of more than one worldview and sometimes uses more than one worldview in interactions.

  • Begins to initiate and develop interactions with culturally different others. Begins to suspend judgment in valuing her/ his interactions with culturally different others.

  • Demonstrates sophisticated understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture in relation to its history, values, politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs and practices.

  • Interprets intercultural experience from the perspectives of one's own and more than one worldview and demonstrates the ability to act in a supportive manner that recognizes the feelings of another cultural group.

  • Initiates and develops interactions with culturally different others. Suspends judgment in valuing her/ his interactions with culturally different others.

Cultural Competency Course Application

Cultural Competency Course Application

For faculty seeking to propose courses to be included in the Cultural Competency program or seeking to revise a course's designation, please follow the link here to access the application form.

Cultural Competency Course Application

HUMN1060 Course Application