This observation referred to the multicultural aspect of UNK's general education program. At the time of the 1994 site visit, a proposed cultural diversity component was only vaguely defined and courses had yet to be established. Since 1994, the cultural diversity or "CD" component of the curriculum has become a well-established feature of UNK general education. Students must take six hours of coursework from a list of approved courses designed to provide them an understanding of the experiences and values of groups and cultures outside the mainstream of American life. The General Studies Council has published guidelines for these courses and reviews all course proposals. During the Fall Semester, 2003, 78 CD course are being offered. Enrollment in these courses has dropped off significantly compared to the past two or three fall semesters, and we are currently analyzing why this may have occurred. Materials describing the CD requirement and offerings can be found at the General Studies section of the Academic Affairs website (http://aaunk.unk.edu/generalstudies/) and are available in the Resource Room.

Additionally, UNK has been studying a proposal to introduce an ethnic studies minor. This proposal was put on hold during 2002-2003 as we dealt with budget cuts, but the committee is meeting again during this academic year and it is anticipated that a proposal will be finalized for the program by summer, 2004. To enhance faculty efforts focusing on diversity and multiculturalism, the Center for Teaching Excellence has sponsored workshops like "Multicultural Curriculum Transformation" and "creating an Inclusive Environment."

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