Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute
celebrates 10 years of reshaping NIU classes

by Mark McGowan

Nearly a decade ago, then-NIU Student Regent John Butler came to Admasu Zike with a mandate from his constituents.

"The students demanded that they should be allowed to take at least one course in multiculturalism," said Zike, associate vice provost for academic support services, "so they understood this demographic change, this diverse population of the outside world."

But tacking another class onto the graduation requirements would burden not only students seeking to finish school on time, the pair concluded, but also the university, which would need to hire additional faculty.

An idea struck them.

"We decided it should be a number of courses in a number of areas in all areas," Zike said. "Then, we said, in order to do that, we should also provide an opportunity for faculty to retool themselves, a time where they can actually think about the subject and get some help on the subject so they can incorporate it into their curriculum, not as a chapter or a section, but an intrinsic part of their curriculum."

The Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute was born, an intense seven-day program in the summer where faculty from across campus could come together to learn more about multiculturalism and discuss how to weave its ideals into their courses.

It was anchored in three centers - the Center for Black Studies (Zike then was the director), the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies (Michael Gonazles) and the Women's Studies Program (Lois Self).

This week's institute - beginning at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday in the Heritage Room of the Holmes Student Center and ending Wednesday, May 14 - is the 10th. The first was held in 1994.

"More than 150 faculty have participated in the institute, which has really kind of diversified the curriculum in just about every college throughout campus," said LaVerne Gyant, director of the Center for Black Studies and this year's MCTI chair.

"It actually provides our students with a wide range of information and a knowledge base that will help them now and in the future. It makes them reach out and stretch out into some places that may have been uncomfortable for them at first, but it lets them know it's OK to reach outside their comfort zone," Gyant added. "In this day and age, you can't survive without having some knowledge and some understanding of diversity. The world is becoming a much more global, rather than individual, focus."

Multiculturalism is defined as the inclusion of scholarship, theory, concept and fact of cultures that historically have been under-represented in all educational arenas.

Task force leaders envision an enriched academic environment where faculty address multicultural perspectives in their teaching and curricula, accommodate the needs of a diverse student population and engage in activities that promote scholarship of multicultural curricula.

Sessions include panel discussions, small-group conversations, speakers, videos and workshops. Issues for consideration include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities and, for the first time, religion. Another first this year is an invitation extended to members of the Supportive Professional Staff who teach classes.

Opening day activities include the voices of students, who tell participants about the challenges they face and how important they hold a multicultural curriculum.

To participate, faculty must propose classes they will "transform" through the institute.

"Each afternoon, they break into smaller groups where they actually discuss their own syllabus and how they incorporate these things we're talking about," Zike said. "They get some input from their colleagues across campus, who they normally would not meet. Faculty have told us consistently how much they value that."

"Dozens of faculty from a different variety of departments and colleges have had the opportunity to interact on a very intimate level for very intense periods and have formed friendships and links that otherwise would not have been possible," said Michael Gonzales, director of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies. "In many cases, these people have stayed in touch and communicated about multiculturalism in other areas."

Gonzales, a former MCTI chair, believes the institute makes the refashioned curriculum "more reflective of current research trends."

"If faculty are doing a better job in the classroom in terms of interacting with the various types of individuals who they encounter," he said, "hopefully they will serve as role models for these students who then can interact more effectively in the workplace, wherever that might be."

The future holds plenty.

Gyant said institute leaders are hoping to present additional programs during the academic year to allow more faculty and support staff to join. They also are planning to survey students to gain their opinions about transformed classes, she said.

"The institute should continue to prosper," Gonzales said.

"The university tends to be quite supportive of research-related activities, so I think this is an excellent example of support for teaching. It needs aggressive support, not only from the central administration but also from the colleges and departments. Deans and department chairs need to encourage their faculty to participate."

Task force members are Paula Brown, John Butler, Shi-Ruei Fang, Carla Goar, William Goldenberg, Gonzales, Gyant, Murali Krishnamurthi, Amy Levin, Bill Minor, Robin Moremen and Zike.

5-12-03