International Studies: A Transdisciplinary Agent for Curricular Reform
Author(s):
Bunney-sarhad, Linda; California State Univ., Stanislaus.
Format:
Report
Publisher:
1992.
Language:
English
Abstract:
This report covers a 3-year project at California State University, Stanislaus, in cooperation with Modesto Junior College (California), to add a non-Western dimension to existing courses and to "internationalize" the curriculum through academically related field projects conducted at a community center serving a large population of Cambodian refugees. The school, with a largely rural, insular student body, serves a six-county area of the Central Valley. Student field work projects are integrated into course syllabi and are intended to serve as the vehicle for developing students' understanding of international issues inherent to specific disciplines, create sensitivity to and respect for other cultural modes, including study of non-Western languages, and enhancing understanding of global effects of national political and economic decisions upon human populations. Among the disciplines participating in the field-work requirement are anthropology, child development, communications, English, ethnic studies, geography, nursing, political science, psychology, sociology, and teacher education. The program, which initially involved 60 students and 3 faculty members, now includes 245 students and 15 faculty. Appended are remarks on Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) program assistance, a diagram of participating entities, student agreement forms, orientation materials, course outlines, and an internal evaluator's report.(BF)