CFANS Working Across Difference Initiative

The ability to work effectively across difference is essential to student success in serving our national aspirations, meeting employer demands, and participating in the complex national and global grand challenges of our time. The University of Minnesota recognizes the importance of graduating students who demonstrate intercultural competency - the ability to recognize difference and authentically engage different cultures, races, life experiences, and knowledge systems. Skills such as self-awareness, appreciation of differences, tolerance of ambiguity, and understanding diverse philosophies and cultures are formally acknowledged as learning objectives for the University’s Student Learning and Development Outcomes.

CFANS has developed the Working Across Difference Initiative (WADI) to fulfill these outcomes and to meet its own undergraduate strategic priority of enhancing multicultural and global competencies. This comprehensive initiative, poised to serve as a national model, has three core components: curriculum, pedagogy, and student assessment. CFANS students in all majors and in each year of undergraduate education will take courses and participate in activities (e.g., study abroad and service learning) that intentionally incorporate multiple cultural perspectives to develop intercultural competency, learn about cultural similarities and differences, and how those differences frequently result in unequal impacts on peoples and communities. Learn more about this initiative by viewing the WADI Prezi.

Resources

Our CFANS Office for Diversity and Inclusion is continuing to develop a toolkit of resources for instructors who are interested in integrating diverse perspectives and intercultural content into their courses. The toolkit includes case studies, activities, reflective writing questions, articles, videos, and web resources. Instructors can enroll by contacting the CFANS Office of Diversity and Inclusion at odicfans@umn.edu, or if you have difficulty accessing the toolkit or have resource suggestions.

The WADI Background Report (.pdf) includes information on the goals of the initiative, research findings, and next steps.

Course Involvement

We continue to expand our partnerships with CFANS instructors to enhance intercultural learning through the four years of our majors. Approaches include pedagogical methods and integration of intercultural content and diverse perspectives into course curriculum. This systemic integration ensures all students learn to work across difference - from within their discipline to society at large, recognizing potential impacts in the context of social justice and equity. If you would like to become involved in this effort or teach a course that could serve as a WADI “touch-point” in your major, please CFANS Office of Diversity and Inclusion at odicfans@umn.edu.

CFANS Working Across Difference Initiative

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