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CD/ICD Assessment

Texas A&M University strives to produce graduates equipped to live and work in a diverse world. The Cultural Discourse (CD) and International Cultural & Diversity (ICD) requirements prepare our graduates to be leaders in an increasingly diverse world. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Evaluation supports this curricular experience by supporting institution-level assessment seeking to understand students' demonstration of intercultural competency, critical thinking, and other related learning outcomes.


Academic Year 2020-21 Pilot Assessment


On June 15, 2020, President Michael K. Young announced steps the University is taking to address challenges seen on campus as a result of racism. Point nine on the list called for pilot assessments of Cultural Discourse (CD) and International Cultural and Diversity (ICD) undergraduate courses. 

This pilot assessment project will occur in three stages using two different instruments. 

At the beginning of both the fall and spring semesters, students enrolled in any CD or ICD designated course will be invited to participate in the Global Perspectives Inventory, also known as the GPI. This inventory, administered by the Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE) at Iowa State University, will assess intercultural competence in three domains: Cognitive, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal. The inventory takes students approximately 20 minutes to complete. A post-test using the same instrument will occur at the end of the semester.

The other instrument for this pilot study will be the direct assessment of student reflections using rubrics designed to mirror the learning outcomes required in CD and ICD courses. Begining in mid November and mid April, students will receive a prompt asking them to reflect on their learning experience as it relates to intercultural comptetency and global learning skills. These reflections will be collected by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Evaluation and scored using course designation specirfic rubrics during Summer 2021.

The rubrics for this assessment are available below:

Cultural Discourse Rubric
International Cultural & Diversity Rubric
 

Student Learning Outcomes


Courses with International Cultural & Diversity (ICD) or Cultural Discourse (CD) designations are expected to address specific student learning outcomes and contain certain structural elements, as defined by the Core Curriculum Council, which is made up of Texas A&M University Faculty Senate members.

International Cultural & Diversity

Students completing their ICD course requirement should be able to:

  1. Live and work effectively in a diverse and global society;
  2. Articulate the value of a diverse and global perspective; and
  3. Recognize diverse opinions and practices (including but not limited to ecnomic, political, cultural, gender, and religious opinions) and consider different points of view.
Cultural Discourse

Students completing their CD course requirement should be able to:
  1. Hold respectful discussions and discourse on difficult topics;
  2. Understand self, including personal bias and prejudices;
  3. Understand how power or authority is distributed within organizational systems, including recognizing potential forms of privilege, oppression, and discrimination;
  4. Understand how to use and promote informed dialogue to overcome issues dividing individuals and humankind;
  5. Understand tolerance and intolerance and have knowledge of when it is appropriate to be intolerant of specific behaviors/activities that violate our core values as people and Aggies;
  6. Understand how to function effectively in a multicultural and global society; and.
  7. Understand conflict from multiple viewpoints.
Courses with a CD designation should:
  1. Incorporate "Aggie Experience Activities" into the course; and
  2. Incorporate small group discussions into the course.

Contact a member of the Core Curriculum Council if you have specific questions about course requirements or the ICD or CD designation approval process.