Mission Statement
The mission of the ethnic studies minor is to provide students with a rigorous and disciplined examination of historically underrepresented ethnic groups in the U.S. In so doing, it will assist the university and its efforts to promote an academic environment that embraces the study and understanding of the history, culture, and contributions of ethnic groups as legitimate components of the educational experience offered to all students at Shippensburg University.
Program Goals
In fulfilling the mission of the ethnic studies minor, the primary goals of the program are:
- to challenge and broaden the canons of knowledge, scholarship and pedagogy through vision, leadership, and action.
- to provide an opportunity for all students to gain an understanding of the ethnic diversity of the people of the United States, exposing them to scholarship that seeks to correct historical and cultural myths and misconceptions, racist stereotypes and images, and to emphasize the significant contributions of ethnic groups to the growth and development of the U.S. and the world --- achievements that have been ignored or denigrated.
- to address fundamental problems of contemporary society by helping students to acquire the capacity for critical analysis and to gain skills in research methodologies in order to develop research and programs which will aid in bridging the gaps in cross cultural communication and understanding, thereby promoting cultural literacy and social justice in America.
- to introduce students to nontraditional perspectives and conceptual frameworks in their discussions and analysis of ethnic groups and to promote these alternative perspectives and frameworks as legitimate.
- to serve as a catalyst for further transformation of a more inclusive university curriculum.
- to increase the presence and influence of ethnically diverse educators at the university.
- to contribute to the development of public policy related to the promotion of ethnic diversity in higher education.
- to develop ties to local ethnic communities within and outside of the university.
Interdisciplinary Minors Policy
College of Arts and Sciences
A minor should consist of a minimum of 18 credit hours with no more than a total of 24 maximum. In an 18 credit hours minor, at least 6 of these credits must be in courses at the 300 level or higher, in minors of more than 18 credits, at least 9 of these credits must be in courses at the 300 level or higher.
No more than six credits in a minor may be counted towards another minor or major. No triple counting of courses is allowed.
Students who receive a minor from Shippensburg University must complete a minimum of 50% of the courses in residence at the university.
Students who have a minor listed on their transcript at graduation, they must attain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for the courses in the minor.
Students must first have declared a major in some discipline before declaring a minor.
Program Description
The Ethnic Studies minor consists of 18 credit hours, nine of which include three core courses: ETH 100 Introduction to Ethnic Studies; ETH 101 Introduction to African American Studies; ETH 102 Introduction to Latino Studies. These core courses incorporate a centric based perspective.
A centric perspective maintains that all experiences are culturally grounded. Therefore, when examining ethnic groups from a centric perspective professors offer to students interpretations of ethnic realities based on evidence and data secured from reference to the voice of the ethnic group being studied.
In addition to providing students with a centric perspective, attention also focuses on observer perspectives of ethnic groups. Both perspectives are important in providing students with a balanced examination of ethnic groups.
Students may complete the additional nine credit hour requirement from a menu of courses from various academic departments. These elective courses also offer both centric and observer perspectives. Other educational activities such as a lecture series, workshops, colloquiums, projects, and field trips complement classroom instruction.
The interdisciplinary minor is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition to a director, an ethnic studies advisory committee also governs the program. The advisory committee, comprised of several subcommittees, coordinates, plans, initiates, and generally helps to chart the direction for ethnic/multicultural education at the university. The advisory committee consists mostly of faculty representing various disciplines across the university curriculum.