As the face of the American nation continues to change, American colleges and universities must have a plan of action that will ensure that students are prepared for the world they will encounter after graduation. . The combination of national diversity, the influx of immigrants, and the ever-increasing globalization of business and life in general requires a new type of educational approach for American undergraduate and graduate students. By creating and integrating a course specifically focused on topics related to diversity, the university will provide students with the opportunity to explore their own values ​​and beliefs, learn about national and international concerns and viewpoints, and to broaden their critical thinking and writing skills to better understand the needs and demands of the globalized society in which they will work and live. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Nationally, “Americans are increasingly nonwhite and more diverse than ever” (Rendon, 1). America is no longer a nation based on black and white. Indeed, the country has moved beyond basic racial categories. An increasingly large share of the population comes from mixed heritage, with different social and cultural influences predominant in their lives. “White America” is no longer the “majority” as it was once defined. Instead, America is experiencing growth in African-American and Hispanic communities that will change the demographic makeup of the United States in drastic proportions over the next quarter or half century. “The birth rate among African Americans is double the national average and for Hispanics it is quadruple the national average” (Rendon, 3). Internationally, immigration to the United States is increasing every year, not only in terms of people coming to work, but also in terms of exchange students entering American universities. “In the United States, the overall proportion of international students is… just over 4 percent, although the actual numbers are enormous, around 582,000” (King, 165). With numbers like these, the need to provide structured educational opportunities exploring class, language, ethnicity, gender, exceptionalism, cultural differences, sexuality, and other national and international topics comes into focus. strengthens every year. In recent years, many colleges and universities have seen additions to their programs. including courses such as ethnic history courses, women's studies, and gay and lesbian studies. Some colleges and universities expand students' knowledge base by using required courses already in the curriculum, such as African American studies, women's studies, foreign languages, and cultural history courses (Rendon, 277-279 ). While this approach is certainly a step in the right direction, none of these courses specifically address student perspectives and require analytical and critical thinking about concepts such as power and privilege, social class, homophobia and institutionalized racism. Seeing beyond the lenses that cloud thinking and judgment is the key to seeing growth and change in students. It is the challenges and growth in academia that will equip students with the skills needed to enter the global economy and participate as teachers,business executives, government employees, technology experts and many other fields. “Universities recognize that much subject content is too domestically oriented at a time when graduates – domestic and international – face the prospect of more globally mobile careers or, even if they work locally, do so for organizations operating in transnational contexts (King, 166). ), yet when asked, even though a majority of teachers supported diversity education, this support did not translate into classroom practice (“What Encourages Teachers”). To ensure that students across the university receive a solid foundation in diversity education and university-wide implementation of a diversity course requirement would alleviate resistance, divergence and gaps at the departmental and individual level. With the ever-changing composition of the higher education population and the demand for globally prepared graduates, the responsibility for diversity education must rest with the university rather than each individual department. An article by Kim Case examined research conducted to measure bias. against women in a pre- and post-test study of female students who took women's studies courses (2007). It was found that students who participated in women's studies courses (compared to those who did not take courses) "demonstrated greater awareness of sexism, greater appreciation of diversity and egalitarian attitudes towards gender… [and a] greater awareness of discrimination. against women” (Cas, 426). This study implies that by being exposed to diverse topics and questioning the "norm" in a structured classroom setting, students are more likely to have raised awareness of the issue, to have a better appreciation of the challenges surrounding those who identify with the problem, be more aware of discriminatory practices and attitudes and realize that members of a “minority” group are not less human just because they are different. In the context of education, future teachers are especially crucial to meeting America's ever-changing needs. , and education faculty are less likely to incorporate diversity content than their counterparts in arts and sciences, business, engineering, and fine arts departments (“What Encourages Faculty” ). At the university level, teacher preparation programs must ensure that students are prepared to handle diversity in race, class, gender, sexual orientation, international relations and more when in the classroom. This is true for K-12 teachers as well as higher education professors and administrators. Ensuring that pre-service teachers are well trained in a multitude of diversity issues rather than having taken one or two specialized diversity courses will provide them with the guided educational experience needed to open their minds and provide them with the tools needed to enter the classroom with a more competent teacher. mindset. According to Milner & Smithey, pre-service teachers must recognize the differences between the perspectives, experiences, values, and beliefs of their own race and those of others. Pre-service teachers need to see the color and begin to recognize its political and historical legacy. teachers must become researchers and learners in their teaching environment. The teachers inpre-service training need skills that enable them to evaluate their growth and progress and continue to strengthen their knowledge and skills regarding diversity issues (2003). These skills are not only detrimental to teacher effectiveness. , but since the United States of the 2000s is truly a globalized society, these skills are useful to anyone who intends to participate in American business or professional activities, especially since "most Americans live in separate and homogeneous environments” (Rendon, 268) and their academic experience will be their primary training ground for success in the global economy. If the prevailing view in diversity education is that "to educate for and about diversity is to fundamentally change the curriculum in virtually every field" (Rendon, 269), then creating a curriculum specific on diversity meeting the needs of the greatest number would be more viable than trying to rewrite entire departmental programs. Minorities, women, and GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) people all want to enrich curricula, and there is concern that due to limited resources, each of these areas suffers from it (Rendon, 23). A university-wide course designed for the sole purpose of addressing national and international diversity topics, would allow most, if not all, students to be exposed to a wide range of diversity-related issues, relative to to courses more narrowly focused on the spirit of diversity that are not designed to reach the masses, nor to delve as deeply into targeted issues of race, gender, ethnicity, et al. Proposed Diversity Course As a university-wide requirement, ideally this course would be required during the first year, but all transfer students would be required to enroll upon entering the university. The course would be a two-semester sequence based on John Chaffee's Thinking Critical textbook with additional readings from recent research and studies. Thinking Critical is an intensive reading and writing program, and while it is possible to complete core text work in a single semester, in order to delve deeper into topics such as race, class, sex, et al. more time should be dedicated to allow for student growth and insight. A wonderful benefit of using this text as a foundation for first-year students is that it also serves as a tool for critical thinking, analytical writing, and research, all of which are necessary tools for college success. The first semester of the course will cover the first six chapters. of the book which include self-examination, critical thinking activities, asking questions, listening, organizing and discussing ideas, problem-solving skills (personal and non-personal), perception, belief and knowledge, as well as language and thought. In addition to the chapter readings, specific articles related to different areas of diversity studies can be used to provide discussions and written responses relating to the different themes presented by each chapter. The thinking and writing activities throughout the chapters are designed to encourage students to begin their critical analysis careers through a combination of personal and non-personal themes and topics. Students learn to evaluate the reasons that support an argument and are guided through exercises to enable them to learn to write based on reason rather than on.