Diversity requirements

AAC&U has just released a national survey, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, which shows that 62 percent of 543 responding colleges, universities, and community colleges either have in place a cultural diversity requirement for graduation (54 percent of responding campuses) or are in the process of developing one (8 percent). Writing, quantitative reasoning, information literacy, the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences-all made their way into virtually every required curriculum because the academy reached a consensus that educated people need competence and conversancy in these areas, whatever their intended life roles and work. A single course or even two on diversity is at best a down payment on the kinds of knowledge citizens need both as members of a democratic society still riven by traditions of segregation and hierarchy, and as participants in an ever more connected global community.